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Forget grey skies, the rain and the cold. Summer in north Cyprus is to be lived
outdoors. Temperatures start rising to mid to late thirties (Celcius) by mid
June-July. You will quickly find that Cypriots love nature and outdoors. So why
don’t you join us and enjoy the island riding your bicycle in the countryside,
walk along almost empty beaches of Karpas, eat al fresco outdoors.
July-August are months also enjoyed most both by sun worshipers
who flock to the beaches and those who like concerts and music
for during these months Famagusta Festival as well as Bellapais
Music Festival are held. Personally, as much as it is super hot
for some, I love July in Famagusta's pristine beaches during the
day, followed by a drink at the old town's atmospheric The Monk
Inn pub on William Dreghorn Street, then head out to one of
city's many local restaurants for a feast! You will soon
discover that us Cypriots have a love affair with our food and
love sharing it with our guests, be it dinner, lunch or simple
meze. If you happen to be in Kyrenia, when the bright but hot
afternoon sun gently gives way to a balmy evening there’s
nothing better but to enjoy the scenic view of Kyrenia under the
Tree of Idleness in Bellapais village. Or if you happen to be in
the capital Nicosia's wonderful old part, simply devour the
medieval atmosphere in the Büyük Han (Great Inn) with a well
earned cup of Turkish coffee and a local favourite “kayik pasta”
(boat cakes). You will be hooked on them in no time.
This month we
bring you a special section of "Bir Zamanlar Kıbrıs'ta"
(Once Upon a Time in Cyprus). Sadly the articles written in this section are in
Turkish only, by Cypriot columnists and writers reminiscing the good old days
gone by.
At
North Cyprus - cypnet.co.uk we aim to bring you different aspects of
life and culture of the island. In doing so we are always delighted to have this
opportunity to serve you and to share with you the various aspects of life in
Northern Cyprus. Of course, while nothing compares to an actual first hand visit
to this corner of earth which is truly a sanctuary of unspoilt beauty, we
hope that the facts you find within this site will provide you with a better
understanding of the people, history, archaeology, culture, politics, economic
development and environmental beauties of our beautiful and unique island.
So welcome to
North Cyprus - Hoshgeldiniz!
Editor, North Cyprus Home Page
Bellapais
Abbey
Bellapais, unchanged and unhurried since
its colonial days, this enchanting village has been immortalised
in the book "Bitter Lemons" by Lawrence Durrell. The centre
piece of the charming village and its main attraction is
Bellapais
Abbey.
Perched precariously on a natural terrace,
the abbey stands guard over the whole of the northern coastline,
and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and indeed
most important Gothic buildings in the Near East.
Here,
you can while away your days exploring the impressive remains of
the abbey, or simply relax with a during under the "Tree of
Idleness", an ancient mulberry made famous in Durrell's Bitter
Lemons, and let the world pass you by.
continue
Karpas Peninsula
- Journey into Summer
Imagine
a summer Sunday morning, you are walking through the beach collecting curvy
seashells to add to your collection. The sun is warming your body as you witness
one of the main nesting grounds of the
Chelonida mydas and
Caretta Caretta sea turtles in the Mediterranean. A stopover at Yeni Erenköy
for a sumptuous
seafood lunch at Mehmet's
Place gives you the local flavour. Make sure you taste the local
grilled Halloumi cheese in pita bread with tomatoes.
In
the afternoon you must stop at Sipahi (Ayia Tria) village and walk through the
olive groves, breath in the fresh air and talk to the villagers - both Turkish
and Greek-Cypriots who invite you to their homes for
Turkish coffee and tasting their
walnut, orange and bergamot preserves. We have a saying on the island "Eat
sweet, talk sweet". At the end of your day, you'll wonder when you can make the
time to come back and explore the rest of Karpas landscape.
