Cyprus

Second holidays of 2015 and second island. This time Cyprus. Let's start with the"birthplace" of Cyprus, the Rock of Aphrodite. This is more a symbol of the links and influence of Greece in Cyprus. It must be one of the few country where we see more foreign (i.e. Greek) flags than national flags. The complexity of the history and politics of Cyprus is for all to see. I'll try not to lose friends by writing on this here.

One of the biggest ancient Greek site is Kourion. The theatre was used at times for gladiator games. It is well restored, yet it is pretty simple. This seem to be the case for most Greek-period sites in the country. Apparently, earthquakes have played a big part in destroying ancient sites in Cyprus. And while I was in Cyprus, I experienced an earthquake! Even more impressive than the one I felt in Washington. This time I was lying on my bed and felt the bed moving forward and backward, almost like on a rollercoaster. 

While the Cypriot coast is beautiful with great light and colors, the interior of the country was actually the biggest surprise for me. The mountains are big and the roads windier than in Mallorca. The drive took us to remote villages, where a surprising (for me) number of people do not speak English. The road led through the Troodos mountain to the Orthodox monastery of Kykkos. It is richly decorated,looks quite recent (it was rebuilt many times) and most certainly a great place for a retreat, for thinking and praying.

The contrast between the warm coast and the chilly interior is illustrated by this snow man. And there is a skilift nearby - who would have thought that about Cyprus...

A better-known (unfortunately!) feature of Cyprus is the division of the island. Walking up the main pedestrian - and busy - road in the capital of Nicosia, one eventually comes to a check point. Yes, there is border post in the middle of the city, with a sign reminding people that it is the "last divided capital"! In the time of Shenghen, it is quite surreal to have to queue at a passeport control station, to fill out forms and to get a stamp on a separate piece of paper. How come they did not think about collecting a fee... It also hit me that this division is now more than 40 years old... 

Once on the "other" side, activity and life are definitely more subdued. It seems that the place remained in 1970s/80s: cars are old, buildings are not well maintained (there are already not in the best of shape in the Greek side), decorations are rare. The only posters standing out are those featuring the candidates for the upcoming presidential election - some of them can be seen on the left side of the picture below. The winner seems to have reignited talks about reunification, with intermediary steps taken to facilitate cross-border movement. All in all a strange experience and the feeling of lots of energy, time, and lives lost on this issue.

Let us not finish this entry on tough issues. A point goes to the local food, in particular this excellent octopus.

Another point goes to the Cypriot cats (there are many of them roaming the streets) who were very keen to show off their tennis skills. I think I found out the secret of Baghdatis's tennis talent...

Mallorca

Back this side of the Atlantic, it is good to travel again in Europe. First stop, first island: Mallorca. Many good things there, but let's start by distributing a bad mark to Iberia for poor service about the delayed delivery of our luggage. A tip to Iberia management - tell your employees not to respond "i do not know" when asked by a customer "where are my luggage?". Besides that little hiccup, Mallorca is surprisingly nice: diverse landscape, charming villages, good food, great vibe. Good that most people speak proper Spanish.

The north coast is dotted with beautiful villages, such as Banyalbufar. The roads are very windy and each contour offers nice new views. 

The coast further north (Alcudia and Pollenca) is also very rich in historical places, rocky landscapes, and useful buildings, such as this corrida stadium. The bull was not far, fortunately it was a stuffed one!

The capital itself - Palma - is very agreeable with a nice beach, a well preserved old town, a huge cathedral, a simple Plaza Mayor and a long promenade with busy restaurants and clubs.

With all this busy program - and the welcome time to rest too - we did not get the chance to play a match of tennis against the local hero, Rafael Nadal. He was back after an early exit at an American tournament, so we did not want to bother him.