Christmas...

Sitting cosily here with a cup of herbal tea to aid indigestion after the food marathon of today. It was traditional affair, I may add, of turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings followed by what I must say was a glorious American chesecake from Zorbas. 

There was of course the kourapiedes and melomakarouna and loved or hated Christmas cake (which I kind of love). 

There was also Mr Bean and Home Alone 2 to add to the festive mood and it snowed in Troodos!  I sneaked upstairs in the midst and heard the Queen's Christmas speech. I felt I needed to keep to some British traditions. She spoke about the importance of family and forgiveness. As I listened London rang in my ears, Christmas London and those crisp cold nights when I used to pretend I was smoking from the frosty breath, wrapped up in gloves, hat and scarf. I remember vendors selling hot chestnuts on Oxford Street, keeping warm from the little fire burning, the lights, the hope, the spirit. 

Something was always missing from Christmas in Cyprus, can't put my finger on it, that magic. It was always about consumption, what presents to buy, what food to eat. I truly feel sorry for those lost souls who filled up Jumbo these past two weeks. I watched in alarm at the rising number of people filling their trolleys with cheap things. I only know this because I had to drive past on my way to my grandmother's.

 I know they had important pressies to buy but I think they have forgotten the magic of Christmas.There are other ways in which you can give and it's not always with presents. It's a crisp, cold and starry night in Limassol tonight with smells of wood burning. Kids are sitting around consumed with their new presents, my grandparents sit huddled by the television and radiator, the young are out partying. The leftover turkey and stuffing remain tightly packed in cellophane to be eaten on Boxing Day. It may not be London, but somehow by miracle, I am content and seem to have remembered Christmas.

Paphos...The Birthplace of Aphrodite

I was sitting in Debenhams cafe in Paphos the other day, enjoying my filter coffee and complimentary sweet. Two German ladies sat next to me, one with a bottle of red wine and the other with a more moderate option of still water.From the window I could just see the harbour and its boats and the top of the castle.Buses took passengers to their destination, a couple of rucksacked tourists with a puzzled expression headed towards the harbour. I've always said that if I didn't live in Limassol, I would live in Paphos. There's a sort of tranquility about the place, a magic touch that the goddess of love must have brought and it has always given me inspiration. I was always fascinated by the famous Paphos sunset.
As you enter Paphos on the left the sea opens up expansively and glistens from below where myth has it that Aphrodite sprang from the foams of the sea, a goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Lured by Aphrodite's spell, many British come to live in Paphos and they have brought their own character to the town. In return the town caters for their needs, with pubs, restaurants and English style breakfasts and lunches galore.

I make my way to the harbour. Even on this wintery day, the cafes and tavernas are still open. The sun is shadowed by a thin sheen of cloud and glows like a big electric light bulb. The sea is smooth and velvety. Boats lie moored to their anchors, bobbing happily. Another boat arrives lazily, making its way to the harbour. I look around me as I walk. An old man teaches a young boy to fish, an old woman tries to sell sea sponges to a group of tourists, a group of taxi drivers play tavli (backgammon) to kill time. A black cat (my lucky charm) sits cosily under a car. There is the smell of sea air, a light breeze with pervades everything.

I pay to go into the castle. Only the imagination can wonder at what peoples' lives were like there. The castle has served as a fortress, a prison and as a warehouse for salt by the British. Its use as a fortress is what fascinates me the most. I climb up to the top. The view is breathtaking. To the east the harbour can be seen down below, the houses and boats dotting the landscape with colour. The expanse of sea lies to the west. How amazing must it have been to see ships arriving on the horizon, to witness thunderstorms. I stand there for a while taking it all in, gathering up energy from the view before me. Aphrodite weaves her magic spells and I'm just in time for the sunset.