My first full day in cyprus was an absolute blast. After getting food and exploring the old city briefly the night before, our day started out with a bang by exploring the “new” city.
On our tour, what struck me first was the inviting weather of the island. The mid-morning sun was warm but not too hot like so many other warmer climates. What stood out the most was the beautiful greenery that entwined the modern architecture. It was the perfect blend of an urban environment and nature. Another thing I loved were the cats. When I heard Cyprus had “more cats then people” I was a bit skeptical. I didn’t expect them to be constantly roaming the streets, and definitely didn’t expect the wide variety of colors and sizes of the cats. Imagine any type of cat, and you can probably find it roaming the streets of Nicosia. Further into our tour, we walked passed school aged children playing soccer on a local field. Stay tuned in this blog for when me, Matt R, Landon, and possibly others take on the local Cypriots in soccer.
After the new city tour, me and a couple of friends decided to grab lunch. I split Meze For Two with my roommate Ramsey. We were served Greek salad, halloumi cheese, two types of sausage I had never tried before, chicken and pork kebabs, and finally pita bread. It was quite the hearty meal, but it was delicious. The way I would describe this food is authentic because of how the fresh the ingredients were and how well these ingredients fit into the culture.
After lunch, we visited the University of Nicosia for some orientation activities. The University was very similar to American universities in some ways, but was also very different in others. What I liked most was the how the dining hall mirrored the family style restaurants that define Cypriot culture.
After UNIC, we embarked on a tour of the old city. While the new city tour was incredible in its own regard, the old city tour blew it out of the water. The rich history that surrounds Nicosia and Cyprus in general is incredible. What I loved specifically was learning the background behind the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, and then actually standing 5 feet from a Cypriot guard protecting the border.
Finally, we had a welcome dinner, meze style. This meant all of the courses were served family style. This was one of the best parts of my day, as I bonded with many of the members of the group through this way of eating. The food at the tavern was even better than lunch, highlighted by fried halloumi which we referenced as “cheese balls,” pork kebabs, and an fresh marmalade and Greek yogurt dessert.
