Joyce and Gemma headed up 'Read Mediteranean' in Cyprus, teaching all ages and nationalities how to read English, when I first met them back in 2002. We formed a Writer's group and enjoyed sharing our work each week. Since then Kiran has become a Runner and the family are in the UK to attend the Bournemouth Marathon 2014. We are all going to cheer him on today.
For three glorious years I lived in Cyprus in a small Paphos village called Lasa. It was a late mid-life break, an oasis of sunshine in the chaos and busyness of my life that far. The ex-pat community were lovely people - we had all left the UK. There were times when we missed our family and friends 'back home' but we were happy in our new surroundings and so bonded together with that commonality.
One by one all in our circle of friends repatriated - just this week another friend has come back to the UK. Joyce, Sam and family are also in the process of selling their Cyprus home and looking to come back to Blighty.
I remember when we first returned, not being able to get car insurance. No company wanted our business because we had been out of the UK, even though before we left we had had the same car insurers for more than 20 years and clean driving licenses. It felt like we didn't belong in our own country. However, we are very settled again now and Cypriot life is a distant memory, a holiday destination, a home from home place we do not visit often enough. It has become the place on the news where planes leave for war against extreme Islamic practises. It is the little island in the Mediterranean seas that is between Libya and Greece. It has its own troubles of division between the North and South regions of Cyprus but manages to maintain peace for the sake of its inhabitants and holidaymakers.
So if anyone wants to buy a property with a pool I can recommend our friends home, looked after with loving care and an ideal family retreat.
Kala Mara, my friends (Good morning).
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| Paphos Harbour |
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