Friday, 4 April 2025

Hobby zoo, homemade paper, and parkour

 Our time in Nicosia has gone fast. With sunny weather, we have gotten to spend a lot more time outdoors enjoying both the natural Cypriot landscape and beaches, as well as the planted Eucalyptus forests. The local almond trees have all blossomed and are full of furry baby almonds and the invasive wattle is in full bloom, making us all miss Australia. Nicosia is one of those cities that could be dismissed as slightly rundown and uninteresting at first glance. When you wander its streets long enough though you stop seeing the crumbling buildings and instead find all the welcoming friendly residents. It definitely lives up to the mediterranean and islander vibe. There are welcoming forests and parks tucked away behind malls and residential areas. Most stores seem to sell jars of honey from some relative or friend in the mountains. The cafes are always full of socializers who seem to be able to laugh and joke for hours. 



Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Toeing the green line

 This month we are living in the only divided capital in the world. Think Berlin pre the wall coming down. Well, maybe a little less intense than Berlin and with no wall. Instead there are piles of painted oil drums with barbed wire on top. South of the ‘green line’ that runs through Nicosia lies the part of Cyprus that is acknowledged by the world and is a member of the European Union. North of the green line lies the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognised by Turkey alone.  While the no man’s land and division is not a physical barrier on most of the island, in the city, the no man’s land is a real no-man’s-land. In the peacekeeping gap between the two parts of Nicosia are visible untouched remains of the actual conflict - bombed crumpling buildings, houses with broken windows, roads strewn with debris, and nature making its slow reclamation of the human destruction.  The UN has a big presence in the city with a large headquarters in a wider part of the no mans land. So why have the UN peacekeepers parked themselves on this small island for 50 years? In the seventies the Turkish took advantage of a Cypriot coup to claim some of the island for itself. It is not a pleasant time in the island's history. Most people we have met in Cyprus have stories of family members having to flee their homes overnight to set up new lives further south. Neither party wants to relent their position, so the conflict has just sat at an impasse for years. Though largely a peaceful divide at this point, efforts to come up with any longstanding solution have not yet been successful and new generations of UN peacekeepers form careers in the in-between space of peace. If you didn’t look at a map or history books or walk right up to the barriers you might never realise you were in half a city. But if you are very perceptive you will fee the tension in the air: the small signs of the conflict past, the way brows furrow if you mention Turkey, the way roads end or veer unexpectedly. 

I am not sure why, but I felt a little awkward crossing into the Turkish side. A bit like I was betraying my dinner host by secretly pre-eating. A bit like I was meant to choose sides like friends of a divorcing couple. I did anyhow, though. The border crossing is a small unassuming building. I crossed into Northern Cyprus at a crossing near the UN headquarters. In the large no-man's-land, there is a cafe for people from both sides to be able to meet on neutral ground. I wondered if this storybook scenario actually happens or if the cafe is mostly frequented by UN employees and tourists. The Turkish side of the city does feel a little bit different than the other side of the line. For example, everything is in Turkish and the cafes and restaurants have Turkish food. On the other hand smoking in cafes seems to be the activity of choice on both sides of the line. The old town of Turkish Nicosia felt much more touristy than I expected with big groups of French and German tour groups wandering around the narrow streets or sharing meals of pide and Cai on terraces. I had planned to have lunch on the Turkish side but the crowded tourist scene was much less appealing than getting a one euro wood fired potato pie back on the other side of the divide. A short wait in line and a a flash of my passport and I was back in Europe. Back in Europe and relieved, because conflict, even stable conflict, is exhausting.




A city divided

                                             


No man's land

Feels a bit like a game of snakes and ladders

Border crossing


Spring has come to both sides of the island

Border crossing - I was impressed at the force of hostility in the capitalised Forever

Small hill town with a view of the north side of the island

Even the doll in our airbnb is feeling the internal conflict

Aurora says we need something lighthearted so here is Levi with a 500 year old tree 




Thursday, 6 March 2025

Hot desking in Paphos

We have spent the past month on the coast of Cyprus hard at work. After half a year of ‘no school no work all walking’ it was time to catch up on those forgotten life requirements. Cyprus is a shimmering Mediterranean island. Though the island of Aphrodite and love, it has been dealt a less than loving past. We are learning though our travels through the Mediterranean that the advantages of peace and beauty of Mediterranean islands sometimes outweighs their strategic position close to numerous other countries. This is one of those locations where we have gotten to see the ruins of differing civilisations throughout modern times - Romans, Knights Templar, Greeks, Turkish.... Our experience of Cyprus so far has luckily been more along the traditions of Aphrodite. Our days have been littered with long strolls along the boardwalk staring at the shimmering clear blue waters. Mediterranean blue is very uplifting to stare at. We have gone for hikes amongst carob and olive trees, along cliff edges, through gorges, and in the forest. 


Mostly though, between outdoor excursions, we have been working hard. Jakob has been spending his weeks in the capital reigniting his relationship with long work days. Aurora has started to delve into the more intense world of A levels and Sophia into IGCSE subjects. The two girls have textbooks on the computer but share one computer. This has been working out well partly because Sophia, a morning person, wakes up at 630 to start her school day. She gets in a a few hours of work before Aurora is conscious enough to think about learning. By 9pm Sophia is off to bed and Aurora then spends a few hours in the quiet living room focused on work. If only this principle could be extended to their beds we could save money on rent! Tova has been doubling down on math - she is churning through a middle school curriculum while also doing an online program while also getting extra math sessions with Jakob while also reading through assigned reading faster than I can assign it. Zadie studiously and independently works through whatever work I give her. She is a quiet easy pupil who enjoys finishing up so she can run off to play.  Levana never stops moving and never wants to be left out - she has a homework book too and sits by her sisters scribbling away and often scribbles over everyone else’s work too. I have been trying valiantly to carve away some time to do ‘homework’ of my own - the roughest draft of a novel there ever was. We have brought a guitar and portable piano  with us and the children are all trying their hands at being musical. Our evenings are full of home cooked meals and activities - gymnastics, taekwondo and sailing.  Its been a quiet but beautiful and educational month here in Paphos. 


Pillar remnants for everyone!
It was cold, and often rainy, but they did manage a few swims

The Paphos boardwalk is kilometres of great views - we love boardwalks

                                            
Chinup bars with a view

                                                 
Fun gorge walk

Tova self-portrait

Big sisters are great



Mosaic in this area was incredible


She insists on walking now - which is sometimes so slow we aren't moving



Looking cute in a tomb


Sophia self-portrait




Thursday, 6 February 2025

Where Pizza is real life

The cheapest way to get to Cyprus involved a stopover in Italy so we decided to turn the stopover into a few days of carb overloading. Last time we visited Naples it made a lasting impression. First, because of the responses of others regarding a Naples visit - Naples is a city people love to hate. If you tell someone you are going to Naples the response will invariable be 'why?' followed by tales of pickpockets, gangs, and life's general dangers. And it is true that those looking to visit the Italy in the media will feel a great sense of disappointment at visiting Naples. Yet, the reaction that Naples stirs up is so intense it seems authentically Italian. Second, because of the pizza. We had been to Italy a number of times and eaten pizza in many different countries but the Naples pizza was, and is, by far the best. Which makes sense as that is where pizza was invented. Also, to be considered Neapolitan pizza there are still strict rules: 0 or 00 flour, fresh yeast, hand kneading, shaped by hand, and cooked no more than 90 seconds in an 800 degree wood fired oven. The children have heard for years about the Jakob's favourite Naples pizza restaurant and they were all eager to try it themselves.  

 Naples is definitely its own world. It is hectic and wild and dirty. Half the clothes in the city are black ( I know because most of the city hangs their clothes from their balconies) and everyone does look like they are trying to perfect their look of intimidation. The motorbikes seem to be immune to all rules and are often driven by children. Parts of the city look like scenes out of hundred year old novels. But there's also a lot of enthusiasm going around. It is a rare place where even the gangsters are highly moral and hold religion and family as sacred and could be brought to tears by a good meal. No matter how intimidating a person looks they will always stop to smile and interact with our baby. On Sundays, groups of students take to the streets as marching bands and pour their heart (and volume) into whatever tune they are playing. Fresh mozzarella is more of life force than a topping (please look up videos on Zizzona). All in all, Naples is really more of a feeling than a city. You have to get into the feeling to really appreciate what it has to offer a traveller. It was a nice to get to be a part of that feeling for a few days. And now we are also happy for a less caffeinated vibe!

Still our favourite pizza

The perfect archway for our kids
The excavation of Pompeii is the longest lasting in history. 

Pompeii looked like a pretty nice place to live

Signature Naples alleyway
My favourite ceiling - will keep this one in mind when I get a house one day
Not sure how the clothes ever dry
We look good in palaces
The entrance chamber of royalty


The many church interiors are so grand in contrast to world outside their doors


Monday, 3 February 2025

Getting to know Malta

We had the pleasure of getting to visit one of the smaller but historically coveted countries of Europe. Seems everyone owned Malta at one point or another: Phoenicians, Romans, Roman Byzantines, Sicilians, North Africans, Spanish, French, and British. What this slightly tumultuous history has led to is a very interesting cultural fusion that is modern Malta. Around every corner are signs of history - citadels, walls, roman baths, crypts, bombed remains... Maltese is a dialect of Arabic - except one influenced by Sicilian - so a Latin alphabet is used. The food has elements of Italian and Greek diets with an odd British twist - pastizzi (the local specialty of a flaky crust filled with pea curry - seem like an unintentional marriage of spanakopita and British pies. There are 359 churches. We had a great time learning about this small but mighty country. It was fascinating. And the beaches were great too. Here are a few things we found interesting:

This is the home of the Knights hospitaller. These knights fortified much of Malta, bringing a period of 'relative' stability. They were as opulent as they were 'kind.' In addition to the large hospital created for injured pilgrims they also built lavish churches, theaters, and residences. They still exist today operating as their own landless country (they have their own passports!) offering assistance to the needy worldwide. 

Malta played a major role in WWII. Malta was the most intensely bombed country during the war. The Germans bombed it so thoroughly that they didn't even bother to control it from land. The British invested a lot in resupplying the country. Look at its location on the map - it was in a key position for any British success in the war. The British used Malta as a base for other campaigns and had a secret planning bunker within the capital of Valletta. The entire country was awarded the George Cross for bravery during war. It is hard to divide an award by thousands so they now have the medal on their flag. 

Caravaggio lived in Malta. Two of his paintings are located in St Johns co-cathedral .Tova says the paintings are too bloody. Which makes sense as Caravaggio, though a great artist was a violent man whose hobby was dueling. He had to flee Milan due to violence and murder, was kicked out of Rome for violence and murder, finally Naples took him in only to expel him to Malta for the same reason. In Malta, Caravaggio had hopes of joining the Knights hospitaller and as a token of thanks for being accepted into Malta painted a couple of paintings for them. When he was rejected by the society for injuring another knight he fled back to Sicily then Naples to escape his prison sentence. A short but eventful life that produced great violence and beauty. 

Malta has its own Hadrian's wall going across it called the Victoria Lines. In the 18th century the British, in an effort to fend of further attacks and conquests of Malta, built a wall across the main island to protect the capital and main harbors. The wall is still there. Unfortunately, it did nothing to protect the country from the attacks by airplane during world war II. 

I assigned Aurora the task of writing about Malta's history in brief. She did such a great job that I am posting it here:

Malta is an archipelago made up of three islands in the Mediterranean sea, just South of Sicily. It was first inhabited in 5900 BC. These inhabitants were farmers, but they had bad farming practices, and the soil was soon too degraded to use, so Malta became uninhabitable. Not for long though; in 3850 BC a new civilisation arrived, and stayed until their collapse in 2350 BC. These people are rather mysterious: They built massive stone structures that are now some of the oldest on the planet, and nobody knows why. 


So Malta was once again left uninhabited once again. That is, until the Phoenicians arrived in 700 BC. They had control of Malta for 484 years, whereupon the Romans sailed in and easily captured it. The Roman Empire eventually gave it to the Roman Byzantines, who lost it to the Aghlabids in a siege in 870 AD. 


The Aghlabids left it alone for about a century, and the population dwindled. So they repopulated it in the early 11th century, only to lose it almost immediately to the County of Sicily in 1091. These new rulers made it their mission to christianise Malta, and succeeded. Although Malta belonged to the Kingdom of Sicily until 1530 (a new record), the Kingdom itself was owned by various countries in Europe and North Africa, and finally by Spain. The Spanish eventually gave up control of Malta (without a fight!) to the Order of St John, also known as the Knight’s Hospitaller. It was still, however, a vassal state of Sicily. Then, in the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, Malta held off the Ottomans for three months before help came, and the Ottomans were successfully defeated. The Order remained in charge until 1798, when the French invaded. After only a few months under their rule, however, the Maltese rebelled, and eventually got rid of them in 1800. Malta then willingly became a British colony, and, as a consequence, a British air base. During WWII Malta was heavily bombed by the Germans and Italians, who were trying to bomb the British forces. In 1942, Malta was awarded the George Cross, an award for gallantry which can be seen on their flag and coat of arms. Yes, flag, for in 1964 Malta finally gained independence, though it is still part of the commonwealth. It joined the EU in 2004. 




A taste of England in the Mediterranean


Swimmable

Beautiful coast

Our favourite beach we went to





Jakob helping plan the conquest of Sicily


Happy place


Valletta at night