Cyprus Culture

As the year comes to an end, everyone looks back and reflects on how they did either financially or personally, what they did and what they will do differently in the coming year. Some just look forward to a new year and a fresh start - no looking back. As for me, I look back and reflect and I wouldn't change a thing. I had a good year in my business and personal life and look forward to more prosperous...

Even though Christmas is just a few weeks away temperatures are unseasonably warm (in the '30s) making it hardly feel like Christmas despite the festivities that are beginning to take place. Paphos town, for the first time, has a Christmas wonderland and even an ice skating rink set up by the town hall.  Christmas fairs are being held and everyone is getting extra busy. As Christmas day approaches...

This is an article I wrote soon after moving to Paphos, Cyprus in June 2006. I thought it would be good to share it again here:As the summer holidaymakers start heading home, Paphos turns from a bustling Mediterranean destination back into a sleepy small town or as some say, a village. I have concluded my second consecutive summer here and anticipating the beauty of the coming autumn and winter seasons, I...

Summer is the time for laid back fun: relaxing on the beach, swimming and playing. In Cyprus, we spend much more time outside than other countries due to the long and hot summers. With the recent and very sad death of an 11-month-old boy at a beach in Kissonerga, I would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone how to keep you and your family safe at the beach and in the heat. Beaches and the...

As the days are now getting hotter and hotter (even this early in May) I thought it was a good time to remind everyone about using common sense when you are out and about in the heat.  Summer is the time for fun in the sun but, using caution while swimming, sunbathing or even just doing errands around Cyprus this summer will avoid any potential hazards of the heat. Here is a blog post I wrote...

This has been one of the most hectic summers of my life! Summer is supposed to be when life goes slower in Cyprus, especially in August. Last two years August has been a very laid-back time of year, even though there are many tourists and would-be residents who are looking at Paphos as a retirement or second-home destination. In August, people tend to concentrate on the more important things in life...

Leopards from Limassol Zoo Finally Released! An article in The Daily Mail on June 13th (by Paula Kerr) tells the tale of the 3 leopards that we all know so well at the Limassol Zoo. Last week, after spending 15 years in captivity, the 3 leopards were released into a South African Sanctuary run by Born Free actress, Virginia McKenna. The actress, 77, fought back tears as mother leopard Leda and her...

Paphos has seen its fourth fatality in the last week (between May 23, 09 – June 2 09), and the eighth since the beginning of the year. Last Saturday, a 13-year-old student from the American Academy School died after the motorbike he was a passenger veered off the Mandria – Yeroskipou Road. This death could have been easily prevented had he been wearing a helmet – sadly, he was not. Strict and hefty...

You have waited most of your life for this day. Finally, you are ready to buy that Cyprus holiday or retirement home that you’ve spent so much of your life dreaming about.  Maybe you thought you knew exactly where you wanted that place to be, but along the way and through the years, you have visited many places, fell in love just as many times over and have changed your mind about what that ideal place...

I feel the need to mention the Limassol Zoo and update a previous post I made about a day we spent there. My two boys, wife and I frequently go to the zoo and my boys are always excited about it. The Limassol Municipal Gardens are beautifully maintained, the children's playgrounds are some of the best in Cyprus and the entrance fee to the zoo is very inexpensive. However, the grounds for the animals...