Day 14 Friday

I am reliably informed this was another day up at the local market; I spent most of the day in bed with an upset stomach. Melissa spent some considerable time in the sweet shop on the walk back from the market. We had planned to go out this evening to eat but we stayed in and made sandwiches instead.

Day 13 Thursday

To celebrate Greek Independence Day we go to Polis and watch the parade. If I where to tell the truth it would be that we drove to Polis and there where road closures so when we eventually got parked we tried to see what was happening and saw some children marching. We walked to the beach past the fields of orange trees, Melissa had not got her costume so it was just paddling here. We had lunch at Latchi then went for a walk around the Baths of Aphrodite, a very pleasant walk that would take at least a day to do.

Day 12 Wednesday

Today we get on the motorway and head for Limassol, I had thought we could drive that way quickly and take a leisurely road back stopping at various places on the return. Our first stop is Kolossi castle, my mums is not impressed with the local café. The castle is definitely worth looking around and has 3 floors to walk around. I have to stop as I climb to each floor to hold the wall and re balance at each new level, I know this will have been standing for hundreds of years but this doesn’t make me feel any safer, a completely irrational anxiety. The views from the roof are great. From here we go to the beach at Courion where Melissa swims for a short while before lunch. After lunch we follow the coast to go to the museum at the temple of aphrodite.

Day 11 Tuesday

We get the car and head off, our intention is to visit the gorge then go somewhere else. We try to get there and take a wrong turn and find ourselves running out of road so we go for a walk here; we follow a path towards the sea with Melissa running on ahead. This walk shows us the road we should have taken so we decide to go to Ayios Georgios and get a coffee then try the correct road. Now on the right road its getting hotter so its good that the car has aircon but as we leave tarmac we find it is really not good enough for the journey so decide to abandon the plan and let Melissa go swimming. After this we have a late lunch in Kathikas then go to see the cats at the Ayios Neophytos Monastery.

Day 10 Monday

We discuss hiring a car and decide that we need Melissa to wake up early so the plan is to do this tomorrow. We go for a walk along the beach, when Melissa eventually gets up. Melissa has a swim in the sea, my mum paddles until she sees fish, my dad sits and watches and I have to walk a couple hundred metres away as there is so little shade here. After a café stop where we, like true British stereotypes, discuss the weather with the proprietor we head back to the hotel so Melissa can do some more pool swimming. One of the other people staying here thought they had lost their keys in the pool so Melissa volunteered her expert diving services to go looking for them and was rewarded with coins thrown into the pool for her to retrieve and keep. My mum and dad went to book the hire car for the next few days so tomorrow the off the tourist track adventure begins, first stop Avakas gorge (if we can find it). I have to try and persuade Melissa to write a few papers for school as I did say this would be an educational trip as much as a holiday, I wont be holding my breath for these.

Day 9 Sunday

We go for a small walk today to let Melissa explore the local caves, there seem to be more pigeons living here now. This is going to be another lazy day and we buy pastries on the way back for our lunch. Melissa swims again in the pool. The temperature is getting hotter here, as if it wasn’t hot enough already.

Day 8 Saturday

As it is Sunday tomorrow and lots of places close we go to the market again to stock up on fruit and to try and buy gifts, we don’t get many gifts but are laden with fruit for our walk back to hotel. On the way back we try to go to the garden centre that is closed and watch as a car on tow loses its connection to the towing car when the rope snaps on one of the busiest junctions. We decide that we will scramble over rocks and through caves tomorrow when we are not so burdened so we pass this area but do stop to go down into the roadside shrine, there seems to be a lot less rags tied to the tree than there was, and Melissa lights a candle. The afternoon sees Melissa in the pool, again, and my dad and I watching part of a 15 hour star wars marathon on foxmovies, we manage to see end of episode 2 all of 3 and first bit of 4 before giving up and going to sleep.

Day 7 Friday

Today we have decided to go and see the mosaics. There really isn’t enough shade between the buildings but I think I find most of it. Melissa finds more holes to duck into this time wishing she had brought a torch. I think my dad really enjoys the walk around here, it’s a little breezy but there are no clouds. I take lots of photographs of the mosaics and try to imagine how they would have looked 2000 years ago, definitely not the drab colours we see now. I will see what GIMP (this reminds me that I tried to explain GNU to Melissa on the plane but she didn’t get the joke) can do with one of them. Melissa spends the rest of the afternoon in the pool with the rest of us taking turns with supervision.

Day 6 Thursday

It’s a lazy day today, my mum and I decide to go for a walk before anyone else gets up and wander down to the harbour for a coffee. Nothing much happens today we did try to go for a walk but as the storm clouds gathered, the thunder sounded and rain was falling we turned back and found a charity shop to get my mum some books. We where fortunate and did not drown in the deluge in fact we only felt a few drops of rain each as the wind was blowing the clouds away from us. As I am writing this I am reminded of a boating accident that happened a few days ago here a young family where in a boat that capsized the father is in hospital, the children are ok but they have still not located the mother. One of the rescue boats also capsized and the driver was killed. I find this tragic accident hard to think about it reminds me how fragile we are.

Day 5 Wednesday

We catch some busses to get to the bird and animal park, there are lots of caged birds and penned animals. I have never liked zoo’s and this is no exception, its nice to be able to see animals that you wouldn’t ordinarily see and I know these places do conservation and breeding programs, but being so enclosed and used for the entertainment of people doesn’t sit right with me. Nevertheless my mum, dad and Melissa really enjoy the trip here and I am happy they have a good day out. On our way back we stop off at corral bay so Melissa can go for a swim, she has lots of fun with the waves sometimes jumping over them and other times surfing them back into the tiny beach.

Day 4 Tuesday

Today we visit the Tombs of the Kings. It’s amazing this is the third time I’ve been here and seen something new, this is not including Melissa’s new impersonation of a rabbit escaping down a burrow. I think everyone has enjoyed this trip out: My dad sees the tombs for the first time, my mum enjoys the walk, Melissa enjoys crawling through small spaces because she can and I enjoy the shade. My mum wants to get Melissa some shorts so we spend an hour shopping, she tries on several girl ones until she finds a pair that fit and is then insistent that she wants the boy ones and would never ever wear the girl ones.

Day 3 Monday

Today we had decided to wake early and go to the market for much needed supplies, it seemed very quiet up there. It was good going back to my favourite café overlooking the town and sea. I don’t think my dad is warm enough here, if it wasn’t so breezy I think he would be fine. The bus prices have gone up (€1.50) and Melissa looks to old to get away with child prices. I am looking for a hat, I knew I would need one and still have the one I got here 2 years ago but after looking at it several times before leaving I decided not to take it, if I can find one that I can give to David as a present that would be perfect. Melissa buys a new hat, she has slight fixation on Jack O’Niell so it was army green but not perfect as it has CYPRUS emblazoned on the front. We go to the supermarket on the way back to get essentials: water, bread, yoghurt and honey. It is my mums birthday, I know its not her fault but it would have been more efficient to have mothers day and birthday on the same day. We splash out on a doner kebab take away, this wasn’t exactly what was planned but was ok.

Day2 Sunday

This is going to be our first full day here, I have not slept it was really noisy. Melissa has made a friend I think she may be planning how to bring it home. I have arranged by txt to try and meet Cheryl at 12 so we decide to take a slow start to the holiday and wander along the harbour to the artists café, we notice they have changed the seats here. We miss Cheryl according to both of our intermittent txts we are both there at the same time but somehow don’t see each other, never mind I’m sure we will meet up sometime during the year.
After arranging a room change for Melissa and I to the ground floor I go for a nap and Melissa goes for a swim, supervised by grandma and granddad. Being Sunday the supermarket is closed so we go in search of bread and milk elsewhere and end up in a café. Did I say my mum likes café’s? After a short rest back at the hotel we go out for dinner. I feel very generous and tell Melissa she can have whatever she likes of the set menu, this is a tiny section of the multi paged menu we are given, it seems like my mum and dad think I am also giving orders to them and we all order from here. Thus ends mothers day in Cyprus.

Day 1 Saturday

Today started at 6am with “The Hoobs” at rather large volume emanating from Antony’s room, this seemed like a good time to get up and start the holiday with a coffee, haircut, shower and shave.
I tried taking Kilo, Anthony’s adopted dog, for a walk to the cashpoint but he wouldn’t go anywhere without Anthony so I ended up taking them both for a walk. The ATM was broken, I hope this is not an indication of how the rest of the holiday will pan out. Fortunately Tesco cashpoint was much more obliging and we can at least eat when we get there.
Now seated at Airport departure lounge waiting for gate number. Anxieties ebbing and excitements flowing. Cyas all in a bit…
… We had an uneventfull flight and following a short taxi ride we arrived at the hotel. They had arranged for us to have rooms on the second floor, without lifts, after some negotiation We arranged for my mum and dad to be on the ground floor and Melissa and I have a temporary room on the first floor.
It has been a long day, we did do a quick walk along the harbour and had a bite to eat (I think full English at 10pm is ok).

Preparation

My mum asked me towards the end of last year about going with her and my dad to Cyprus, I think they thought I needed cheering up either that or the thought of two weeks alone together on such a tiny Island was too much to bear. I asked if I could bring some children with me, I have a few spare and they like to be let out occasionally, I was promptly told NO! Anyway I persisted, as the thought of two weeks alone with my mum and dad on such a tiny Island was too much to bear, and Melissa is being smuggled out of the country.
We booked the tickets and hotel on line, is there any other way now? And my usual pre-holiday anxieties kicked in immediately. How do we get to the airport, how do we get to the hotel from the airport, what will the accommodation be like (actually this doesn't bother me too much unless we are put on the top floor and the lift is broken). Easyjet, bless em, have not made my anxiety any easier. I couldn't print off the hotel voucher that their booking reference says YOU MUST PRINT THIS AND TAKE IT WITH YOU (404 error on web page), 2 e-mails ignored and a phone call (with 2 weeks of occasional twinges, visions of having to explain to my daughter that a park bench is ok for the night) later and I have now closed this potential problem. Now what if they have double booked...
My mum and dad now assure me they now have valid passports and I am busy printing stuff of the web, most of which will just be extra weight in the suitcase and completely not needed.