vicarious travelling: Pissouri, Cyprus - groceries and getting the lay of the land

There is a 7 hour time difference between Cyprus and Ontario. My readers who get the blog sent to their email (when google is working correctly that is) will be getting it as their day is starting and mine is winding down.

My little naps on the flight from Heathrow to Larnaca meant that I was actually able to go to bed at about 11pm and am now on schedule with the time zone. I was up at 8 to have breakfast and coffee before Loucas (the taxi driver) came to pick me up at 10.

Not a great start to the day, grey and drizzling but a lovely view from the balcony, across tile roof tops to the sea.

Looking down from the balcony at the front garden. The parking lot is to the right with a walkway to that front gate.

Loucas drove me up to the top of the hill, the new village, to pick up a grocery bag to lend to me, and then down to the bottom of the hill and dropped me at the large supermarket. When he popped in to show me which wine he would recommend it turned out to be the one that had been part of my welcome package. So he recommended his second favorite.

From my welcome package

It is "Protected Geographical Indication Paphos" which I take to mean something like a VQA. Paphos is bout 30 miles away so this is more local than if I buy a Niagara wine at home. Its a nice dry red and although I plan on trying other local wines I will certainly come back to this one.

Grocery shopping in a different country is always fun and here there was an odd mixture of Greek/Cyprus labelled products and those I recognize from the UK (many had a Sainsburys label). For instance there was Marmite and Lyles Golden Syrup. Its a large grocery store with meat, cheese and fish counters, even has a gluten free section. As I needed shoe laces (one of mine had broken at the airport yesterday) I discovered that upstairs there was also a small department store of hardwares, clothes, kitchen stuff and toys. Three grocery bags and 120 Euro later I felt stocked for the 3 months and called Loucas to come and pick me up.

The clouds had cleared and it was warm enough to take off my down vest and raincoat.

After putting away the groceries I decided to take advantage of the break in weather (rain is forecast off and on for the next week) and go for a walk.

The front garden in the sun.

An orange tree hangs over the parking lot and there are oranges squished flat on the ground.

The Trodos Mountains shrouded by clouds but you can just see that there is snow up there and there is skiing at this time of year.

Not sure what he is (I will have to rely on my birding readers), he was blue grey on his back, black eye band and when he flew a rusty colour under his tail. I had a quick look on the internet but couldn't identify him.

I have never had any luck keeping those small Poinsettia plants, that you get a Christmas, alive and here's a tree.

Loucas said that it had been the rainiest December in decades and had caused some trouble with the roads. This one washed out and threatened the foundations of the house you can see on the right and the one above it too.

Mud slides aside the Cypriots are happy for the winter rains. It fills the reservoirs and aquifers and greens up the landscape. A number of years ago droughts prompted the building of a desalination plant which they haven't used yet as they have had enough rainy winters since that they haven't needed it.

I walked to the village square leaving the beach walk for another day. One without rain in the forecast.

Roads in the old part of the village are too narrow for cars, built for donkeys only.

Tavernas and restaurants, though most of them were closed. Maybe due to the season or maybe they are open in the evening.

The town hall.

The fountain in the centre looks a little odd with Christmas decoration on it. There is also a bank and a small supermarket which I will use for replenishing my cupboards when I don't want to walk, or taxi, all the way to the big one at the bottom of the hill.