The Famagusta area of Cyprus covers a large part of the Islands East coast and includes the town of Paralimni. Originally the town of Famagusta itself would have lain at the heart of the district but alas it now lies in total dereliction. In fact it has been labeled a ghost town and not without good reason. In 1974 Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus and Famagusta town was where they halted that invasion. The once proud holiday resort portion of the town now lies partly enclosed within the buffer zone between the North and South. This area is patrolled by a United Nations peace keeping force and the larger part of Famagusta resort is now totally inaccessible. Tourist can however visit the Turkish side of the Island and see for themselves the crumbling ruins of this once prestigious holiday resort.

Close to the border with northern Cyprus is the village of Kapparis which at one time was the last stop on the main coastal road to Famagusta town. Over the years kapparis has grown into a thriving resort with bars, restaurants and supermarkets lining the main street. There has also been huge property development in the resort recently which in turn has led to an influx of holiday home buyers most of who are British. In fact Kapparis has earned itself the nickname “little Britain” in light of the many Brits who have settled there. It is also one of the few holiday resorts on the Islands West coast that stays open all year round. So if you love genuine fish and chips or a Chinese take away Kapparis is the ideal place to take your Cyprus holidays.

About two miles down the road is one of Famagusta’s gems, a sleepy little holiday resort called Pernera which nestles against the coast just below a small hill. You would be surprised how many people don’t even know that it’s there and pass straight by on the main road. The resort has plenty of great places to eat and it really is a great family resort. It’s got plenty to offer without being too brash which is probably why those who have discovered it return year after year. The safe sandy bays are perfect for bathing and the clear blue Mediterranean waters make them great for snorkeling. Most of the bars provide evening entertainment and there are some real nice restaurants that won’t charge you the earth either. If you are in the mood for finger food the Southern fried chicken is worth a visit and there’s even a pizza hut too.

Right next door to Pernera is her big sister Protaras with it’s long strip and huge beach. There are literally hundreds of bars and restaurants on the resort making it ideal for those who prefer a lively holiday. A visit to the fig tree bay area is highly recommended especially if you enjoy all kinds of water sports such as paracending and water skiing. You can even hire a powerboat by the hour and take to the high seas yourself. The choice of places to eat is nothing short of bewildering with just about every kind of cuisine on offer somewhere including the obligatory Macdonalds. The resort is modern and clean with everything you need in one place making it an ideal family resort.

Twenty minutes drive away is the largest resort in the Famagusta area, Agia Napa the party capital of Cyprus. If you want night life then Agia Napa is the place to be. It’s not just about partying until dawn though because the resort is also great for families and the beaches are magnificent. There’s a bustling harbor too that’s shared by modern pleasure cruisers and traditional fishing boats. If you turn up there early enough you could even buy some sea fresh fish for your dinner. The town itself has plenty to offer in the way of shops and restaurants of every kind. If you are feeling adventurous there is the famous Nissi beach area with it’s bungie jump crane and a whole lot more besides. Don’t forget that Agia Napa also boast one of the best water parks in Europe too where you can scare yourself witless on the giant water slides.

With some great resorts and the main town of Paralimni the Famagusta area of Cyprus has something for everyone. If you fancy a spot of retail therapy Paralimni town is a great place to shop with plenty of boutiques and even a Marks and Spencers. Afterwards you can relax in one of the trendy cafe bars dotted around the pretty town square or quench your thirst with a cool beer in one of the many tavernas. There are several large supermarkets that sell everything from tea bags to furniture and much more besides. Look out for the bakeries that are springing up all over the place. They are open 24 hours and sell all those essential items like bread and milk plus some calorie laden goodies for those with a sweet tooth. Enjoy your holidays and enjoy visiting the Famagusta area of Cyprus.

As we grew up our mothers’ always passed along little pieces of advice… mine always told me to “be sure my underwear was clean, in case I was in an accident.” Like the ambulance driver or the attending nurse would really care, as I lay there covered in blood?

But clever sayings, quips of advice and words of wisdom are part of all cultures, especially in my Eastern European background. As a child we listened with only one ear but as we grew up we found ourselves repeating those words to our own children. How many of us today though that our parents were not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier and now realize how really smart they were?

Every ethnic group in the world has those pesky Proverbs and one of my favorite ones is Jewish… To Love Mankind is Easy–to Love Man is Hard. Of course we have all use the Greek one… The Apple Does Not Fall Far From the Tree. The Italians got in right when they use one of their old proverbs… Listen at the keyhole and you’ll hear about yourself. None of us appreciates nagging but the Spanish zero in on… An ounce of Mother is worth a pound of clergy.

Two of the ones I seem to use frequently come from the ancient Chinese… A journey begins with the first step and, One generation plants the tree; another gets the shade. And how smart are the Germans who tell us… The old forget, the young don’t know.

Some of the best humor comes to us as pearls of wisdom. Phyllis Diller reminds us… Housework can’t kill you, but why take a chance? Or, I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford–then I want to move in with them. One we often hear repeated in the media is a pearl of wisdom from Nancy Reagan… A Woman is like a tea bag–you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. My bookkeeper has the right idea… If at first you don’t succeed, try another credit card.

For a great gift idea for Mother’s Day, bridal shower or house warming gift visit: www.gmbooks.com and click on String of Pearls… A Mother’s Wisdom.

by

miles trench 

I was driving past a paddock one day and noticed an old bathtub sitting there that the farmer had once used for watering his stock. It was obviously a relic, complete with thistles growing out of the ground near one end. So I chased him up and asked if I could have it and like a true farmer he said: ‘Sure, it’s yours, it’ll cost you $5.00…’ So that’s how I became the proud owner of my very own second-hand tub. Getting it home, of course was another matter. Luckily, my good neighbour came to my aid, and with the help of his trusty trailer we were soon able to transport it home so I could put it to good use.  

            I had an old steel rainwater tank stand that had been doing nothing for years, so I recycled that and positioned it near the back door by the kitchen. Then I placed my new (old) bathtub on it so it sat at a comfortable height off the ground. This serves to keep it safely out of reach of the rabbits that come nosing about looking for an easy feed - and it is also at just the right height so that I don’t need to bend too much.   

            Then I set about filling it up. Being a keen no-dig practitioner (thanks again to the inspiration of Mary Horsfall and Esther Deans), I used layers of organic material rather than just filling it up with soil. So, the first thing was to ensure it was going to have good drainage. Being a bathtub, it obviously still had the drain hole, but I put a patch of thick shade cloth material over this to prevent everything dropping out. Then I put a layer of old gravel, about 2cm’s thick on the bottom to act as a base, then a thick layer of old newspapers, moistened well with a hose, and I added a sprinkle of organic fertilizer pellets over the top. Then came the first layer of organic material.

            This consisted of a good thick layer of my home-made compost* then a layer of straw, wet down: then a layer of well-weathered manure. I have access to quite special blend actually, thanks to Dean and Jenny from Jade Farm(a home for abandoned and rescued animals they have set up just out of Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula) - among the contributors to this special mix are (normal) horses, (miniature) horses, a donkey, ducks, chickens and even a camel!             

            Then came another layer of compost - and finally, a good layer of potting mix and garden loam mixed together as the top layer of ’soil’. I use pea-straw and seaweed as a mulch - the pea straw breaks down and adds nitrogen, and the seaweed deposits tiny particles of organic matter and adds vital trace elements like iodine to the soil mix as well.

            I have now used my no-dig, bathtub garden for several seasons. After each planting I just scrape aside what remains of the mulch, ready to put it back when I have re-planted. Then I top up the bed with a fresh layer of compost and well-weathered manure and I never need to fork over the soil - I just leave the stems and roots of the previous crop to break down and return their nutrients and minerals to the soil mix (even plants recycle), and I just plant new seeds or seedlings around these as I go. In this way the soil biota and micro-organisms aren’t disturbed and they continue to do their job of keeping the soil mix rich and ’sweet’.

            I find my bathtub garden excellent for growing herbs and spring onions (especially as it’s so near the kitchen.). It also makes it easy to water as well.  And it’s also great for salad veggies like loose-leafed lettuce. If you cut the lettuce off at the base when mature, new leaves will regrow from the stem, so you can pick and pick again. My fabulous bathtub garden is also very handy for growing Asian greens like Bok/Pak Choy, and Chinese cabbage. In fact, because I always allow one or two plants to flower and set seed, I keep finding new seedlings popping up all over the place by themselves in a natural and sustainable cycle. Allowing your leafy vegetables to flower in this way is a great way to start seed-saving and it also encourages butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects to visit your garden. And in a small way it also helps lessen pest insect attack by the camouflage effect of the different coloured flowers and scents growing in amongst your edibles.  

            So next time you see an old bathtub at a garage sale, why not snap it up and take it home? Once you taste that first bite of cherry tomato or the scintillating aroma of fresh basil wafting up as you water, you’ll wonder how you ever did without one. For information on great organic gardening ideas, see milestrench.com - bye …

 Lazy Compost 

* We are lucky enough to have a little bit of space at the back of our block, so that’s where I make my ‘lazy compost’. This is done by just putting together a big heap of organic waste from the garden and leaving it for a few months to rot down. That’s where all the prunings go: also grass-clippings, old tomato/pumpkin/squash/zucchini vines,  vegetable scraps like old cabbage leaves and stalks; also things like leaves, bits of cardboard, eggshells, tea bags,  and similar kitchen scraps and the occasional bit of soil or potting mix from pot plants that have reached their use-by date. I find that as long as the heap isn’t allowed to dry out completely, after a few weeks you can scrape out a fair measure of useable, organic compost from the bottom of the pile. Then I just fork over what’s left into a new pile alongside and start again. This is a bit of a lazy way to make compost, but it works - as long as you mix up the components when you are making the heap so that there is hard and soft, green and dry, big pieces and smaller bits all mixed up together.

 Bye - see you next time

smiles from miles  

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