Cyprus - a love story
There is something quite magical about Aphrodite’s island which inspires great romances even still to this day
WOULD you like some cawwfee? The unmistakeable New York twang catches me off guard as we sit in a sun-drenched courtyard in Valva, Cyprus. Just 22 people live in Valva, a stone-built village nestled in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range. One resident, it is immediately evident, grew up very far away from here.
It was love that made Donna Marie trade the big city lights for a village life. It all makes sense when you meet her husband George, a Cypriot and all-round charmer. ‘From the first moment I saw her, I knew I had to marry her,’ he recalls with a grin.
George grew up in Valva but left after the Cypriot War like many young men his age and set sail for greener pastures.
He ended up in New York City and set up a diner.
One day, Miss Rhode Island walked in and asked him for a job. ‘I told her no. You’re too
beautiful to waitress. I hired her as my hostess.’
He then made her his wife. After more than 30 years together in New York City they moved back to his homeland, to the stone house his father built.
They restored the property and transformed it into a cosy B&B and restaurant simply named ‘Our House’.
Each uniquely decorated guest bedroom features restored antique furnishings and handmade crocheted bedspreads.
One room boasts the brass-framed bed George was ‘made in’ he cheekily points out.
At Our House, all meals are prepared using what’s picked from the garden and cooked by Donna Marie in traditional ovens.
It’s all about the authentic village experience but with all the creature comforts – heated floors, large modern bathrooms and an outdoor jacuzzi.
It’s a little slice of simplicity, away from the madness of the world.
And madness is exactly what we left behind.
When I packed my bags for Aphrodite’s island I had little hope of ever getting there.
The Beast from the East had held me (and most of the country) captive for days and I wasn’t certain I’d get down the driveway let alone to Dublin Airport and into the air.
But the promise of sunshine and warmth urged me out of my apartment building, through the snow, to the nearest main road.
There, shivering in my ‘holiday clothes’, I flagged down a taxi full of Spanish tourists. They had one seat left and were headed to the airport. It was my lucky day.
Dublin Airport was, as to be expected, chaotic.
But after just a short delay, I was onboard my Cobalt Air flight on my way to the Mediterranean.
Direct flights connecting Ireland and Cyprus dropped off flight schedules during the recession. But last summer, Cobalt reconnected the two countries with twice weekly services from Dublin to Larnaca, Cyprus’s third largest city.
WITH Irish traveller numbers back on the rise, I took the opportunity to check out what this sunny island nation has to offer.
Larnaca was first up on my itinerary and where I was based for the first part of my trip.
For sunseekers, the port city’s palm tree lined seaside promenade, pristine beaches and a lively restaurant and bar scene beckon.
For those in search of something more cultural, the 9th-century Church of St Lazarus is worth visiting.
The 10th-century Byzantine monument contains the tomb of
the Lazarus who rose from the dead.
From Larnaca the mountainside villages of Lefkara and Valva are a short drive away. Note, Irish travellers wanting to rent a car to explore Cyprus will be pleased to find they drive on the left-hand side here.
Lefkara is known for its handmade lace. So famed was the village’s handicraft that Leonardo da Vinci himself is said to have been a fan, having visited in the 1400s.
Local experts claim the Lefkara lace motif is featured in da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’.
Walking around, it’s easy to see why the maestro was charmed by this small stone-built village. Everywhere you look it is all narrow laneways, brightly painted doors and hanging baskets full of ivy. On the outskirts of Valva village, a rather unusual attraction awaits daring travellers. At GS Ecophysis hub you can become a beekeeper for a day. I wasn’t all that concerned about the bees until our guide Georgina began duct-taping our overalls to our shoes to avoid any little creatures flying up our trouser legs. Eek! ‘They can be very aggressive’ she quipped as she secured any possible access to my body. She wasn’t kidding! Still, I managed to escape unscathed (unstung) before sampling the fruits of their labour. Thick natural honey drizzled over a soft local cheese. Ayia Napa our next stopover is located about 45 minutes north-east of Larnaca. This picturesque resort town has, in the past, been associated with Leaving Cert holidays
and rowdy youngsters. But my experience of it could not be further from that. Granted it was off-season, but there was a relaxed, peaceful vibe about the place. Cosy tavernas serving fresh seafood and chilled wines on the harbour front, secluded white sand beaches and fancy fiveresorts. star resorts. It all seemed very grown-up to me. Surrounding Ayia Napa, a host of family-friendly tourist attractions beckon, once again countering the town’s ‘young and wild’ reputation. There’s strawberry picking at nearby Deryneia village and donkey rides at Achna Donkey Farm.
The latter has an open-air eatery with a beautiful view. Cy-Herbia, also nearby, is an garden oasis for both kids and adults. It features a giant outdoor maze and endless fields of flowers, herbs and medicinal plants. It looks and smells divine.
Ayia Napa’s most famed asset is, of course, the stunning coastline. Three Cypriot beaches were recently named in the top 25 European beaches by TripAdvisor. Two of these are in Ayia Napa (Makronissos Beach and Konnas Bay). Nissi Beach Resort, where I stayed, also boasts its very own blue-flag beach.
The picture-perfect resort is just metres from the sand and surf.
It is a delightful 20C when I hit the beach after breakfast. The sand is powder-soft beneath my feet and the water is crystal clear.
It’s hard to imagine that just 48 hours ago I was battling bonechilling gales and knee-deep snow.
It’s hard to resist a dip so I head in. It’s also hard to resist a smug snap to send home...
‘Hello from Cyprus. Wish you were here!’