My Local Villages

Kynousa

One of the main reasons I like belonging to our photography group is that we get to explore small villages in our area which otherwise I might not have visited. Some of them are not more than hamlets really, containing very few houses some abandoned some in ruins. We usually have a theme to which to relate our photos so it is not a completely random exercise. It can be a technical theme using wide angle, tele or macro lenses ; using over exposure or looking for certain colours or shapes or subjects. The choices are multiple and varied which keeps us alert and on our toes.

We have returned several times to some of our favourite spots. Theletra is a particularly fascinating one as it was abandoned some 40 years ago it is said due to the unstable conditions after an earthquake.The inhabitants were moved to new houses further up the hillside.The abandoned houses afford some unusual photographic opportunities as some still contain objects from their previous occupation. More recently some of the houses have been restored and are occupied.

Krito Terra is another of my personal favourites.

It’s very close to where I live and has a particularly friendly, welcoming atmosphere. There are very few regular inhabitants these days maybe 70 or so but even up to the beginning of the 20th century Kritou Terra was one of the largest populated villages in the Pafos region reaching over 600 residents. An old resident told us a few weeks ago that Kritou Terra is the oldest village in the immediate area, I have no other evidence to verify this although the village certainly goes back as far as the Frankish period and maybe even Byzantine.. Although a quiet sleepy village generally, in summer it gets an injection of life from visitors from near and far both students, teachers and academics , to the recently established Environmental Studies Centre. Here field courses are offered promoting environmental and conservation education and awareness.The local council recently has put in action several initiatives to improve and enhance the local attractions and have created a few green spaces. One of the most intriguing historical attractions is the Casino. Stated as being the first casino on the island and began operating in 1878 at the time of Ottoman rule. Initiated by the enterprising Savva Makrides who brought female dancers from Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to entertain the gamblers while they played. .The walls retain most of the painted decorations depicting scenes of the times. Each visit to this village reveals more opportunities for exploration.

Last year we made a return visit to Filousa Chrysochous close to the Skarfou Venetian bridge. This village has a beautiful calming energy located as it is in an idyllic spot at a good height above sea level so offering a slightly more moderate climate. A very green area surrounded by carob, olive and fruit trees which are overlooked from the village main street. It has a feeling of being once a prosperous village as it has some impressive houses. As it has no modern additions it still retains its original charm, the main street is wide and now has been sensitively restored as have many of the stone built houses houses although most of the year you will hardly see a soul as you wander around. It is a village frequented by weekend and holiday residents.There seems to be a penchant among the inhabitants for vintage cars as many are dotted about the village, particularly green ones.

The permanent residents are few and dwindling. On our first visit we had coffee at the kafeneon run by an old lady who seemed rather melancholy. We sat inside while she very slowly prepared the coffee, it appeared to be her living room. I remember that some starlings had nested in the beams and were flying in and out. Sadly on our second visit she was no longer there. But a friendly young local farmer who chatted to us during our wanderings around the village, offered to make us coffee. We sat at the coffee shop and he disappeared up the road ,we assumed to his house and came back with our order. Such kindness and hospitality once the norm all over the island, can still be found in small, out of the way areas. In return we all took his photograph sitting on his tractor.

I hope to return to Filousa again soon to continue my exploration and enjoy this tranquil spot.

Murals in My Town

Atek in action

Spring came late last year after a very, very cold, wet winter for Cyprus, the coldest since records began and it lasted longer than usual. The results of all that rain were a spectacular Spring, which when it arrived was so lush in it’s greenness and abundance of all manner of wild flowers that it was almost worth the dreariness of the previous months. At the end of April the annual Fish Festival was held in Latchi and the local mayor decided to commission some street art to decorate our town Polis ,to coincide with this event with the theme of fish. Six spaces were allocated in all and 6 artists commissioned, one from Paphos and one from Athens while the remaining 4 hailed from Limassol . I was very excited, I had seen how Pafos had been transformed during it’s renovation a few years previously ,spawning a plethora of murals around the town and they are still being added to. I’ve not been disappointed as the results have certainly brightened up the town and added extra attraction. Not only that it gave me an interesting subject to photograph particularly when the artists were in action.

The first artist I captured in action was Giorgos Skoulis tag ATEK from Athens who was painting a very long wall roughly 40 meters, outside our local police station, the main subject is Aphrodite but I didn’t notice many fish involved. It is extremely colourful and certainly very arresting. Very appropriate outside a police station. He was one of the first artists to finish his project. The next was Rafael Stavrinou from Pafos the only local artist to our area. His painting was created on the side of the old cinema , which has been out of action for many years leaving a rather unattractive wall area with extraneous pipes etc. This mural is strongly fish themed, featuring a depiction of a lion fish with an oxygen mask , an octopus taking a selfie and a lobster trailing a large piece of plastic. In one corner is a canister of toxic waste. The clear message is our oceans are polluted with a variety of hazards the lion fish being one of them. It is a highly invasive predatory fish which is poisonous to humans and endangering the eco system of Cyprus waters . The lobster is a nod to one of Rafael’s cultural heroes Salvator Dali. Our photography group managed to catch Rafael in action when we were out and about and an interesting conversation ensued.

On entering Polis you immediately see two smaller murals on walls facing you, both of these are Aphrodite themed and have a nod to fish in their content. The artists are Magus and Danai Laou . Moving further into Polis near Mustakalis taverna is a mural using a different technique by artist Dieci ,in mostly black and white with a turquoise background and again with not a fish in sight. It seems to me that it is commenting on refugees. But I could be wrong. The most spectacular of the six murals and the largest, is on the road traveling out towards Latchi. A massive wall area covered in impressive sea creatures featuring two large turtles , a dolphin plus smaller fish and some vegetation. This took the artist a fair amount of time to complete and because of it’s size was the last to be completed. A few locals were complaining that it wasn’t finished within the time frame given. But as I pointed out the mural is there for a long time once finished so what is a few days here or there.? You can’t rush art, right?.

Chrysospiliotissa – The church in a cave

It has been a while I know but I was a bit preoccupied last year renovating and moving house. I now live in the hilly regions near Polis in Droushia, a village on the edge of the Akamas with spectacular views over Chrysochous bay. It’s quite a bit chillier up here than down in Polis but in the summer months this is a blessing – in the winter however the balmy breeze turns into a cutting wind.

The countryside is looking at its best this time of year after the rains, the land is covered in lush green with wild flowers popping up everywhere. Swathes of yellow gently mingle with the green , firstly the wild mustard and oxalis everywhere followed by tiny yellow daisies , marigolds and larger daisies . In the hedgerows there are various coloured vetch in yellows and mauves, wild iris, giant fennel adding another layer of yellow , anenomes, a multitude of orchids in various shades and sizes, wild garlic and so on and on. Now the poppies are peppering the yellow sea with their gay and delicate heads of red just to add variety. The landscape is given even more drama by the sometimes moody skies with heavily rain laden clouds.

The cave by its very nature is very dark in the interior so quite a challenge for photography but also lends itself to some quite dramatic results. Luckily the sun occasionally peeked out from behind the clouds and shone in through the doorway giving some chiaroscuro effects.

The weather has been very changeable this week with cloudy rainy days. The photography group I belong to usually goes out and about every Thursday to a designated location , choosing places that seasonally have something special to offer. We visited the fields of wild narcissi a few weeks ago or we may go in search of the almond blossom. This week as the weather was unsettled we headed to a place that could offer shelter should the rain descend. It luckily is very close to where I live Chrysospiliotissa church near Arodes, the next village. There are dotted about the Cyprus countryside many caves that have been places of worship for centuries, firstly as pagan sites and later adopted as Christian Orthodox. This is one such site with a church built close by. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and in the cave there are amongst the many icons,embossed metal tags of eyes. The reason being that it is believed that the Virgin heals eye problems and people suffering from such conditions scrape the soot from the cave walls and smudge it over their eyelids.

There was a lot to see even though it was a small space and extremely atmospheric. The walls were hewn away from rock with a mud floor an alcove showed signs of having been painted but was in great need of cleaning before you could decipher the subject.There were many metal medallions of eyes hanging around naturally and icons everywhere. It was a place of tranquility and had a special energy unsurprisingly as it has been a place of veneration of one deity or another for centuries. I am truly lucky to have this place on my doorstep.

Easter message

 

It was Easter week last week in Cyprus the most important celebration both in the Greek Orthodox calendar and in the Greek community at large regardless of how religious  or devout they are. It is a time of families coming together to celebrate life in the usual way that Greeks celebrate… with food. All around the country this is heralded by the appearance of huge red fibre glass eggs and bizarre kitsch tableaux of chickens and rabbits dotted about on roundabouts or road junctions ,which always bring a smile to my lips. The most bizarre figure I saw was a huge one of Christ perched precariously on the roof of someone’s house in Neo Chorio.

 

   

 

 

The church is at the centre of much of the celebration beginning with the decoration of the epitaph by the women of the community with colourful fresh flowers of Spring, these can become works of art. The icons of the iconostasis are dramatically covered with a black cloth on Good Friday and at the service late on Saturday evening this is taken down and candles lit in the congregation. I remember my first and only experience of this service with my grandmother in my father’s village of Yerolakkos many many years ago, a truly dramatic event as the lights in the church were extinguished and we, the congregation, took our candles outside to walk around the church three times. Then we made our way home announcing to anyone we met in the street ‘Christos Anesti’ Christ is risen and met with the reply “Alithos Anesti” ‘he is truly is risen’. The traditional soup, Mayiritsa is made with the offal of lamb or goat to break the fast of Lent and eaten on return from church, then on the Sunday the lamb or goat is cooked in the clay oven or on the spit for lunch. Avgolemono soup is quite often substituted instead .

Bonfires are lit outside the church these days although I don’t remember this being part of the celebration all those years ago, and young boys go around lighting firecrackers everywhere which quite often resulting in injuries very like our own Bonfire night in the UK. Sunday is all about food and family. Flaounes, the wonderfully aromatic pies made with mint and three kinds of cheese mixed with eggs, are eaten, and on Monday traditionally the children play communal games in the villages.

Sadly this year this was a very different Easter as we are all confined to barracks and not allowed to mix even with our own family unless we live in the same house. Even the tableaux were missing from the streets.A very challenging and difficult circumstance for such a gregarious and sociable people to navigate.  As the churches are closed it is particularly hard for the older generation who find great solace in the ritual of service and prayer, such familiar activities being denied in these times of stress and isolation  is particularly ironic as these are the very times they are most needed. But on the Saturday evening at Midnight many people around the island listened to the service on the radio or watched on television and came out into the street to light their candles and at a distance showed union with their fellow men . This was an extremely touching sight , a symbolic gesture of light after the darkness so poignant at this time, one that gives hope. One enterprising priest took the Epitaph lit with fairy lights loaded  it on a truck and travelled through the streets for  the villagers to see ,chanting the Liturgy as he went defying the curfew. If Mohammed can’t go to the mountain etc.

 

Photo by Ahmed Aqtai on Pexels.com

Photo by Ahmed Aqtai on Pexels.com

Back in the Saddle

 

 

It’s taken a pandemic to get me writing my first blog for over a year!  But the restriction of movement has allowed me to take up the pen again in a manner of speaking. This is my fourth year of  living in Cyprus and in that time this is my third spell of confinement. So I’m having feelings of deja vu .Not only that, they were all at the same time of year. My first year I suffered a stroke in February leading to nearly 4 months of confinement ,first in hospital then in a rehabilitation centre where I got very stir crazy as I looked longingly out of the window watching the Spring burst forth. The closest I got to being outside was a small courtyard unless some kind relative took me for an outing occasionally. I was so grateful when I could eventually walk a little outside in the fresh air.  The following year again in February, while out enjoying that lovely fresh air and looking for rare wild orchids, I fell and fractured my heel resulting again in being confined to a wheel chair for two months unable to walk outside on my own, luckily I could wheel myself out onto the patio.

This time at least I can get out for a walk,  however short and now I’m driving again I can do my own shopping which gives me an excuse for a little outing.  The one thing these experiences have taught  me is patience to wait until things improve. and to appreciate the ability to  be able to move about under my own steam.  Well that’s two things really.

Up until this latest restriction I did get out to witness the unfolding of Spring after the hibernation period of winter. The photography group I belong to is  great in this respect as we visit surrounding villages in search of subjects that fit our theme for the day.

The most recent excursion was to look at the almond blossom which was profuse this year and so lovely to behold. This was done from the vantage point high up near Evretou dam , a windy day it was too so a bit of caution was called for in my case as I’m still not solid in my footing.. Before that we visited a remote village called Filousa which I had never visited before and was delighted by it’s picturesque charm, here too was cherry blossom to enjoy and sloping vistas as we were 400 or so metres above sea level.

I also, under my own steam, made a pilgrimage to Androlikou  a partially abandoned Turkish village, I say partially because there are a few people living there  alongside a flock of goats or maybe several flocks. This is also an area where every year the fields are covered in wild anemones certainly a sight to gladden the heart. Everywhere of course after the winter’s rain is lusciously  verdant and so refreshing to the eye and soul to be enjoyed and savoured in the knowledge that a few months hence the summer will be upon us and the fields and hedgerows bleached.

In contrast in late February we made a group trip to old Paphos to capture reflections. The newly restored area called Ibrahim’s Khan  lends itself to a vast array of opportunities on a sunny day with glass and metal surfaces abounding creating intriguing images. My favourite being the reflection of buildings in burnished copper panels creating a watercolour scene. I love visiting this area, it may have taken a long time for this renovation to get to completion  and is still receiving some finishing touches but my it was worth the wait. Their has been a great deal of thought put into the planning and execution and careful workmanship BRAVO.

 

I can’t wait to get out there again with my camera to see what we can discover and meet up with my fellow enthusiasts.

 

 

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Springtime in Cyprus Part 2

With so much lush vegetation bursting forth in the countryside it is a bumper time for foraging. This is a widespread activity here particularly amongst the older generation. Apart from mushrooms of course now is the time to find wild asparagus a great delicacy and favourite. A few years ago I was lucky enough to go on a foraging trip with the lovely Elena Savvides  who sadly is no longer with us, we picked all kinds of wild greens, many of which I’ve forgotten the names but I do remember how delicious the meal cooked with them was.

There is a particular kind of wild spinach that grows here and is called locally ‘stroufouthkia‘ which I believe translates as little sparrows, the leaves do look a little like wings. There is a wild pea and mallow which is ubiquitous, wild fennel and many more that I don’t recognise but are edible and the deep green leaves are full of nutrients and like nettles cleansing to the liver.Most of these are best picked when very young and tender and often just the shoots or tips are used as the leaves lower down get stringy and tough. There are also conveniently in nature’s store cupboard, wild herbs to go with your feast, the sage is particularly aromatic.

 

My cousin Androula visited a few weeks ago and went with a friend out foraging in Steni they returned with baskets full of green stuff and a feast was duly cooked up. The wild asparagus usually gets cooked with scrambled eggs and although most of the greens have no individual distinctive flavour you can guarantee they are supplying well needed nutrients after the winter producing bright eyes , clear skins and shiny coats for us all.

 

Springtime in Cyprus

It has been an exceptionally wet winter here in Cyprus this year from December up till the beginning of March we have had some extremely noisy  thunderstorms and heavy rain which has filled the dams to overflowing; a novelty here where water shortages are the norm. It is always a subject under discussion in winter as to how full or not the dams are depending on rainfall, last year some dams barely reached 50%  others much less than that by the end of the winter. Flooding has been a problem in some towns and villages and the fields around Paphos were water-logged ruining some crops. Looking from the shoreline at the sea, brown patches were visible where the run-off from the fields had flowed into the sea via watercourses giving the fish some extra nutrients.In some areas heavy hail has damaged delicate fruit trees.

The positive side to this is that now in early March we have the huge pleasure of seeing this beautiful island of ours covered in green where green is rarely seen. Where in summer the ground is parched and dusty and the hills and mountainsides looking like a barren moonscapes all is now verdant and lush.The trees have received a good soaking right down to their root tips giving them a good start into the run up to  a scorching summer.

 

a field of wild anemones on the Akamas

Wild flowers are in profusion, wild anemones and rare orchids, birds and wild life can only thrive in such circumstances.The sheep and goats are certainly enjoying a feast and we in turn will benefit when we buy our locally produced halloumi and yoghurt.

Yesterday I took a short trip to one of my favourite spots near Droushia, the ruined monastery of Ayios Nikoxilitis. Here the grove of almond blossom is just about to burst into flower and a variety of  broom is in its full yellow flowered glory lending a delicate scent to the air. The scene was sublimely peaceful.

 

 

I’m not sure who the chair is for~?

 

Paphos Re-visited

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My last post on this blog before I moved here was about Paphos in the throws of being restored/re-modelled, I expressed concerns about how it would look and how it would be executed. 2017 was the year Paphos represented Cyprus as a city of culture  in Europe and while the work was being carried out it was chaos  the roads were impossible to navigate in the centre and queues of traffic were everywhere. The pavements were non existent for pedestrians  with uneven surfaces everywhere and shopkeepers were frustrated and angry that their shops became inaccessible resulting in loss of trade and income. Many closed, we hoped temporarily but fears were this newly rejuvenated  part would end up a ghost town.

We are well into 2018 now and still it is not entirely finished but the work that has been done and I would say that is about 95% now, is better than I among many would have hoped for. The restoration on buildings has been sensitively carried out, the new blends excitingly with the old and many innovative ideas have been executed exceedingly well. I have posted just a few photos which illustrate this.

There has been a recent surge in murals which add a vibrant feel to the place these too are of excellent quality, every time I visit I see new examples. A new  and varied group of cafes has opened up attracting the young as well as some interesting artisan/boutique shops. Although some of the old shopkeepers have returned some just could not bear the loss of income and had to close.

 

We all hope the future will be bright for old Paphos and will watch its future development with interest.

Return Journey

 

It has been a ‘long and winding road’ as the song goes since my last post. I  made the decision to move to Cyprus to live and in January 2017 I sold my house and moved here. Things didn’t quite work out as planned as I hadn’t been here more than 6 weeks when I had a stroke.and lost the use of my left side. I won’t go into all the details but with a great deal of help and support from both family and a  circle of terrific friends I found myself in a rehabilitation centre in Lefkosia`(Nicosia) for three months where they helped me walk again and get use back in my arm. I have been living on my own in a ground floor flat in Polis for the last year totally independent. It’s a quiet spot with a country lane at the bottom of my road full of olive trees , a pleasant walk of an evening in the cooler parts of the day . Of course I am still a work in progress and continue to  work on improving my mobility by walking and exercising in the pool which I am lucky enough to have use of on our apartment complex.

I  am gradually regaining my sense of self by doing the creative things I used to do. I belong to a photography group which meets once a week  and we go to different locations to experiment with different light conditions and settings on our cameras. Last night it was sunset at the beach which was fun and a few weeks ago we practiced shaking the camera while taking the photo, this gives some unexpected results. Here are a few examples of recent experiments.

 

Earlier in the year I managed a long held ambition of creating a mosaic patio table. It was a great therapy, a sort of working meditation in coloured glass. As it was done on a glass top table the light shines through it creating a stained glass window effect. The finished result gives me a great deal of pleasure and brightens up the whole patio area. Today I decided to re- start writing to get back in the swing of things. Onwards and upwards.

Paphos re-born

 

Nicosia

I have just returned from another trip to Cyprus spreading the word and distributing copies of Androula’s Kitchen to some new outlets. It’s now on sale at a traditional bakery and cafe based in an old watermill near Polis, an arts and crafts centre called Exhibit @Polis in the centre of town and in a centre called ‘The Place’ in old Paphos where it will sit very comfortably among the arts and crafts on display. This centre was opened last year in an old converted warehouse, it now houses many examples of traditional wares and demonstrations with  some of the artisans working on site on certain days. There is a display of the shadow puppets with a small theatre for occasional performances as well as a weaver, a potter and various other activities on display along with goods for sale like glass art, pottery, wine and some foodstuffs. Altogether a very attractive place to visit.It is right in the heart of the old town which when I visited  was in the grip of an upgrade in true Cypriot style. The roads and pavements torn up and no clear signs as to how you can access the shops just a sign to say ROAD CLOSED which was pretty obvious. I fear the shops will have lost a great deal of business from the passing tourists.When it is finished the area will be pedestrianised and should be a pleasing place to stroll around.

Next year, 2017  Paphos will be the city of culture so it is all systems go to get it ship shape. When it was first announced there was quite a bit of astonishment as the poor old town had seen a severe decline over recent years. Many of the traditional eateries have disappeared and shops lay empty and dusty while along the main road near the market many tourist cafes have sprung up. Paphos has two Malls on the outskirts which have played their part in taking businesses out of the old town, these mainly house the chains and clothes stores. The town gave an appearance of a shambles approaching from certain directions, with a jungle of hoardings and signs and odd extensions attached to some buildings but with a fresh approach the Mayor has been getting illegal hoardings and extensions removed with most of the businesses co-operating. This should make the whole town look neater and more coherent. I had often wondered at Cypriot planning regulations regarding buildings and  indeed if there was any city & town planning, as there are so many ugly buildings erected that do nothing to blend in with original existing buildings or add anything to the area. When I heard of the work to upgrade Paphos my immediate thoughts were that the municipality would be knocking down any old buildings and making everything the same as everywhere else i.e knocking any character out of the place. But after hearing a friend tell me that she was allowed to view an area under restoration, we were quietly hopeful that this may turn out well.This area was being reconstructed using old plans of how it was, creating a small friendly place including a bakery and cafe and an open air theatre.

There are some parts of Paphos that  have  attractive old buildings and I have noticed one or two have been renovated , if this was made a policy so as to give cohesiveness as they have done in Nicosia on the Green line , it would make a huge difference. In Nicosia many of the owners of old and in some cases derelict properties,were given an incentive to renovate which has resulted in a transformation of what was only a few years ago a run down area.This has encouraged young designers and artisan back into the newly renovated spaces, giving a good lively buzz. I was impressed by the refurbishment of the old power station in the back streets of Paphos which now houses the Cultural Centre which bodes well.

One of the saddest things that has happened with Paphos becoming such a tourist area, extending to Polis and beyond is that where the cafes and restaurants catered for the Cypriot local workers and families who love to eat out, they have now just set their sights on the tourist. Just a few years ago I remember having a great choice of eateries in the Polis area that did good local food at very good prices, sadly these have one by one disappeared. In the back streets of Paphos there is an area of workshops whose occupants, in some cases have been working there for many years,some their whole working lives, I hope these have also been given consideration in the up grade and not forced to vacate the area, taking with them the working heart of Paphos. This is a common problem not just in Cyprus, often the areas that house workshops and artists’ studios are by their nature in the cheaper end of town in old buildings, if the area gets “smartened up” it usually means the rents go up and out go the occupants.It also means much of the character goes with them.

I feel there is a gap in the market for some local producers to step in, I don’t mean traditional  either, I mean artisan. A good delicatessen type shop would be great selling all the best of local Cyprus produce , great olives and olive oil:an artisan bakery selling some organic breads using the old strain of wheat. I miss the bread of Cyprus that used to taste so good like many of their foods. An artisan cheese maker producing not just halloumi, anari and feta but some soft goats cheese, a hard sheep’s cheese or maybe even a blue cheese. In other European countries there are so many varieties of cheese produced. I love kefalotiri which is produced in Greece, but there is no reason why it could not be also produced in Cyprus. The major cheese producers in Cyprus seem to be  focused on exporting huge quantities of halloumi across the globe but in Cyprus there could be outlets for the small individual and specialist dairies.There is a growing interest in authenticity and quality, there is a definite place for it in Cyprus and more farmers should look towards growing organic which is not only where good health lies but profitability. Slowly I have seen more interest grow in this area in Cyprus and there have been several regular Farmer’s markets popping up over the island where small organic producers can sell there produce. Another need is for some organic chicken producers as much of the chicken sold has no flavour and no provenance, not long ago pork and chicken in Cyprus had a superb flavour, how are the farmers rearing their animals now? There is a wealth of old recipes that are mostly forgotten that in some small quarters are being revived by young enthusiastic chefs, I am looking forward to a renaissance in local cooking and the rejection of those ubiquitous oven chips that are creeping in. Vive la chip!!!

 

Mellow Yellow

I’ve just heard it on the news today uttered by a cardiologist in fact, that butter is good for you. Yay! At last is all I can say. For years I have firmly believed that butter, a natural product has got to be better for you than margarine, a mostly synthetic and wholly unnatural product. I haven’t cooked or eaten margarine or any made up spread for nearly 30 years and only use olive oil and butter. I have long been an advocate of a little of what you fancy does you good and I certainly haven’t fancied margarine. The scientists say that even cooking with sunflower oil, an oil I considered healthy, is bad for you as apparently when heated to high temperatures it changes it into something that is not healthy http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33675975. These days trying to navigate your way to eating a healthy diet using the ‘scientific’ evidence is like a minefield and changes all the time. It used to be that butter and all saturated fat was ‘bad’ for you and sent you on a speedy road to a heart attack. Now saturated fat is man’s best friend even cooking with lard, apparently is better than cooking at high temperatures with sunflower oil; well  bring on the beef dripping sandwiches I say.

In the same conversation with the cardiologist, now wait for this bombshell, eating full fat cheese, milk and yoghurt is far better even for slimmers than semi skimmed and low fat.

If you stick to a diet that is a close to nature as possible you can’t go far wrong, that is the less man has had a hand in producing it the better; the more opportunity he has had to tinker with the produce or animal, add or subtract, mix and match the less you know what he has actually done. It seems to me quite often the results of scientific studies lay themselves open to misinterpretation depending on who is wanting the results and for what agenda. As I get older I listen to the latest finding with a good dose of scepticism.

The mediterranean diet as we all know is one of the healthiest, particularly including a great variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds into our diets, eat this and you can’t go far wrong.

Cookery Book Heaven

Needless to say I love cookery books; it would be strange if I didn’t  as I have a large recipe section in my book ‘Androula’s Kitchen’ ( buy your copy on this site). So I was delighted to receive for Christmas ‘Jerusalem ‘by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.I have been a great lover of Ottolenghi recipes ever since my sister introduced me to them. Ottolenghi is an Israeli and Tamimi  a Palestinian  were both born in Jerusalem and now are working partners in London. His recipes have a great deal of depth of flavour as they usually include many herbs and spices.’Jerusalem’ is one of those books I love because it tells stories as well as giving you recipes and all accompanied by a rich array of fascinating photos of periphery subjects as well as mouthwatering food. It is a book born out of a sort of longing  for the food of his early years; most of us, if we are lucky, have fond memories of our mother’s cooking as we were growing up, I certainly do.

Another favourite author of mine is Claudia Roden, a fascinating writer who has a multicultural background, born in Cairo studied in Paris and moved to London.Both write about mediterranean food; Roden covers Egypt, Greece and the Lebanon in her book ‘Mediterranean Cooking’ which accompanied a BBC series many years ago; Ottolenghi and Tamimi mostly the  Lebanon. Many years ago I went to Granada on a dance holiday and part of the memorable experience was the variety of eating places we were taken to. My favourite apart from the vegetarian restaurant; yes they do exist in Spain; was the restaurant in the Arab quarter , the Albaysin, which served delicious Lebanese food.

 

 

I think out of all mediterranean food Lebanese is my favourite, it is of course a mixture of all the cultures that have passed through its regions over centuries much like Cyprus. With Cyprus it shares many dishes and through ‘Jerusalem’ I am learning even more similarities. Kibbeh, houmous, Mahulabieh, bourekia, these I knew  but there are so many other cross-overs it is fascinating. Just before Christmas, I was watching Rick Stein’s latest BBC series ‘Venice to Istanbul’ I was enticed into buying the book after watching Stein cook many of the recipes he picked up in Turkey, especially dishes using pearl barley which intrigued me as my only memory of pearl barley was when my mum cooked neck of lamb stew with dumplings and boy was that good. I was pleased to see in ‘Jerusalem ‘ a recipe for a pearl barley vegetarian risotto. I tried this on Sunday and it was as promised truly scrumptious. So if like me you love mediterranean food these are books I highly recommend and happy eating….I must stop buying books.

Special Christmas Offer

 

Yes it is Santa time again and for the time up until Christmas I am offering my book Androula’s Kitchen Cyprus on a Plate for just £12.oo from Amazon UK. Packed with photos and information as well as scrummy recipes. Get one for yourself and friends and family.From Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0957400209

You can even look inside on the Amazon site or just check out the About the book page on this site to get more information.

Present Past Times

 

It has been a long gap since my last post, the longest I think, since I started this blog.Since my return from my  long stay in Cyprus I have spent much time lately in reflection. Being back after six months, I realised how much I loved my home and the area in which I live. Strange that while I was away I gave it hardly any thought and didn’t really miss it? A puzzle I can’t quite explain- except that  it is best to focus all your awareness on the present moment and not regret or anticipate too much of past or future, this way the present is more fully experienced and appreciated. While away I was contemplating how it would be to live permanently in Cyprus, an idea I had always eschewed. So much has changed there recently, the thing that most appeals is that the artistic,cultural side of Cyprus is blossoming at a rapid rate which I find very exciting. I came back to the UK and committed myself to the idea by telling all my friends that I would certainly like to try living there for a trial period of two years at least and see how I felt after that. As the days have passed and I have settled back into my UK life, visiting friends and family, I am thinking more about the reality of giving up my life here. I have lived in my present house for 25 years, that is a long time, the house and garden bear testament to the energy and commitment I have given to it. But maybe now is the time to make a change onto the next chapter of my life. I am working my way through all the permutations of possibilities and   perception of my glass veers from half empty to half full on a daily basis.

I have set the wheels in motion towards some change as I have been sifting and sorting and clearing my way through,cupboards, garage, shed and loft.Trips to the tip, charity shops and much time spent on eBay with the rest have been a pattern over the past few weeks. Naturally during this process I have re-visited my past through the  papers and things I have been sorting, with memories particularly of the many years I worked in my workshop wielding paintbrush and paint, coming to the fore. I have still many brushes and minor tools and materials of my trade which  still occasionally come in handy for the odd job here and there. But also there are many things I have acquired over the years which still have use in them and need careful thought as how to dispose of them.It all takes a lot of time but I am in no hurry.

My reflections have also been dwelling on this blog as I feel it has come to a point where maybe I have written most of what I want to say about Cyprus at present. The blog was initially a way of advertising the book of the same name and to present a varied selection of information on maybe some obscure subjects connected with Cyprus. The information of course remains here but I may move over to my sister blog to continue musing.  It was started at the same time but I haven’t contributed anything to it.Its title, Present Past Times is very apt to my state of mind at the moment and it only seems fitting that I use it now to ponder things past present and future. So please check it out in a few weeks if you want to follow my progress and thank you for following me so far, if you have been.presentpasttimes.wordpress.com/

A Road Less Travelled

On my road trip in July I visited some of the places I  had long wanted to see but were a bit too far to visit in a day. One of these was the botanical park at Avgoroou near Larnaca Cyherbia owned  and created by Miranda Tringis and her husband. This park rose up out of an area surrounded by potato fields. On my way to find it I was very bemused and puzzled as to why such a spot would be chosen for such an enterprise, what recommended it to the owners?  It seemed to me to be in the middle of nowhere and on a road to nowhere, almost you could say out on the prairie. Miranda answered my questions when I visited her in July.  Her husband who was the instigator as the land was bought initially for investment reasons but Mr Tringis (?) didn’t want just to sit on the land and wait for it to appreciate in value he wanted to use it and his idea was to create a herb garden. Where this idea came from I also find intriguing particularly as neither of them had any experience in growing herbs or producing herbal products but such is Cyprus. I am constantly being surprised at people’s ingenuity and imagination.

Miranda  was not in favour of the idea at first as she pointed out they had no background or knowledge of growing herbs but her husband was determined to do it and was not deterred by her protestations and procrastination. So Miranda an artist by profession, decided that she might as well work with him than leave him to do it alone and set to to learn about organic gardening and growing herbs as well as learning as much as she could about the properties and processing  of herbal products. This of course took several years and the groundwork was laid for the  design and planting while Miranda studied. Funding was applied for in the early days of the EU but most of the structure and work was funded by themselves.

Cyherbia is in fact not as in the sticks as one from the other side of the island ( me) would suppose, because Protoras and Paralimni,both very popular tourist destinations, are close by and many coach loads of visitors come from these resorts as the botanical garden is widely advertised in the hotels there. Miranda and her husband have developed a very relaxing and interesting park with a maze laid out as part of the attractions, a winner with the children as well as a wonderful chill out area on the platform overlooking the park, where hammocks and swing chairs are at your disposal. A cafe of course is a prerequisite for any such place and this serves home made cake and teas of course. The shop is stocked with all manner of essential oils distilled from the herbs and soaps and lotions.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and found Miranda a gracious hostess. There are many interesting events taking place throughout the year including, hunt the eggs at Easter of course and a fairy festival as well as events around Christmas time check out their facebook page or website for further details  cyherbia.com.