Kyrenia Northern Cyprus

We found our perfect bucket trip from London - Kyrenia Northern Cyprus for 7 nights. Just so happens Angela (extended family) lives there which was an added bonus as I had not seen her for at least 20 plus years.

Booking this trip on the spur of the moment we were in contact with a rep, living in Kyrenia, who just happened to be one of Angelas good friends - small world.

Leaving very early from Brenton's place in Lewisham we finally arrived at Stansted airport many miles away after a combined train, underground and coach trip. After a 4 and a half hour Pegasus flight, a 40 minute layover in turkey, another one and a half hour flight and and a 2hour mini van drive, we arrived in Kyrenia and our hotel at 12.30 in the morning. The hotel was small but amazing and because we were Angela's family we got one of the best rooms in the house overlooking the pool.

In Kyrenia the temperatures soared to 43+degrees daily but we so enjoyed the town.

Meeting up with Angela her family and friends at her restaurant on the Old Harbour was soooo special and we spent quite a lot of time there eating and drinking as the food was to die for.

We met a lovely couple from London - Dawn and Terry - who knew Kyrenia and it's environs very well and invited us to share their hire car for a couple of days so they could show us all the special places. They took us to Nicosia which straddles North and South Cyprus where we walked across the border to see how the other half live. They climbed high into the mountains to see Castles seemingly carved into the mountainsides. They took us to Famagusta and the "dead zone"- a vast expanse of land and buildings between North and South abandoned and left to fall apart after the civil war. Huge hotels along the beach crumbling away, cars abandoned on the streets, fraying washing on the lines and houses full of furniture and personal possessions divided off kilometre after kilometre by a fence and blue tarpaulines. Patrolled by the army and no photos allowed. They took us to out of the way restaurants and "The Blue House" a gangster house from the 50's with air conditioning, concealed lighting and escape tunnels - way ahead of its time. We were sad to leave Dawn and Terry behind but after a farewell meal at Angela's Corner Restaurant with them and another couple we met at the hotel we all promised to stay in touch. "Are you sure about that Tel?" has become an everyday saying for us now. If you read this Dawn you need to email us!!!!!!!!

We seemed to pack sooooo much into those few days. We went out on a day cruise to swim and snorkel along the coastline. We went parasailing from the back of a boat but the biggest achievement was PARAGLIDING!!!! Yes we threw ourselves - along with a tandem buddy of course - off the top of one of those high mountain tops surrounding Kyrenia. Thanks Ozgur and Grae for taking good care of us you were fantastic and thanks Angela for marrying Ozgur so we had the opportunity to do this in our lifetime.

If you go to Kyrenia which we thoroughly recommend, you have to stay at the Highlife Hotel (nothing flash, a bit like faulty towers but the tops): you have to eat at the Corner Restaurant on the Old Harbour and you have to go Paragliding with Angela's husband Ozgur at Highline Paragliding.

We will be going back to this incredible place with the incredible people again but right now it is back to Lewisham London and Brenton's place to prepare to travel North to be reunited with Molly - but not before a super early, hair raising, nightmare, superfast, minivan trip to Cyprus airport where the power kept going out whilst everyone was trying to book in.

Making it safely back to Stratford through our reverse journey we decided to stop at a pub for some lunch with a pint. Pretty miserable really - no food (since when does a British pub have no food?) and we watched Andy Murray's lack lustre loss at Wimbledon!!!!!!!

We have two days left in london and it so happens Foo and Neil are there too doing their AnimalAunts thing so we were lucky to be able to meet up at Angel Islington for a wander around this lovely part of London and have a splendid lunch together in a little French restaurant there.

Foo and Neil both look amazing - so important to catch up whenever and wherever we are. Love to you both. X

So it was goodbye to Brenton after a final evening in, with him cooking us delicious pasta and garlic bread - actually it was more like he shoved us out the door as he had friends from Amsterdam arriving shortly after we left but .........it doesn't get any easier to say goodbye. Thanks Brenton for your hospitality once again. Hopefully we will see you on our return. Much love to you too. X

And once again we are off - this time to Euston to catch the train to Telford where Molly awaits.

See you there. X