My World

No doubt the Greeks had wanted their freedom from the very beginning of the Ottoman rule, but in the 18th century the idea of a free Greece grew into an organised plan. With Russian help, a revolt started in 1770, which failed. Inspired by the French Revolution and the heroic poems (thourios) of Rigas Feraios , the Greeks did not give up, and the secret society Filiki Eteria ("Friendly Union") was founded in 1814 in Odessa of Russia by Nikolaos Skoufas, Emmanuel Xanthos and Antonios Tsakalof. Weapons and funds were collected, and help was sent from Greeks in exile as well as other countries on the Balkan and the Mediterranean sea.The revolution started when Alexander Ypsilantis invaded Jassy and declared Greece a free country. In the Peloponnese, the Archbishop of Patras Paleon Patron Germanos led the uprising on 23 March 1821. The Greek army of the Peloponesse was led by Theodoros Kolokotronis. Other famous Greek leaders of the revolution were Georgios Karaiskakis, Athanass...

Larnaca is a small town of about 75,000 inhabitants situated on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. When I first came to live here in November 1984, it looked like the middle of no where! People would stare at me as if I were an alien just because I I was different from them. Back to the 80s it was unheard of for a Greek Cypriot lady in her late 20s to have lunch BY HERSELF at one of the few tavernas then on Finikoudes Seafront. Finikoudes (the Palm Tree Promenade) is  the symbol of our town and the town centre.. The palm trees date back to bygone years but now the area boasts one of the cleanest beaches in the eastern Med which has won a Blue Flag. There are also many cafes , restaurants and bars - my favourite being  Coffee Island - the fourth in our town - and Panos Steak House. At the corner of Faneromenis and Agiou Lazarou Street is the church of Agiou Lazarou (Holy Lazarus), built in the 9th century by...

Weather-wise, March in Cyprus can be one of the most unreliable and unpredictable months of the whole year! Sometimes, in early March, you may enjoy a swim in the sea as the water temperature is about 18-19°C and in the afternoon you may feel like going skiing in the mountains!   March comes to announce that Spring is round the corner. Almond trees are now in full bloom and the sea air is intoxicating as it mingles with the aromas of fruit trees. Right now, we are enjoying clear, blue skies, warm days and cool nights and temperatures rising to 20°C . The good old saying  "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb"  seems to be going in the reverse direction, here in Cyprus.  Today, March has come like a lamb. I hope it won't go out like a lion.  In Cyprus, there's another saying about March:  "Ο Μάρτης πότε γελά πότε κλαίει." - March sometimes laughs and sometimes cries.  

As I was walking along the seafront this morning enjoying the early morning breeze, I couldn't tell where the blue seas ended and the blue skies began. I could only feel the rhythm of the foamy waves and the morning sun scattering diamonds across the water.   In my teens, I thought I was very unlucky! In Nicosia, I couldn't see the sea nor could I go for a walk along the beach just after school. I had to wait for the school holidays to spend a few days by the seaside. Later, as a student in Switzerland and despite the breathless beauty of lakes and mountains and forests, I always missed the sun shimmering on a calm, blue sea , pebbles startling the sea water into ringlets, the silvery sheen of the moon on the water , sleepy lagoons, the wave's trough, lazy, dozy days on a golden beach or miles upon miles of endless sea and sky. This morning I could smell the fishy aroma saturated in the air and felt the sweet surge and retreat of the sea . Slushy sand fil...

Carnival in Greece and Cyprus rimes with  celebration - a chance to escape everyday routine and enter a world of party, fantasy, high jinks and 'kefi' - high spirits - a feast of dance, wine and meat before the fasting of Lent  Karnavali or Apokries ( the carnival) started in ancient Greece and was believed to be an act of worship for Dionysos, the God of Wine and Feast.  In the Greek Orthodox tradition, Apokries is the preparation period before Lent. Apokries means literally saying goodbye to meat ... Apohi apo kreas -  apo-kreas.  The English word Carnival derived from Latin and has the same meaning : " carne'' =meat and  "vale"  - goodbye. Apokries runs for 3 weeks preceding the First Day of Lent, which is today. The Greek Orthodox observe 40 days to Easter Day - called "sarakosti". Hence the wish all the Greeks exchange this festive weekend : "Kali Saracosti" (Happy Lent) Today  is   'Kathara Deftera' (Green or Clean ...

Funky Nurse in 2006 The Limassol Carnival is one of the most important events i Cyprus, related to the Dionysian Festivals of the classicalantiquity. It is a joyful and colourful event that attracts both young and old, locals and visitors, making Limassol the carnival centre of Cyprus. The festivities begin on Shrove Thursday or Tsiknopempti (February 28th) with the entrance of King Carnival in town. Limassol Municipality organizes various events such as open-air parties, children’s parades and serenaders evenings. Τhe Grand Carnival Parade on Sunday, March 10, is the culmination of the carnival events. It will start at 13.00 from St. Nicholas roundabout and will proceed along Makarios III Avenue. 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...