What if you only had one day in Larnaca?

How is it that I have been fortunate enough to visit Larnaca, a port city on the south coast of Cyprus, not once, not twice but THREE times? I didn’t plan it, it just happened to me serendipitously.  The first time, I was asked to write some promotional material for an organization based there; the second time I had to attend a conference; the third, and most recent time, I was invited to teach on a video school. It really is one of my most favourite places on the planet. Its buzzy yet laid-back, European yet Middle-Eastern, high-end yet beachy. It's a city full of crumbling charm, historic buildings and quaint neighbourhoods and is exactly the kind of Mediterranean I feel most comfortable in.  

I know three visits don’t make me an expert, but here are my Top Ten things to do if you only have one day in Larnaca.

1.  Go to the beach

If you’re there in summer, you have to go and hire a lounger and an umbrella and do the beach thing. Some of the famous beaches of Larnaca are Finikoudes, Alaminos, Castella, Mckenzie, Ellinas and Yannathes. My favourite in Finikoudes because its so central.

2.  Stroll the Corniche

When in Cyprus, do as the locals do and stroll the seaside promenade. Stop and buy a bag of freshly fried honey puffs (or a grilled corn-on-the-cob or a Papafilipou ice-cream) so you have something to chew while you people watch.

3.  Visit the Marina

Larnaca's 200 berth yachting marina is one of its main attractions. The harbour is lined with lovely palm trees and from here you can view all the yachts and boats - plus you can actually take a boat trip around the bay.

4.  Go shopping

Something I’ve yet to read on any trip advisor-type site or travel blog is..when in Larnaca go shopping for clothes. Whether its winter or summer, the fashion is delicious. Remember, you heard it here first!

5.  Attend a service at St Lazarus church

St Lazarus was allegedly buried in Larnaca after his resurrection and expulsion from Jerusalem. This 9^th century church is devoted to him.

6.  Nose around the old Turkish quarter

One of the great joys of Larnaca is its old Turkish quarter. Quiet, sun-bleached streets and azure blue doorways hide traditional ceramic workshops where you can see potters at work. You’ll find it between the Mediaeval Castle at the end of the promenade and MacKenzie beach.

7.  Grab lunch from Souvalki.gr

The grilled meats here are legend. You can wash it down with a bottle of Keo, the locally brewed Cypriot beer, that is light and low enough in alcohol to ensure that you’re good to go for the rest of the day.  

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8.  Step back in time

The Choirokoitia Neolithic Settlement is one of the best-preserved pre-historic sites of the eastern Mediterranean. It contains the remains of a Neolithic settlement dating from 7000 B.C. Located on the main Larnaca-Lemesos road; UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1998.

9.  Have mezze at Militzis Restaurant

If you miss everything else, don’t miss this one! For grilled halloumi so delicious it renders you speechless and unforgettable local dishes such as kleftiko and giant beans, baked in traditional clay ovens called foumo,

10.  Drink a coffee

Preferably a Cyprus coffee, thick, sweet and flavoured with cardamom 

I could give you the addresses for these places but they're all within easy walking distance of each other (with the exception of Choirokoitia) and most locals would be happy to point you in the right direction. 

Here's a short video I put together on my most recent trip to Larnaca. May it prove an inspiration to you! 

ANCIENT MOSAICS, MODERN MOMENTS

Last week I wrote a paragraph into my book Cape to Cabernet, explaining how my protagonist, Ganiet, had discovered her calling to be a mosaic artist. The very next day I ended up at Kourion, an archaeological site near Limassol on Cyprus. And what did I discover there? Ancient mosaics in the Byzantine style.

The paragraph I added to Cape to Cabernet

I’d been staying with a friend at Beit Kama Kibbutz, not far from us, near Rahat, for the summer holidays. We had just finished lunch one day when one of the Hungarian members ran in shouting “come and see, come and see” but because he shouted it in Hungarian I didn’t find out what he said until later. Turned out the enginners who were building a road through one of the kibbutz’s grain fields had hit upon an archaeological treasure.

The Negev is crawling with archaeological treasures so Ella and I didn’t let it disturb our afternoon swimming. The next day at breakfast we spotted a hunky teenage boy and discovered that he was the son of one of the archaeologists. After that Ella and I spent a lot of time out at the site. They had set up a tarpaulin in the grain field where the Byzantine site had been discovered. I remember it being so hot and how we sat in the shade drinking Coke, each trying to outdo the other in impressing Yali, our teen idol, watching the archaeologists working.

The find wasn’t that far under the earth, maybe half a metre, if that. All that time, 1500 years, goats had grazed around it, farmers had tramped over it, grain had grown into it..it had been there, a treasure, yet hidden. As they carefully swept the soil away, centimetre by centimetre, an exquisite red and yellow mosaic was exposed with peacocks and birds and twisted lattice work.
It felt like my role in life was revealed at the same time.

“I want to do that,” I had tried to explain to my parents.
“Archaeology? It’s a good career,” my father had grunted his approval.
“Not archaeology, mosaic.”
“These days we don’t need floors like that,” my mother had said. “We have concrete and carpets and wood.”
“Yes but..”
“Ag Ganiet, Shiloh will come before you get a sensible thought in your head.”

Here's the video of my visit to Kourion

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