Villages And Country Life
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is that side of the island that is home to the ethnic Turkish Cypriot population. In common with most of the Mediterranean peoples, Cypriots are sunny natured and warmly welcoming. Cyprus is not a small island by any measure. Although it is the third largest in the Mediterranean, North Cyprus occupies one-third of the island’s overall size of 3,355 square kilometers (1,295 sq mi). In a nutshell, it’s a small country with an abundance of beauties. Also, villages and towns are relatively close to each other.
The centre of all villages is the square, usually dominated by a bust or statue of Mustafa Kemal, known as Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and everyone’s local hero. For the men of the village the hub of all social life is the coffee shop, where endless cups of strong Turkish coffee are consumed while playing endless games of backgammon. It is an easy laid back life that seems to lack any urgency and work will be done only when it is necessary.
The village shops are extraordinary emporiums that sell just about every domestic consumable product. It may well have been in stock for twenty five years or so, the packaging yellowed with age, covered in dust and the price in some long forgotten currency valuation, but the shopkeeper will be so happy that he has been able to find what you want.
North Cyprus has a spectacular coastline flanked by the Kyrenia Mountains, popularly known as the Five Finger Mountains. It is a long, thin mountain range that stretches for nearly 100 kilometers along the island’s northern shore. Its northern slopes cradle small beautiful settlements with views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The mountains are highly vegetated and lush in the winter and spring seasons because they receive a lot of rain. The ruins of the three spectacular Crusader castles are also situated on the tops of the mountainous hills. Those daring enough to travel up the mountain to the castles are rewarded with a stunning view of the whole northern shore.
Out in the open countryside, driving through farmland, you will pass through carob and citrus orchards. Olive groves and market gardens, can be found beside the roads no matter in which direction you go. The great Mesaoria plain, known as the “Breadbasket of Cyprus” will be blanketed in green cereal crops in Spring, and harvested by the end of May. Come Summer when the plain is reduced to a dry and arid dustbowl, it is hard to imagine that anything ever grows there, yet dotted across the fields there are golden bales of straw to show that the harvest has been successful and they only have to be carried away and stored for winter use. There are many mountain routes that are perfectly safe to drive. Well surfaced roads have replaced the rough tracks of old and there are many places to stop and have a picnic. The mountain air is cool and there is nearly always a gentle breeze coming in off the sea.
