Echoes

There’s plenty to do in Ammochostos, Cyprus
We’re
planning to visit Ammochostos in Cyprus for a week during
the summer. We’re going on a proper beach holiday, but would
like to take in the cultural sights of the area. What do you
suggest?
Read
here
the advice given by "The National" of Abu Dhabi.
Dance and feast in the streets in Limassol
By Killian Fox
("The National", Abu Dhabi, 30 January 2010)
Every spring, before the fasting period of Lent, Cyprus
enters a feasting period known as Carnival. For 10 days and
nights, the island throngs with vibrant parades, fancy-dress
parties and lively musical performances.
The weather is already warm, spring flowers are in bloom,
and, as Lent draws near, great spreads of delicious local
food await the hungry reveller.
Nowhere does Carnival better than Limassol, Cyprus’ second
city on the picturesque southern coast, where the
celebrations are high-spirited and brightly colourful.
The festivities kick off on February 4 – the beginning of
Kreatini, or “Meat Week” – with the arrival of the Carnival
King.
Make the most of the island’s wonderful cuisine (the second
week of Carnival revolves around cheese) before the Grand
Carnival Parade heralds the beginning of Lent on February
14.
Tie
the knot on the island of Aphrodite
By Reena Amos
Dyes
Emirates Business, Dubai, 23 August 2009
Vassilis Theocharides,
Director, Middle East and Arabian Gulf, Cyprus Tourism
Organisation, told Emirates Business: "More and more people
from the Middle East are flying out to Cyprus to get
married. For example, in Lebanon there is a campaign running
about flying down to Cyprus and performing a civil marriage.
That has boosted sales for us...
It takes about three days to get it all done, including
applying for the licence for the civil marriage, getting the
couple married and getting the documents stamped from the
respective embassies.
Theocharides said: "Couples can choose to get married either
at the municipality or in front of the mayor and then the
papers get stamped by their embassy. They can stay at a
hotel and have their honeymoon while all this is being
handled by the agents".
Complete article

Quick skip to Cyprus
By
Rosemary Behan
The National, Abu Dhabi, 24 April 2009
Thanks to an increasing number of airlines making the
three-hour flight from the UAE to Cyprus, it’s more
accessible than ever. Summers are reliably sunny but sea
breezes mean the temperature rarely rises above 30 degrees,
making it the perfect escape from the Gulf.
Although it is one of the republic’s biggest tourist
resorts, Larnaca is also the island’s oldest town, with a
history dating back 6,000 years. The first Phoenician colony
on Cyprus, Larnaca used to be known as Kition, or Kittium,
and was the birthplace of the Greek philosopher Zeno. It is
believed that Zeno founded Stoicism after losing everything
he had in a shipwreck. The ancient site of Kition is at the
northern end of modern Larnaca.
Complete article

The Basilica of St Lazarus in
Larnaka
Cyprus, at the crossroads of continents
By Andrea
Anastasiou
Gulf News, Dubai, 06 May 2008
The aromas of home cooking permeate the air, due to food
being a big part of Cypriot culture. The kafenia
(coffee shops) are always at the heart of the village, which
you can normally locate from afar by the loud and animated
voices of gentlemen arguing over a game of tavli
(Greek backgammon).
These villages are also relatively untouched by modern life,
meaning that the children are more likely to be found
outside playing traditional street games and sports than at
home playing on a games console.
Complete article
Notes from Paphos
By
Maey El Shoush
Gulf News, Dubai, 21 November 2008
Getting off the beaten track and experiencing local culture
was exactly what I was looking for. As we approached the old
port, we parked the car and headed towards the pier.
We watched as local fishermen gathered their rods and
expertly slung them over their shoulders. It was a
breathtaking view as the sky changed colours and the Sun set
over the ships docked at the port.
We then stumbled across an open-air Water exhibition along
the promenade, where we saw gripping photographic images of
underwater life, shipwrecks, fishing and farming from around
the globe. There was also a free documentary, with a
two-sided flat-screen TV and chairs for those interested.
Complete article

The
dazzling blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Pafos
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