A Matter of Choice

It's often said by expats here in Cyprus that Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas, there's several reasons for this, blue skies being one of them but also not being surrounded by family and friends, not seeing Christmas adverts and programs on the TV and the fact that it is not so 'in your face' as in the UK.  The first couple of years we were here we struggled to find things to do with a Christmas theme, friends of mine who have been here for years say that only 6 or so years ago there was nothing at all. It seems to be changing though, Agia Napa has several events including the switching on of the lights and a visit from Santa  and this year there seems to have been a lot more Christmas fairs and such like.  Last weekend I was really looking forward to the 'Deryneia Christmas Avenue' event held in our village.  It sounded brilliant... A very large section of road closed off to traffic from 11am till 8pm with stalls and entertainment throughout ...

Christmas in Cyprus is generally much more low key than in the UK (Easter being the bigger celebration here) so I'm always keen to find 'Christmassy things' to do. This year so far has been more successful than our previous years here, partly because Leo is a bit older and can enjoy them more. Last weekend we kicked off the festivities with two Christmas events.... Saturday was the Christmas lights switch on in Agia Napa, a great free event which takes place each year in the town square.   It's always very busy with locals and tourists alike and to get involved you do have to repress the extremely British urge to queue! Santa arrives in a horse drawn carriage and gives out free presents to anyone who can brave the scrum - luckily my Mum seems to have adapted to the surroundings and can wiggle her way to the front of crowds quite well now! There are also stalls handing out free wine and snacks but we decided it wasn't worth the effort (especially hav...

Can you point out Cyprus on a map? Before we decided to live here I don't think I could have done!  Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea  (after Sicily and Sardinia in case you were wondering!) and although part of Europe we are closer geographically to the Middle East. Even if you know where Cyprus is, I'd be fairly certain you couldn't point out the village of Deryneia (Sometimes also spelt Dherynia or  Derynia but it's  Δερύνεια  in Greek) It is a fairly well know village though in Cyprus as it lies on the Green Line against the UN Buffer Zone . Since the Turkish invasion in 1974 75% of the village is under Turkish control. There are a couple of places you can visit in the village to find out more about the invasion and borrow binoculars to look towards the abandoned city of Varosha. It's unbelievable and so sad that so many people have been cut off from their homes for so long. Cultural Centr...

When you step off the tourist trail in Cyprus you realise there are many little hidden gems to be found, one of these is in Derynia, the village where we live.  The Derynia Folkloric Museum is a picturesque old house full of traditional Cypriot items including many household and farming tools. The museum is run by a friendly local called Varnavas, who grew up in the house and decided to open it up to the public and share his collection of now historic items.  He is happy to tell you lots of interesting information and you can tell he genuinely enjoys sharing his family and countries past with the visitors.  From telling you about all the photos of his large extended family lining the walls to opening up all the cupboards and pulling out  delicate hand made linens and traditional clothing to show you nothing is too much trouble. It is even possible to get married here at the museum, either in the traditional bedroom or in the c...

Our apartment is in the village of Derynia which is on the east coast about 2km south of what is often known as "the ghost town" of Famagusta - the old tourist town which was abandoned in the invasion of 1974 by Turkey. You can actually see some of the abandoned hotels from our balcony. It's about 5 miles from Ayia Napa and Protaras so close enough to visit but far away enough that we're not surrounded by tourists all summer long! The apartment is a large one bed penthouse appartment, I say large as it is 79 sqm and if it was 80sqm it could be classed as a 2 bed! Aaron has completely redesigned the kitchen (It's what he does!) and so we now have a lovely big kitchen / living area with a breakfast bar and big patio doors which almost take up the whole wall, opening onto a balcony where we will have our dining table. There is a lounge which will become our bedroom and the main room (as it's furthest away) will be Leo's. There is another larger b...