Cyprus

We didn't think that we would be able to have a family holiday this year. L was doing her year as a pupil barrister, working hard and trying to impress, and E didn't fancy a holiday without her (apart from the fun weekend in Stockholm!). Then suddenly, L was given tenancy and we were on. We're masters in the art of last minute holidays - our personal best being a trip to Barcelona, where we had about 5 hours between booking and the actual flight! So, a week's notice gave us plenty of time. Cyprus was chosen as the destination; flights booked; accommodation found, far from the madding crowds in the quiet village of Pissouri; neighbours lined up to look after Hamish and the chucks, and off we went.
Given that we had just had a bit of a heatwave in the UK, I did wonder at how wise it was to visit Cyprus in the middle of August. Friends who had visited in October had found it quite hot enough, so I was slightly concerned. As it was, I needn't have worried. Our spell of hot weather may have acclimatized us somewhat, air conditioning and sea breezes took care of the rest. We had a wonderfully relaxing 10 days. Cyprus was beautiful, the locals friendly and helpful, and the vegan food lovely (although, I might give hummus and falafel a wide berth for the next few weeks!). It is, however, the 'home of halloumi', so we felt that we slightly missed out there.
Here then are a few photos, chosen at random, from our trip:

The view from our balcony:

On our last day, R woke me up at 5am to watch a bat flitting round. By the time I had staggered out the bat had disappeared, but I did get to have a cup of tea whilst watching the sunrise:

Kato Pafos Archaeological Park. The mosaics in the Roman villas are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

E loves lizard spotting:

Watching paragliders at sunset:

We tried to pick one of the cooler days for our visit to Nicosia; being inland we found the temperature much hotter and, unlike the coastal areas, it maintained the heat after 5pm staying hot and humid. Despite that, the medieval walled city was one of my favorite parts of Cyprus. It is famously divided - the northern part reflecting Turkish culture and the south remaining very much Greek. We crossed the border between the two and I loved the Turkish part with its mosques, bazaars, spices, and the call to prayer sounding out. Sadly, I didn't do enough research and, being Monday, the Cyprus Museum with its famous terracotta figurines was closed.

Buyuk Han - a former Ottoman inn, now a central courtyard featuring craft shops and cafes:

We drove into the mountains to see the famous Troodos painted churches. These unassuming little buildings with their treasury of Byzantine religious art also have UNESCO World Heritage status: 

Vegan ice cream!

We seriously challenged our hire car by driving miles along rutted tracks to reach Lara Bay. The beach here  is frequented by loggerhead turtles.

Kourion - our favourite ancient city in Cyprus. We arrived late in the afternoon to avoid the heat, and stayed until after sunset when the site closed. There were beautiful mosaics, Roman Baths, an amphitheatre, stadium and more villas than you could shake a stick at.  

Bouzouki and Tapas night at our local taverna. The owner even arranged for vegan tapas to be made especially for us. 

The evening ended with plate smashing and Greek dancing - although, I'm not posting those particular photos!

Historic Limassol, Cyprus' second largest city. The ancient medieval core was fun to explore and when we got too hot, we sat outside of this gorgeous cafe and enjoyed frappes.

On our last day on the way to the airport, we popped into Ancient Amathous to get a last fix of ruins.

Well, that just about sums up our holiday. I would heartily recommend Cyprus to anyone who hasn't been. The island does have some tourist hot spots which are probably best avoided if, like us, you prefer a quiet life. That aside, it has so much to offer - go for the archaeology, the historic city centres, the food, the beaches, the warm weather and, above all, the people.

Toodle pip for now. x