Limassol With a Vibe...

I had the pleasure of welcoming an old university friend and her husband and little boy to Cyprus recently. They were staying in Paphos but visited Limassol for a day. I decided to give them a tour of old Limassol and the castle before driving down the tourist road. I must say they were greatly impressed with the town and made me realise that I live in a beautiful place (I did know this, but sometimes need reminding). As we sat in a cafe overlooking the picturesque castle, chatting away, my friend's husband turned around and pensively said, "This town has a vibe, I can feel it." I was flattered, as you would be by a foreigner stating such a lovely fact. And truly it is a fact.

The town tonight is in full swing with the carnival mood affecting even the most introverted of us. I went down with family to watch the carnival serenaders singing old songs and getting everyone in the party mood. Wearing hats, feathers and masks people sang and danced to the nostalgic songs bringing back to memory the good old times. A father and daughter danced, as the mother took a photo. As if by a miracle the old woman beggar from Starbucks gave up her pastime and danced away with a Romanian man. It was all quite pleasant until the Romanian man's friend started spraying bystanders with foam and peeved people off, a moment which can be viewed in a comic light, according to my father.

I was reluctant to leave, but Papa Johns pizza was waiting for us to pick up our delivery. It was a magical night, lit up by a new moon reflecting new hopes and new beginnings, in a town that really does have a vibe.