Cyprus - anybody wanna pita?

We arrived in sunny Cyprus, and immediately hit the local grocery store. We were off to a rental house on the far side of the island, far from anywhere. Rebekah stocked up on fresh vegetables, and the kids haggled over which sugar cereal they had to have.

It was a good thing we purchased some food. While there were plenty of food 'kiosk's' around, they all served the same thing, Cyprus Pita; chicken or pork cooked on a skewer and stuffed in a large pita with parsley, onions, tomatoes and cucumber. They were great, but it began to wear on us.

The house was fantastic, very quiet and set on a hill in a orchard of olive, oranges and lime trees. We felt comfortable letting the kids wander, and make their way down to the beach when ever they wanted. They quickly named a smattering of rocks just off shore 'Quartz island'. They made a club of the same name and immediately banned parents from travelling to the island. They spent a lot of time perched up on top of the craggy rocks.

We found time to visit the local marina, to try and get some fish (we ended up getting pita - but with the local Houllumi cheese grilled in place of meat). The kids soon found their way down to the water to search for hermit crabs. They found them, as well as a curious sea turtle that kept raising his head for air and peek around. After a few slips and falls into the chilly water, the kids decided they wanted to try and swim across the Marina. On the first attempt, Shayne turned back after a few meters, but Weston swam the whole thing. Once Shayne saw it was safe, they both did it again and again, until it was time to go. We stopped by a rocky beach to practice skipping rocks.

Before too long, we packed up and drove to another part of the island - Larnarka. This time we were in an a hotel, with free breakfast, a pools, and only one room. Luckily there were other kids there, although none of them spoke english. The kids played with some children from Russia, France and Cyprus, while Mom enjoyed a good book on Ireland.

Then it was time to head home. We stopped by some old ruins (Kourion). They turned out to be very interesting. We wandered through an old palace, a rebuilt Roman amphitheatre, and then the old town itself (complete with housing for the local gladiators). It must have been pleasant place, with a commanding view and stiff breeze. What made it even more interesting were the many cultures that had made it their home, from Greeks, to Romans, to early Christians, all built on top of one another.

All in all Cyprus was a lazy relaxing place. We did not do much, but that is what we wanted.

Pisa

On our way to Cyprus, we stopped in Pisa.  We had to, as we were flying Ryan air......  We were there less then 24 hours, but that turned out to be just enough time to catch  a few local sites, and grab some amazing pizza and gelato.  Our hotel was close to the leaning tower. We made our way there without delay (well - we did stop to get some gelato).  It really is a beautiful square, and all the buildings are pleasant to behold.  But the leaning tower (a clock tower) is really amazing. Everyone around was taking pictures, and of course, most  were making the requisite, if cheesy pose, pretending to be pushing the tower bak in to place (or keeping it from falling - it l depends on your point of view). We could not resist and followed suit.

I hesitated to buy tour tickets.  They were steep.  However, this would have been my third time to Pisa without going inside.  I am glad we did...  We were all amazed that it is hollow inside.  It is a real functioning bell tower.  As we stood in the building, we kept slipping down to the low side (why were we surprised by this)?  We made our way up the the well worn spiral staircase to the top floor.

After the tour, we were all starving.  Maybe it was all the restaurants around the square?  We asked a local pedicab driver for the best pizza place in town, and made our way through the narrow old streets.  We arrived early, and the place was not open. We decided to kill some time by hanging out along the river, testing out a new harmonica I had purchased for the trip. It may sound strange, but everyone enjoyed trying to belt out a tune on the silly instrument  The people walking by sure seemed to get a kick out of it.  Maybe they were just confused that we did not have a hat out in front of us, asking for money?  Maybe next time.

My Brother Flynn comes "home" to Ireland!

When my mom decided to jump on a plane to Ireland, she called my brother and filled him in on the plan. Flynn is my mother's maiden name, so he's named after my Grandfather Dennis Flynn (our Irish connection) and Flynn was looking for a chance to bring his wife Krista (also of Irish heritage with some Scottish in the mix as well!). Just a few weeks later, Flynn (my not-so-little-6'5" younger brother) and his darling wife Krista also arrived to join in the fun. They left their little kids Elayna (4) and Eli (2) with Krista’s parents and came to see Ireland for 10 days.

What a blast we had! I’ve not had much time to see Ireland, so with Krista’s research and the kids in school, we took off driving.

 

Swimming in the Irish Sea

When Bret and I came to Dublin for the first time and checked out schools, we met a woman who talked about her love for swimming in the Irish Sea. I thought she must be crazy. When I arrived with the kids for the first week, this same woman invited me down to the water to see the community of swimmers. I agreed to join her, but insisted I couldn’t swim. I didn’t have a suit, and wasn’t prepared. No problem she said. She had a swimsuit, towel and would show me the ropes. She is a fun little Irish lady with the real gift of gab and before I knew it I was in her suit (she’s much shorter than I am) and I’m shivering and sure I’m insane as we walked the block to the swimming spot.

Joyce noticed I was cold and suggested we take another quick walk around the block to be good and warm before the plunge into the icy water. Apparently there are swimming groups who swim daily year round. It used to be something only men would do, and they did it in the nude. For the last 20-30 years women have been frequenting the bathing areas and the men wear swimming trunks. Well, most of them do.

I got in the water and Joyce kept calling to me, “continue to breathe, remember to breathe. How are ya doing Rebekah?” We only stayed in the water for about 5 minutes, and but it wasn’t unpleasant. After we got out, I did feel a rush of energy and felt great the rest of the day.

My favorite part of it was meeting the fun loving 10 am Group of swimmers; men in the later part of their lives all discussing the day and drinking tea with their buddies and their wives after a swim. They were so much fun to visit with and it was a memorable morning. I told myself that I’d definitely do this again, but maybe with my own swimsuit.

Several weeks later, when Bret came for the first time, we arranged to go out paddleboarding with a surfer, Id been introduced to when I’d taken Weston into the village for an ice cream. Tim, used to run Paddleboarding classes, but now only takes out small groups. He called us when the time, sun and tides were right and we met him down on Sandycove beach. He gave us a bit of instruction and then led us out onto the sea for a few hours. It was a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon and we really enjoyed it. I convinced Bret to get into the water after we finished and he stayed long enough to snap a photo, but was anxious to get out.

So naturally, when I have my little brother in town I asked them if they wanted to take a swim! Without batting an eye, both Flynn and Krista said they’d love to! It was a sunny morning and so we all got dressed (and I packed the kids’ suits for good measure).



It was a perfect day for a swim. I thought we might get Shaynie and Weston to come in as well. They put their suits on, ran to meet me on the steps leading to the sea, but when Shaynie’s feet hit the cold water—they both turned on their heels and ran back!



Mom insisted that someone had to stay and record the event for posterity, so she graciously took the photos.