After the horrid cold weather and the sickly season, we are now coming into my absolute favourite time of year in Cyprus and I am about to get all hippy-dippy over it!
I adore the combination of spring weather, landscapes in bloom, being able to walk around comfortably, carnival period, Green Monday and Easter. And there is honestly nowhere else I would want to be - Larnaca during this season just seems so happy, vibrant and positive.
No matter what is happening, Cypriots relish carnival period and really throw themselves into the festivities. Suddenly, people who are normally serious, reserved or miserable are dancing around in silly wigs and letting loose and I love to see it!
And of course, this is the perfect time to walk the salt lake – Larnaca's best beauty spot as far as I am concerned. I wish every resident of the region would walk its path during this time of year because it really is something; firstly the very fact that we have it and it is well-protected is a miracle in itself, but it is also very 'un-Cyprus'. Whenever I take a walk there I feel like I am completely transported from the rubbish going on outside its perimeter, and as we are not an island where walking is easy to do (due to the heat and bad pavements), it feels like a real treat to walk safely, comfortably and with the added bonus of picturesque views and majestic flamingos.
Then there is Green Monday and Easter. I like Christmas because I have young children, but the lead-up to Easter and Orthodox Easter itself feel far more authentic and grounded. It's not about presents and tack, but more about humanity. Granted, Easter has its fair share of potentially diet-sabotaging treats such as the amazing sweet bread 'tsoureki' and the adopted Western tradition of Easter eggs, but there isn't that horrible air of gluttony. And the smells… Cyprus just smells of souvla during this period, and it's a great smell (unless you are vegetarian!). I won't spoil my gushing by mentioning the pipe bombs - that is for another day…
One of the nicest things about this time of year is being able to enjoy McKenzie! I do not set foot anywhere near the coastal strip during the summer months – my days of dancing to the cacophony of multiple venues' music in a bikini are long gone – but at the moment, it is bliss. Sitting and enjoying a drink overlooking the sea whilst the kids run around in the perfect amount of sunshine is magical, especially when the views are not interrupted by a road in the middle ala Phinikoudes.
This is also the time of year that Larnaca looks its best. Living here we are used to seeing dry, brittle landscapes during the long summer, but sometimes when I stop to really take a look at them through the eyes of a visitor, I can see that the dull palette of scorched browns is really quite ugly. In comparison, the late winter and spring months are glorious; green peppered with bright blooms, and I don't care if half the green is overgrown weeds hiding a mountain of dog poo – it's colourful!
So enjoy this season with a spring in your step and colour in your heart. Gushing over now!
First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly, 13/02/15
