Anastasia

Saturday Night Out at Ktima Georgiadi

Located on the old road Nicosia-Limassol, between Skarinou and Kofinou, at about 25 km from Larnaca, Ktima Georgiadi is probably one of the best options in Cyprus for a night out with good friends or family. The well-known Greek Cypriot singer Stella Georgiadi and her brother Pieris have made their father's dream come true: the return to innocence, the return to their roots, the return to tradition far away from the bright lights of the city. 

Ktima Georgiadi - my friend Andreas Morfitis on the dance floor.

Stella Georgiadi Live

My friend Andreas Morfitis who invited us to a great night out at Ktima Georgiadi.

My friends Stavros Rossos and Andreas Morfitis - alias "gerondas" - wise man.

Pieris and Stella have turned a traditional, old mansion into a Greek taverna  where you can let off steam, eat, drink, dance  and sing with Stella and her band.  In the summer, you can enjoy the show under the stars and the orange trees where Stella and her siblings played when they were kids.

Stella Georgiadi and her daughter Eleftheria who had her b-day yesterday. Her gorgeous mum sang Happy Birthaday to Eleftheria.

Stella Georgiadi who did not hesitate to give up on a bright career as a singer in Athens and return to her roots.

My husband Alkis

Last night, Alkis and I had a great time there with good friends. After a long week at work, it was THE perfect night out. Stella will welcome you to her mansion with an old Greek song which she sings amongst her guests without music or micro. A big hand follows and then the show begins with Stella and her band.  Prices are reasonable, yet the food needs to be improved. 

 

Photos and video by Anastasia Marou for Anastasia

 

Carnival Fun

The Limassol Carnival is one of the most important events in Cyprus, related to the Dionysian Festivals of the classical antiquity. It is a joyful and colorful event that attracts both young and old, locals and visitors, making Limassol the carnival center of Cyprus.

The festivities begin on Shrove Thursday (February 16th) with the entrance of King Carnival in town and  last for ten days. The Limassol Municipality organizes various events such as open-air parties, children’s parades and serenaders evenings.

Τhe Grand Carnival Parade on Sunday, February 26th, is the culmination of the carnival events. It will start at 13.30 from St. Nicholas roundabout and will proceed along Makarios III Avenue.

For the detailed programme click here

via www.cyprusevents.net

In Nicosia where I was born and reared, the Carnival was certainly not as popular as it has been for years in Limassol. As a child, I never used to dress up or go to fancy dress parties. Having been to the Carnival in Limassol about 10 years ago, I had so much fun that I decided to dress up for Carnival and go to fancy dress parties in Larnaca! Neredless to say I had a great time! But just like in hometown Nicosia, the carnival isn't very popular in Larnaca either, so I haven't been to a fancy dress party since 2008!

Funky Nurse in 2006

Crazy hippie in 2007

Brazilian Girl in 2008

Is Carnival popular in your area?

 

Christmas 2011 at the Golden Bay Beach Hotel, Larnaca

Naturally, Santa was there too!

Christmas at the Golden Bay Beach Hotel has always been a unique experience but it seems to me that this Christmas it's been the best ever in more ways than one.  Everything was just perfect: the decor, the music, the joyful festive atmosphere and the food! My mother and I joined Alkis early in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, had a light snack and then went up to our rooms to take a nap and get ready for the Christmas Eve Gala Dinner while Alkis went back to work. After a hectic week at the school which ended merrily with the Christmas party on Friday afternoon,  it was the best way for me to start my Christmas break.

The Christmas Eve menu was an amazing, gastronomic experience as the Executive Chef went out of his way to create .... works of art. Here's what the 6-course festive menu consisted of:

Smoked salmon pancake roulade with prawns and caviar cream for starters.

Chicken Cream Soup with Almond Crumble

Duck Rillettes with Red Onions and Mandarin Refish followed by an Orange Sherbet with Cointreau to refresh the palate.

Roast Turkey Rolls with Liver and Pine Nuts Stuffing and Foie Gras Sauce married with Wild Pork Loin with Pheasant Cream Mousse , Vegetables and Potato Amanti.

Baked Cheese and Chestnut Tart Light Chocolate Parfait with Cinnamon Cream and Rasberry Coulis.

...followed by coffee and sweet bites

Apart from the food, I was particularly impressed by the Home Band who played Christmas melodies throughout this exquisite dinner and later  helped us....burn some of the calories on the dance floor! 

We even got Christmas weather and white Christmas for all those who celebrated high up in the mountains of Troodos. On Larnaca Bay, we got strong winds and  downpours on Christmas Eve, overcast skies and some sunny intervals on Christmas Day.

How was your Christmas? 

Autumnal Duel

At last! Autumn finally remembered the sunsplashed island of Venus and paid us a belated visit yesterday. Ah well...better late than never! It was as if autumn challenged the sun in a duel for Venus's eyes only! At about 1:00 pm, dark clouds covered  our clear blue skies chasing the sun away. Within minutes, it started raining hard!   I was at work at that time planning lessons and marking homework, but I couldn't resist looking out the window. Caught unawares people were trying to find shelter - no one carried an umbrella as far as I could see and everyone was dressed in light, summer clothes. About an hour later, the sun took over and conquered the sky for the rest of the day. But when I left work at 9:00 pm, I felt the crisp air and shivered as I was also dressed in light, summer clothes.  At least the rain had stopped by then, so I didn't get wet.

Autumn in Cyprus is mild and mostly sunny. In my area, it's often terribly windy - that's what I hate most! I won't say it's as good as Spring because I hate Spring, but it's neither too cold nor too hot. And that's what I like most at this time of year. No bees strolling around or ...unwelcome visitors such as cockroaches or ants!  Many people think that cockroaches and ants inhabit dirty houses, yet in Cyprus you will meet them even in the cleanest of places when it's still hot!  As I was driving to work today, I could see chrysanthemums blooming  in almost every garden. Another sign that autumn is here. 

 

Cinema vs Theatre

If you ask me which I prefer, I'd definitely say the theatre. No matter how often I go to the cinema, a visit to the theatre is still something special.  Seeing a play is something quite different from popping into the local cinema for a couple of hours. It's a matter of  direct communication between the audience and the actors. 

Theatro Skala - The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco

Photo Credit

Most cinemas nowadays surpass a theatre in luxury. Even in small villages, cinemas are spacious, well-lit and well-ventilated places where one can sit in comfort. The lights are dimmed slowly to give the audience time to prepare themselves for the film they are to see.  Talk drops to a whisper and then fades out altogether.  However much the cinema tries to simulate the conditions in a theatre - and it does it very well - it's never the same effect!  Nothing can really equal the awe and sense of hushed expectation which is felt by a theatre audience as the curtain is slowly raised.

 
Theatro Scala - Confidences Trop Intimes (Intimate Strangers)  by Jerôme Tonnerre 

Photo Credit

 A poor film is often far better than a bad play. The actors on the screen are always celluloid, remote and a bit unreal.. In a theatre, however, the actors  have direct contact with their audience. Each performance they give is unique and it is this that, in the final count,, makes the theatre so superior to the cinema. 

Have you seen an interesting play, recently?

 

25 March 1821 - The Greek Revolution

March 25 is a landmark in the history of the Greek Nation. The Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire leading to freedom and independence started on March 25 1821. All over Greece and Cyprus, the day is celebrated with parades and tributes to our illustrious ancestors and the great heroes of 1821 whose self-denial opened up the road to Independence: Georgios Karaiskakis , Theodoros Kolokotronis, Athanasios Diakos, Laskarina Bouboulina,  Lord Byron and many others told the world that freedom can only be gained through sacrifice and patriotism.

The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity  became stronger than ever before. On March 25, 1821, the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and the Greek revolution started against the Turks. Shouting out "Freedom or Death", the people of Greece, faithful to their heroic heritage, fought the War of Independence for 9 years  until a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and  declared an independent nation. The struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. In 1864, the Ionian islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly. Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added in 1913 and Western Thrace in 1919. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.

The banner says: "Return to Ammohostos", now under Turkish occupation. In my heart of hearts, I know that one day we'll go back.

The Greek Revolution is interpreted by many Europeans  as a battle between the ideals of the ancient Greeks against the ruthless Turks who had been occupying and suppressing the descendents of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Many, including  the British poet Lord Byron volunteered to fight in order to support the greek cause for freedom. Lord Byron spent the last year of his life in Greece, where he had fully invested himself in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.

In Larnaca, just like in every single town or city of the Republic of Cyprus, 25 March was celebrated with a grand parade of the younger generation determined to preserve our heroic heritage.

  Hope you enjoy the video - just a glimpse of the parade in Larnaca.

 

Moody March and a Sunday Outing

The village of Mosfiloti - a haven of peace and quiet

March arrived on the Island of Venus quite aggressively greeting us with downpours, stormy days and stone- cold nights while temperature ranged from 2*C inland to 5*C on the coast and to -5 in the mountains (23*F-41*F). Then all of a sudden we had sunny days, clear blue skies and temperature rising to 25*C (77*F). Just when I thought that spring had come at last, today felt more like early autumn. Despite the slate-grey sky and the fine drizzle, Alkis and  I decided not to allow moody March to spoil our Sunday trip to the surrounding countryside.

The village of Mosfiloti is essentially a rural community with pine-covered hills on either side of an evergreen valley. It owes its name to the "mosfilia" - loquat tree - a fruit tree which thrives in the area. Mosfiloti is located at an altitude of 250m, at about 22 km from Larnaca. The village is surrounded by the mountains Pipis, Vizakeri, Petromoutos and Kalogeros,  regarded as the "lungs" of the village, which provide the luxuriant vegetation and Mosfiloti's natural beauty. We had lunch at Kokkinou Restaurant - strongly recommended if you visit the area. The food is excellent - mostly local cuisine- and the service is impeccable.

Kokkinou Restaurant

 

Mondays vs Weekends

My weekend passed in a flash and here is Monday again. Mondays are, almost invariably, busy days at work as I finish classes later than usual - I'm never home before 9:30 pm - and have lots of office work and marking to finish in the morning. But I had a very pleasant and enjoyable weekend which gave me loads of energy and stamina to face the week ahead.

The Medieval Castle in Larnaca

Just after work, I spent most of Saturday afternoon at the gym. Alkis and I had invited some good friends to dinner, so later in the evening. I prepared a king prawn cocktail with calypso sauce for starters, my famous Beef Stroganov served with rice and and a variety of fresh vegetables for main course but I got the dessert from the cake shop - apple-pie and tiramisu. Then I served cognac, liqueurs and coffee or tea in the living room by a glowing fire and lots of candles. Despite all the cooking, I didn't feel tired at all! It was such a pleasure to cook for good old friends and chat away till the early morning hours.

Finicoudes Seafront

On Sunday morning, I woke to a bright, sunny day and incredibly blue skies! Alkis came back from work a bit earlier, so we spent some time strolling along Finicoudes Seafront - a pole of attraction in Larnaca, especially when it's sunny! Finally, we had lunch at our favourite Latouros Restaurant in the surrounding countryside, near the village of Mazotos. It's by far one of the best tavernas in the area.

I'm off to sleep. It's been yet another long Monday!

Beach Stories

Story One

It seems that my biological clock hasn't been set yet to "summer break time zone" and here I am getting up at the crack of dawn only to realise that it's my second Saturday off work! My digital clock said 5:55 - three fives must be a lucky number. Alkis had already got up to get ready for work since he has decided that he should work 12 hours a day instead of eight and take only half a day off work - which is Sunday afternoon. His boss must love him! We had breakfast on the veranda and when he kissed me goodbye at 7:10 am, I smiled to myself and started making plans about how to spend my day. In the first place, I thought about going shopping - it's the first day of the summer sales, by the way- but then I hate crowds and besides there are much better offers online. My second option was to blog till I drop! But however much I toyed with the idea, I decided that I wouldn't like to spend my second Saturday off work glued to the computer. My third option was the beach - swimming, windsurfing, water skiing.... So by 9:00 am off I was to the beach which is only 4 km away from home. 

Story Two

So here I am at the beach, lying in the sun and enjoying the early morning breeze while browsing the last issue of the British Harper's Bazaar and later reading a few chapters from William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. I remember having read this book as a student and hated it. Funny how I was really hooked to the story 30 years later!

Story Three

Then I did some windsurfing and finally went for a long walk along Mackenzie Beach - a sandy beach of about 4km long. After the windsurfing, it was a very invigorating walk - especially because it wasn't too hot. Just about 30*C (85*F) at midday. Naturally, I had my camera and took lots of photos to post here. Funnily enough, when I uploaded the content of my camera it all appeared as ...movies! It took me a while to realise that my camera had been set to movies by mistake and I hadn't noticed that! I admit to being all thumbs when it comes to technology but I do hope that you will love some older photos of the same beach.    .

Clouds

My post today is inspired by Lilac Saloon. The author of this blog posted such lovely photos of the clouds in her area that I felt like taking some new pictures of the clouds in my part of the world. The truth is that I've always been fascinated by clouds and I often took pictures of them...even while flying! The Captain on that flight, who happens to be a great friend as well , suggested that I should look at the clouds as a way to get over my fear of flying. "It's very relaxing", he said and went on to add: "There's so much beauty when flying through the clouds. Look at the beauty and forget your fear." And so I did and for a split second I forgot all about flying and concentrated on the sheer beauty of the clouds.

Aren't they beautiful? On another occasion, as I was typing a post a few years ago, I looked out the window and here's what I saw.

That was the sunset on a stormy winter day. Or should I say the calm after the storm? I wish I were an artist to draw this unique sight of black clouds going red! More often than not, clouds in Cyprus are white against blue skies or slightly grey like the ones that covered my sky for a brief while this afternoon.

Right now, I'm on cloud nine! Tomorrow will mark yet another constructive school-year which has eventually come to an end. And on Saturday I'll be lying on a beach looking at the clouds - if there are any - and enjoying my second dip in the sea.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

All photos by: @anastasia.marou