I’m a regular visitor to Cyprus and have had over 40 trips to this magical Island but I only stay in the Republic of Cyprus. The island is divided into what is basically the South side Greek and the Northern territories Turkish. I have found the Greek Cypriots to be extremely friendly especially in some of the remote villages up in the hills and I’m still undergoing my training in the Cypriot sport of eating, drinking and talking and working hard on getting my first class diploma on cooking over a BBQ, being able to cook sheftalia correctly is a required skill for any self-respecting Greek Cypriot. After all these visits I have developed a definite taste for ouzo. It has to be in an ouzo glass with just ice and a separate glass of water on the side.

Most tourists will stick to the coastal areas like Paphos, Protaras, Larnaca and Ayia Napa but a trip up into the hills is well worth it. A visit to some of the traditional tavernas like Pagkratius in Miliou or the remote hotel Paradisos In Lysos will expose you to some truly wonderful Cypriot hospitality and in the Winter months it is possible to sunbath at the coast and build a snowman up in Troodos.
 

Close to Paphos you have the Birthplace of Aphrodites, the large rock in the sea is one of my photographs and if you want a really luxurious holiday the Aphrodites Hills complex is close by, I can recommend it
One of my favourite coastal resorts is Konnos Bay, close to Protaras, I stayed in the Konnos Bay hotel apartments and had a magnificent view from my apartment window over the bay but not all the apartments have this view.

You will notice that I have include a few church photographs, you find these impressive buildings in almost every town and village and Dot my wife loves to visit them.

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English is spoken in all the tourist and built up areas of Cyprus but in some of the villages a little knowledge of Greek is a definite advantage, I have listened to mainland Greek from lessons available on CD  but as the Cypriot Greek has a very definite accent, compare the English accent to the Irish, and I also have a London accent my spoken Greek sounds very strange to many Cypriots, it has caused a great deal of good natured amusement when I speak but the fact that I have attempted such a thin is always really appreciated.