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Going away alone makes it easier to meet people on the road. With the Mediterranean islands I am especially lucky for female acquaintances.
On the island of affectionate cats
I like to think that tomorrow, all of Cyprus may become famous for being the island of cats.
Reading the various guidebooks it seems that the iconic animal is the mouflon, but they are very difficult to see; or sea turtles or donkeys. Instead, walking or standing still in a café or even in a restaurant, it is very common to be approached by one of the many, many free-dwelling pussycats.
But unfortunately, instead, the division of the island and the scars that are still evident from that civil war, starting with the wall dividing the capital city, is objectively the most salient and saddest element of that territory.
Troodos Mountains
Island of cats and the wall, but also of spectacular nature and superb historical remains.
I had confirmation of this on my two-day trip between Nicosia and Paphos: to the Troodos Mountains area and to Limassol. The choice to visit the mountains of Cyprus was to trek to Mount Olympus, which I had mistakenly believed was the most famous of the Greek gods.
Even without Zeus, the walk(the Atlanta Trail) was superb. Almost always with views of the whole island all the way to northern Cyprus. I also found some of the surrounding monasteries nice, which I saw at the end of the trek and the next day before returning to the coast. This is a part of the island not considered by mass tourism, but in my opinion more than worthy.
Limassol
Limassol has beautiful waterfront, a very nice old town around and an archaeological park, the remains of the ancient city of Kourion, complete with a theater still in use with the sea as a backdrop in a fabulous location.
Meeting people on the road: the interview
Returning to my Nicosia tour, it was characterized by an interlude with a chatty and friendly companion. Meeting people on the road is always nice, especially if they live in the place and tell you about them and the place where you are momentarily staying.
After visiting the Turkish side, in the early afternoon I met an English teacher who lives there, but Greek, albeit with a Cypriot mother. We had interesting reflections on the fact that those who are of her generation, after so many years without incident, do not have the animosity toward others that remained with the generations who lived through the war and suffered loss and grief.
This reasoning got me thinking about how long the return to normalcy can be, and even if certain current wars ended now, the path to true peace would be a very long one.
What I will remember most fondly from the long talk will remain the set of original questions he asked me, for example:
- What animal would you like to be?
- Being able to be reborn in what country and period would you like?
- If you lost your memory and were asked how old are you, what would you say?
Meeting people on the road in Paphos
On the last evening in Cyprus I met another person, also a Greek. She had moved from Thessaloniki because in the after covid she had had to close her business. In the case histories of the chapter meeting people on the road, she belonged to the somewhat lonely one who is in the mood to chat; the opposite of the Nicosia interviewer, to be clear.
He told me how it is not easy to change cities and countries, even if you share the language (and we joked about some linguistic differences and funny misunderstandings between Cyprus and Greece); and that, not having many contacts, despite living in Paphos for several months, he did not know the city at all.
At a certain age it is also not easy to make new acquaintances and friendships, especially in a small place. Not knowing the town, he gave me wrong directions for the meeting and made me walk a lot of distance to meet him, among other things in front of a closed restaurant. Then we went another way to find another one that was open. Finally he made it up to me and it was a less intellectual evening than the first, but in a different way, very pleasant.
Paphos
Paphos is a very seaside town, but quite lively even in winter. I especially liked The Tombs of the Kings (which actually belonged to the city’s wealthy) and the archaeological park with beautiful mosaics in the remains of Roman villas. Certainly some tourists will go there only for the sea and not for the archaeological finds, but this is a pity.
Home set of travel The scent of the Mediterranean islands
Previous stop Visiting North Cyprus, Christmas lunch with that Cypriot donkey.
Next stop Singles Cruise, in the series let’s try them all
Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent
Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives
Countries visited in my travel stories
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