Lefkosa

I had resigned my self to not going to the city this time. but out of the blue Emin decide it was worth the considerable round trip, I think he fancied some nice food!, it was the best day of the holiday weather wise and plus I finally got to wander around this area. These are the original colonial buildings, they represent some of my favourite architecture. I love that despite everything they have kept the original colonial green of the paintwork on many of the restored buildings.


These houses are all clustered around one side of the city, very close to a school Leyla once attended, there is a fabulous restaurant called Hamur here which sells traditional Manti a kind of ravioli that Emin and Leyla love. My favourite is Borek, especially the sweet one made with a spiced curd cheese, it's delicious.
We met a fabulous Italian couple in there who had a house on the south side but preferred the traditional Turkish food. They felt it was closer to the traditional Sicilian food they loved, and despaired of the dull Greek food! They elaborated on there desire to partition Italy which was interesting and how embarrassing Berlusconi to have as their head of state!

I love this just sell one thing kind of shop.

A man can but dream!

All these shops and stall are around the cathedral cum Mosque it is still a wonderfully vibrant place despite the closing of the Grand Bazaar.

Backgammon is played everywhere.

Artichoke sellers above

and below, an image of huge market garden cum allotment, which in itself is not that special but what tickled me is just to the right of this photograph is the presidential palace, it's like the White House with allotments! Only here could you get this amazing juxtaposition of rich and poor. Plus check out those mountains they are spectacular.

Pronounced 'Lefgosha' it is the northern side of Nicosia. My first visit here over 10 years ago was to a very dilapidated city with little to offer other than a street market, a number of jewellery shops and some kebab houses. Now it is a vibrant city with offices for the EU even, amongst the burgeoning tourists destinations. T

he cathedral has been renovated and looks stunning, all the heritage is now being treated with a great deal more t.l.c than it once was and the most important change of all is the boarder crossing is open, you still need a passport to cross, but compared to the heavily guarded dividing wall, pock marked by bullets its a significant change.