Gem Safes Long Island
Gem Safes Long Island
Cyprus, Kapparis the Hidden Gem
Cyprus is without a doubt a beautiful Island paradise teeming with natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage. For most tourist however the only parts of Cyprus they get to visit are the major holiday resorts and places that the organized tours visit. As you may imagine there is so much more to this lovely country and you will certainly benefit from a scratch below the surface. Cyprus has had a turbulent history dating back to ancient times right up until the 1970s. In fact the country remains divided North from South even as I write this article.
For those who are prepared to look a little further than the main coastal resorts of North West Cyprus there are some real gems to be found. For instance only a few will have ever heard of the village of Kapparis. This small resort about 5K North of the busy sea side resort of Protaras nestles up against the border with Northern Cyprus. The main street through this little town was once the main coastal road to Famagusta. Famagusta now a “ghost town” lies in crumbling dereliction just across the border in the Turkish occupied North. Until the the Invasion in 1976 the town was the principle port and possibly the most prestigious holiday resort in the Mediterranean. With its miles of white sand and safe beaches Famagusta was the jewel in the crown of Cyprus.
All the towns and villages from Kapparis down as far as Ayia Napa are still known as the Famagusta area or Municipality or Famagusta and many Greek Cypriots that fled in the conflict still consider themselves refugees. Lots of the shops and businesses around the area will proudly display large photographs of the homes or premises they were forced to leave behind. Most of these people left with only what they were able to carry and the pain of loss has not diminished over time. When you speak to some of these people about the flight from Northern Cyprus you can’t help but feel their sense of loss and the mention of Famagusta still breaks their hearts to this day. Many still dream of a time when they will be able to reclaim the homes they have lost. Homes where families had lived for generations, past down Farther to Son in the traditional Greek way.
A few minutes in land is the bustling town of Paralimini with it’s beautiful square and main church. The square is a hive of activity with both trendy cafe’s and traditional Cypriot Taverna’s where the locals spend the warm afternoons socializing over a Cyprus coffee.
There are lots of shops if you prefer satisfying your need for retail therapy or you can just relax in the square and take in the atmosphere. Remember that Wednesday is half day closing so don’t arrive there on that day expecting anywhere to be open apart from the bars and cafes.
Kapparis itself has grown into a lovely little resort over the past few years due to the ongoing development of the Island. Many of the new homes that have been built around the village are now permanent homes for the English who love to retire to Cyprus. With the long summers and low cost of living the Island is becoming a top destination for retirees from all over Europe. The irony is that although one of the smaller and lesser known resorts Kapparis is becoming the center of activity in the Famagusta area during the winter months too. In fact there are more shops and restaurants staying open right through the year in Kapparis than in all the other resorts put together.
If Kapparis sounds like the kind of place you would wish to spend your Cyprus holidays there is plenty of accommodation available. With the rapid growth in the Cyprus property market you will have no problems finding a luxury villa or apartment to rent. There are also some nice hotels in the village and no shortage of bars and restaurants to enjoy. The beach is only about 3 minutes walk from the main street and there is plenty to entertain the whole family so Enjoy Cyprus!
About the Author
Kevin Moore Information Cyprus web site the number one online resource for cyprus holidays, travel and Cyprus property purchase links. To find out more about the beautiful island of Cyprus, Cyprus holidays or buying property in Cyprus just visit the web site at InfoCyprus
A proud heritage
With 3,000 years of history at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, it’s no wonder that Greece today offers the visitor an unparalleled array of cultural and archaeological gems. This country of vibrant cities and picturesque islands contains no fewer than 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And although the more familiar ones, such as the Acropolis of Athens or Olympia, stem from the age of classical antiquity, the Sites as a whole range from prehistoric to much more modern times – and they reflect the wide spectrum of civilisations that have populated the country’s shores and made modern Greece what it is today.
As befits a country that has looked to the sea for its commerce, colonisation and conquests, Greece’s most accessible UNESCO properties are on or near its extensive coastline. Indeed, before the advent of air travel, the main access to Athens was from the water. On a clear day, you can stand on the monumental gates of the Acropolis – an ancient citadel and sacred sanctuary in one – and observe the ferries departing the port of Piraeus where, in 480BC, the Persian fleet landed and its soldiers marched on to burn Athens itself.
The Athenians who took the advice of the diviners too literally (‘The city’s wooden walls will save you’) perished, but the ones who interpreted the oracle correctly – the ‘wooden walls’ being Athens’ battleships – defeated Xerxes in a naval battle outside Piraeus. The destruction already caused by the Persians led to the Acropolis being rebuilt during the Golden Age of Athens, and created the elegance of its marble buildings as well as their architectural harmony.
The sleepy village of Katakolon, perched on a long, pine-covered peninsula, is the gateway to Greece’s other world-famous UNESCO territory – Olympia. Katakolon, a quiet fishing community of 300-odd souls, is the place to relax at a friendly harbourfront taverna and look out to sea while feasting on delicious freshly caught seafood and ice-cold beer. For some this is enough, but most venture inland on their holiday cruisesto experience the magic of Olympia. Today’s serene site, surrounded by hoary olive groves, is beautiful in itself, but to the ancients it was an important part of their lives: Olympic competitions were used to measure time; hostilities were suspended for their duration; and, because only Greeks could compete, the games were a bond that held together a nation split into a variety of city-states.
Steps, cults and royal tombs
Nauplia became the first capital of modern Greece in 1829, and it is the 18th-century Palamidi Fortress, hovering above the city, that catches the eye today. Of course, not everyone is willing to climb the fort’s 857 steps, however impressive the view from its bastions, but the city is favoured by Greeks who come here simply to relax in its atmospheric, cobbled streets. It is easy to lose days wandering under narrow balconies overhanging with bougainvillea and jasmine.
Nauplia is the gateway to two of Greece’s most spectacular UNESCO jewels. The first is Epidaurus, the site of a temple to Apollo’s son – Asklepios – whose healing powers inspired an ancient cult that persisted long after Christianity took hold. The adjoining town prospered with the influx of the sick and infirm, and a string of monumental buildings were erected, including the ancient theatre, which is still in use. Tour guides demonstrate its acoustics by spreading the members of their group in the higher stands and striking a match centre-stage; nobody fails to hear the resulting swish.
The second UNESCO property in the area includes the Bronze Age settlements of Mycenae and Tiryns. According to myth, Mycenae was the kingdom of Agamemnon, hero of Homer’s Iliad and commander of the Greek forces throughout the Trojan War. The travails of his dynasty left an astonishing legacy of city gates, mighty Cyclopean walls and deep, Egyptian-like royal tombs that were erected a barely believable 10 centuries before the buildings on the Acropolis.
Greece’s ‘capital of the north’, Thessaloniki, has been one of the most important Balkan ports since the Roman era, and is itself a Heritage Site containing no less than nine different UNESCO monuments for visitors to explore. Apart from the arch of Galerius and the ‘Rotunda’ – a round temple of Zeus converted to the world’s oldest surviving Christian place of worship – treats include Byzantine churches that range from the 7th-century basilica of Aghios Demetrios, with some of the earliest Christian mosaics to be seen anywhere, to the brick and stone chapel of Aghios Nikolaos Orfanos, whose unprepossessing exterior hides a surfeit of intense, vibrant 14th-century frescoes.
Heading offshore
The capitals of Greece’s most visited islands – Rhodes and Corfu – are also UNESCO Sites. Rhodes Old Town, a shady warren of medieval lanes, was the headquarters of the Knights of St John after they were forced to flee the Holy Land in 1309; the city only succumbed to Suleyman the Magnificent in 1522 after a long siege. Today’s visitors can arm themselves with maps and explore the fascinating old quarter; dine and relax at picturesque Mandraki Harbour while gazing at its medieval windmills; and swim, sunbathe and then watch the sunset at the nearby sandy beach.
Corfu’s Old Town lies safely between the imposing Old Citadel and the functional New Fort. Although there are still touches of the Venetian fortifications that once stood here, it was really the British post- Napoleonic occupation and the subsequent civic reconstruction that shaped today’s city profile: this is, after all, a Greek island with its own cricket pitch!
Those who want authentic Venetian colour on their cruise travel should sail to Cephalonia, a few hours away, and visit the fishing village of Fiskardo. It’s a real step back in time to when La Serenissima ruled the Mediterranean. Cephalonia is an island of 11 blue flag beaches with clear, translucent waters, and mountain peaks that stand over 1,500 metres tall. Another option is the ruined Venetian castle on Zakinthos that succumbed to a catastrophic Ionian earthquake in 1953. This is the musical island of Greece, where the inhabitants have a singing accent and use operatic Italian words in everyday speech, a place where rare sea-turtles will come to lay their eggs on the pristine sands of remote sea coves and where, on weekend evenings, the locals serenade for pleasure in remote mountain villages.
Knossos, on the island of Crete, boasts a partially restored Minoan Palace which, with its vividly coloured murals and inspired reconstruction, captures the imagination in ways that many other archaeological sites do not. It is currently on UNESCO’s tentative list, waiting for its status to be finalised. The palace is a product of the oldest European civilisation, which reached its apex a full four centuries before Mycenae. Its maze of 1,000 interlocking chambers provided the setting to the myth of the Minotaur, a mythical half-man, half-bull that consumed seven boys and girls from Athens, paid as a nine-yearly tribute to King Minos. It was the king’s lovestruck daughter, Ariadne, who provided the hero, Theseus, with a sword and a ball of red thread so that he could kill the monster and find his way out of the labyrinth safely.
The cause of the collapse of the Minoan civilisation can be seen on the glorious island of Santorini, which is approached through a still-active volcanic caldera; looking up the steep rim, the blinding-white dwellings look like intricate icing on a giant cake. The landscape is as spectacular from above: seasoned travellers have been silenced to tears watching the sunset from Thera or Oia, two towns suspended at the edge of the marine crater. Recent excavations at Akrotiri have discovered a city that was buried underneath lava when the volcano exploded, causing a tsunami that may have destroyed the Minoan society. With whisperings that this is the true location of the mythical Atlantis, Santorini is the UNESCO-Site-That-Ought-To-Be – but as the mystery is still being unravelled, that may have to wait a little longer.
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