What part of Cyprus belongs to the UK. Four myths about Cyprus. Debunking! Cyprus under the rule of Byzantium: IV-XII centuries AD

According to UN statistics, more and more often women become peacekeepers, in particular, the percentage of Russian women performing peacekeeping missions abroad has increased. And, for example, in the UN Mission in Cyprus, women represent the whole.

This is not surprising. The island has long been loved by Russians, at first our compatriots registered their offshore companies here and bought real estate. With the accession of the state to the European Union Russian businessmen became less, as taxes began to tend to European level, but the number of tourists and the Russian-speaking community on the island is still growing.

According to estimates, the number of Russian speakers in Cyprus is approaching, of course, not all of them are from Russia, some came from the former Soviet republics, but, in general, the Russian community in the country is very active. IN major cities- Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia - many Russian shops, restaurants, there are four Russian schools and Russian media. After temporary closure airspace Egypt and Turkey Russian tourists go to sea to Europe most often to Cyprus, including because there is a simplified visa system. You do not have to make a Schengen visa, you just need to make a visa. The application is submitted online and the next day your visa is ready absolutely free of charge.

In general, it would seem an absolutely friendly place where Russians are always welcome, and they are expected here. However, not all Russians know that in the past Cyprus was an English colony and today the UK still retains a sphere of influence on the island, an example of this is two British military stations and their accompanying villages where military families live - Dhekelia and Akrotiri. These stations operate in an absolutely secret mode, it is not only impossible to get into their territory, but it is even forbidden to take pictures in the settlements. Those who try to do this usually have a long conversation with the police, in which you need to convince the employees that you are not a spy. Despite the fact that, according to Theresa May, the UK will finally leave the European Union in March 2019, there is no talk of changes in the operation of British stations on the European island.

The correspondent of "MIR 24" managed to get on British territories in Cyprus, find out how the British military lives, find delicious free grapes and a bar that serves three large meals for only 10 euros. And now we advise everyone who is tired of boring excursions and tourist places to follow the same path at the lowest cost. The luckiest, by the way, is waiting for a small prize in the form of 20 euros.

11th August

The village of Akrotiri is located in the western part of the peninsula, next to Limassol. Since I was staying here, it seemed that getting to the settlement, as well as to the base, would be easy. However, Cypriots usually do not go here, therefore, despite the well-developed transport connection There are no buses from the city.

I don’t drive a car and I think that not everyone rents transport abroad, especially considering that there is left-hand traffic in Cyprus. In general, you can’t think of anything better than a taxi. If you are not in Limassol, then you can get to it from any tourist city by bus for 5-7 euros. A taxi from Limassol to Akrotiri costs 22, you definitely shouldn't agree to a large sum.

“Where in Akrotiri are you going? There is also a military station. This is very strange, ”an already familiar taxi driver asks me.

“I want to walk around the village, see how people live,” I answer, meanwhile going through the possible tourist reasons in my head.

The taxi driver does not know that I am a Russian journalist. Why in vain. Meanwhile, Google gives me quite tourist place, at first glance - the environmental museum Akrotiri Environmental Education and Information Center, and we are going there.

It's a 30 minute drive from the city. We are approaching a village where the museum is, the driver does not know. He asks the locals, they laugh. “You don’t often see such lovely girls here. Five minutes drive to the museum. And then bring them to us,” the men joke.

The museum was opened in 2004 with the aim of disseminating information about the unique species of plants and animals that live only on the territory of Akrotiri. The entrance is free. Here is a spacious exposition room with imitation natural world. Several animal statues, plants, paintings and exhibits under a microscope. An observatory is located on the balcony, there are several telescopes that overlook Salt Lake. By the way, this is a local landmark. If you are not too lazy, then you can walk to it in 40 minutes. And if there is no desire to swim, then you can be satisfied with the view from observation deck. By the way, especially for lovers of birdwatching, there is a gallery of local birds that you can also watch from the telescopes on the lower floor.

The museum is a ten minute walk from the military station. Cars passing by stop at the observation point, are checked and only after that they cross the barrier. I understand that it is impossible to get into the territory of the station, but I go anyway, hoping to talk with the military.

“Can I go to the territory of the RUF Station Akrotiri Museum?” I ask the border guard. He asks his colleague if he knows about this museum, which, by the way, actually exists. If you believe the search results, there are exhibits that tell about the military station and the history of the British colonies.

“Miss, you probably go to the museum environment. He is on the other side,” the military man says. “No, I've already been there. I want to see the RUF Museum,” I convince the guards as best I can. They remain adamant and say they have never heard of such a thing. Later they admit that they have never met Russian girls walking around here.

“Even if there is something here, it is a military facility, and the entrance is closed. How much I work, I have never met Russian girls here. Only Russian men, who, by the way, broke the law and took photographs. I had to be arrested and interrogated. In general, you Russians are, as always, strange. You come to the sea, and you go to see military facilities,” the military said.

I decide that tomorrow I have to go to Dhekelia in a miniskirt, but for now I will go to inspect the settlement. Although it is also officially impossible to take pictures here, you can walk.

First impression: you are in an extinct village. Houses flaunt on the hills, and red grapes hang around in large clusters, which simply cannot be missed, because there is not a soul around. In all that time, I haven't met a single person yet. There are old dusty cars in the yards, creating an additional flavor, completely different from what he sees. a common person In Cyprus.

I open the gate and find myself in a small stadium. It is also empty, but there is a large football field, closed changing rooms, a washing machine outside and various rubbish. I catch myself thinking that this is really a super-route for lovers of quests.

But the first people I meet, two migrants renovating a house, bring me back to reality. “Well, here are the traces of modern civilization,” I think. It is surprising that the UK is not yet sending the bulk of the refugees here. They don't speak English.

Twenty minutes later, I finally see the first and, it seems, the only store. We must pay tribute to the local assortment: here they sell cheap collectible whiskey for 30 euros, gift sets with wine - for 10. Compared to cities, cheap vegetables - a kilogram of tomatoes that still smell like a garden, costs two euros.

Ten minutes later I see a house on the veranda of which elderly people are sitting, they amuse themselves board games. When I pass by and try to photograph them discreetly, they come to life, it is immediately clear that strangers in the village are not used to.

On the way back, I notice that there is a bar across from the Museum of the Environment. Later it turns out that three dishes are served here for only 10 euros. These are not some small portions, but traditional English ones. A children's menu and even cheaper - only six euros for three courses.

specific, interesting and unusual place, which will appeal to those who do not just like to listen. It looks very little like a military territory, if you do not take into account the barbed wire around the station itself and the noise of flying planes, which cannot be said about the second military village - Dhekelia.

12th of August

Dhekelia is located in the south-east of the island near Larnaca. I travel from Limassol to Larnaca for an hour and a half by bus, but if you buy a return ticket right away, then two costs only 7 euros. The bus arrives at the final station - Port, looking for a taxi right here. It turns out it's not that easy.

“Are you sure you want to go to Dhekelia? What are you going to do there? Are you filming something there or do you have acquaintances?” the taxi driver pushes. “No, I just want to see the village. Why so many questions?” I ask. "I think there's some kind of mistake here, it's not tourist area there’s nothing there,” the driver presses.

It seems to him that the problem is that we speak English, so he takes me to his colleague, who knows Russian. Already irritated, I tell him that I want to see the village. "Which village? There is a military station there,” he assures. “Yes, but officially it is a village. And for me, this is also a village.” “Yes, compared to Russia, the whole of Cyprus is a village,” he quipped. After half an hour of bickering, we agreed that I would be taken to Dhekelia for 15 euros.

“There is a military station here, so you can’t take pictures. It’s also better not to stop at the post, I’ll drive a little further. The village is inhabited not only by military British, but also by Cypriots. There are two hotels nearby, one is very Western European - expensive, the other is cheaper », - says the driver.

“The Cypriots, to be honest, do not like the presence of stations on the island, but no one listens to us. A few years ago they decided to install new equipment. People were against it, because they were afraid that the environment would suffer, and oncological diseases would begin to develop rapidly. But no one listened to us, and the equipment was installed. In general, even though you can’t take pictures, you can, where the military does not see. Nothing will happen. And if you say anything, it’s just a tourist, ”on this I landed next to the military station.

Here is the second battalion of the Royal Regiment of the Prince of Wales Alexander Barraks. The station differs from Akratiri, first of all, in that there are more vigilant military men who, when they see you, ask you to put your phone away. But I manage to take a few pictures.

At the entrance are three more young men in civilian clothes. As it turned out, here they are waiting for their friend.

“We came to visit a friend who works here. We are not allowed inside. By the way, it's a bit strange that there are so many Russians in Cyprus. To be honest, the British, who come often, don't really like it. Many, I heard, try to go to English institutions,” says one of the young people, George.

The military at this station look especially serious, for half an hour I just stand at the entrance, watch the cars enter and leave, the guys continue to wait for their friend.

Unlike Akratiri.yu, here the military station is located right behind a fence surrounded by barbed wire. The fence is not dense, so in the cracks you can see what is happening on the territory of the station. I see many expensive cars, a large cart with fire extinguishers, and another, it seems, with gas cylinders. Fifteen minutes later, a persistent smell of fried potatoes appears.

Dhekelia is big and cozy wild beach. There are few people here, so if you like clean beaches with beautiful rocky views, grab a swimsuit and enjoy the sea.

On the rocks along the sea, behind barbed wire, there are large mansions, apparently, the command lives there, but the territory of the village itself looks modest. Small wooden buildings, dilapidated railings, windows broken somewhere. But pomegranate trees grow. And again, almost nowhere to be seen people.

In the village there is one small historical Museum"THE BUFFS", which is now closed. IN different years Lord Harrison and James Mercury lived here. I look through the windows, there are photographs on the walls, there are trophies, the place looks atmospheric. Here I decide to leave a trophy for the travelers who follow our route. Take a closer look at the main sign, 20 euros are waiting for you in the gap, which will be a nice bonus to an unusual trip.

I decided to return to the city along the beach. They sell cheap ripe figs on the shore - three euros per kilogram, for the first time I see a real musical van with soft ice cream passing by me.

It is impossible to catch a taxi on the territory of Dhekelia, so you need to go to the nearest hotels. It turns out that the drivers in Larnaca were cunning, and there is a bus that goes to the city every half an hour. Although it takes an hour to drive, it costs only 1.5 euros.

Ekaterina Degtereva

Adrian, G0KOM will be active from UK military base near Avdimou Beach, Cyprus 27 - 31 October 2017 as ZC4MK.
He will operate on HF Bands.
He also plans to take part in the CQ WW DX SSB Contest.
QSL via home call.
Address for QSL direct:
ADRIAN MCGONIGLE, 67 Avon Road, Chelmsford CM1 2JX, England.
The country on the list of the DXCC diploma is the British military bases in Cyprus ZC4.

British military bases in Cyprus: information that you did not even know about

Cyprus is in the top three densely populated islands mediterranean sea. It is located in the east of the Mediterranean, geographically belongs to Asia. The island is very rich story, and the political and economic system regularly underwent cardinal changes. Great Britain played a major role in the development of Cyprus, which to this day maintains two military bases on the island.

Jump, Avdimou beach, military base UK, Cyprus. Author of the photo - Mark Petts.

Why did Britain need Cyprus?

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire due to economic crisis Britain managed to buy out about 44% of the shares of the Suez Canal. Thanks to this, the government of the United Kingdom got a port, which was the only outlet to India, China and other Asian countries. This was followed by a series of wars, of which the most significant was the Russian-Turkish war, which took place in 1877. The British were afraid that the Russians could take away the territories of the Mediterranean if they started a war with them, so they decided to strengthen their positions on the island.

They knew that this island was the only obstacle to the countries of Asia. Therefore, 1878 was marked by the landing of British troops on the territory of Cyprus. The location was seaport Famagusta. The first landing attempt was unsuccessful. The soldiers were not prepared for high temperature, humidity, an abundance of mosquitoes, as a result of which the ranks of the army thinned significantly.

Avdimou beach, British military base, Cyprus. Author of the photo - Liz Pamboris.

British colony

As a result of the Russian-Turkish war, Berlin convened a congress, during which the right to own the island was transferred to Great Britain. The British signed lease agreement with Turkey, according to which the Turks received 100,000 pounds sterling every year, and England could own Cyprus. The decision to lease the island has long been heavily criticized by the British government. The reasons for this were as follows:

1. Cyprus was acquired with the aim of strengthening the position of Great Britain on the world stage, without spending a single cent, but this goal was not achieved even after many years.
2. The island was considered a land of abundance, which would increase the capital of the country through the development of industry and agriculture. This myth was dispelled immediately after the English pioneers visited Cyprus: unbearable heat, humidity, and the area is swampy and unsuitable for planting all kinds of crops.

Great Britain barely made ends meet: a significant amount was allocated from the treasury to pay rent, and Cyprus did not bring profit at all. After that England long time made attempts to create a military base on the island, but due to political pressure from Turkey and Europe, all efforts were in vain.

Avdimou beach, British military base, Cyprus. Photo by - Michael Smith1985.

Cyprus in the 20th century

In 1912, the British government declared the island unprofitable. The kingdom suffered significant losses, trying to establish at least some kind of production on its territory. It was decided to give the island to Greece. But the authorities of the Greek state refused, because they wanted to maintain a truce between the governments of Germany and Britain.

And yet Cyprus came in handy for Britain. When the First World War began, England recognized this island as an excellent headquarters for the navy. After that, the government of the United Kingdom annexed Cyprus from Turkey and started building military field headquarters and shipping yards. After the signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, Cyprus officially became a colony of Great Britain, and in 1960 the island gained independence.

Why does Britain need military field headquarters in Cyprus now?

Despite the fact that more than 50 years ago, England signed the Zurich-London Treaty, it continues to contain about 5% of the island's territory. On this square there are large military bases of England - Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

The reason why the government of the country does not leave the territory of the island is simple: the British understand the importance of these military bases in the context of Western policy, Mediterranean region and parts of the Caucasus. In particular, thanks to Cyprus, the UK has the opportunity to:

1. Conduct reconnaissance operations in the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, in the south Russian Federation, in the Crimea and even in the Donbass.
2. Carry out landing of troops on the territory of Iraq, Afghanistan and individual Arab countries near the Persian Gulf.
3. Control territory near Cyprus.

At the same time, England does not oppose what is happening on the territory of Cyprus itself. Thus, in 1974, the government of the United Kingdom made no attempt to prevent the Turkish occupation of the island and prevent the split of a sovereign state. The reason for neutrality is as follows: it is possible that England follows the idea of ​​the revival of the Hellenic unity (the union of all Greek-speaking territories and countries). The idea of ​​Hellenic unity is contrary to the West, which plays into the hands of England. Most likely, for this reason, the military bases of the state are located on the Greek part of the island - in Cyprus.

For many it will seem surprising, but the history of Cyprus has approximately 9000 years. It was so many years ago that the first signs of man appeared on the island.

The very first settlements arose near rivers and hills, and they were built from wood, stone and clay. Excavations show that the first inhabitants of Cyprus were engaged in fishing and hunting. Around 300 BC, the first attempts were made to breed animals and cultivate the land.

During the stone age most of of all settlements fell on the West of the island. At the same time, the first copper products began to spread.

During the Copper Age, the island began to flourish. This happened due to the active production and use of copper. The inhabitants of Cyprus actively traded with their neighbors. In 1400 B.C. e., the first inhabitants of Mycenae began to settle on the island, bringing with them the Greek language, culture and Orthodox art.

Greek period

It is believed that the heroes of the Trojan War were the first to settle in Cyprus, who founded the first city-states here. They decorated them with wonderful monuments and imposing walls. It was then that the Greek period began in Cyprus, which led to the prosperity of the island. In total, there were 10 city-states for the period of the VIII century BC. e .. At that time, metal processing, weaving, and ivory processing reached the highest development.

Age of struggle

The archaic era (750-475 BC) is a time of struggle for Cyprus. City-states tried to maintain their independence in the fight against many conquerors. Despite resistance, they gradually began to fall under the influence of the Persians, Egyptians and Assyrians.

In the classical period of history (475-325 BC), Greek wars took place, the purpose of which was to liberate the island from the Persians. The Athenians made many attempts to free him. As a result, with the joint efforts of the Cypriot kingdoms and the Athenians, an offensive against the Persians was organized. Years of war led to the signing of a peace treaty, which resulted in the preservation of Persian power over the city-states. They were also forced to pay tribute to the Persians. Only Alexander the Great managed to liberate Cyprus from the Persians in 332 BC. e.

New rise of Cyprus

After the empire of Alexander the Great collapsed, Cyprus again fell to the Greeks, this time to the Egyptian kings Ptolemies. At this time, a period of wealth and prosperity began on the island. All kingdoms were abolished and united with the capital in Paphos. Peacetime brought the development of culture and economy. At this time, the Greek alphabet spread throughout the island.

Within the Roman Empire

Not the most peaceful times for the island came again with the outbreak of war between Egypt and Cyprus. In 31 BC. e. Cyprus, after the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at Actia, became part of the Roman Empire. In A.D. 45 e. Cyprus adopted Christianity during the first campaign of the apostles Barnabas and Paul. Cyprus was the first country to be ruled by a Christian.

In 313, Christians received the right to freedom of worship by decree of Mediolanum. 325 - the time of the participation of the Cypriot bishops in the First Ecumenical Synod, which was held in Nicaea. This period saw another rise in culture and economy. It was during this period that such remarkable historical monuments as theaters, temples, asclepeions and other architectural structures were built.

The Crusades and the Rise of the Monarchy

The first raid on Cyprus by the Arabs came in 647. Since then, for almost 300 years, it has been subjected to constant raids by Arabs and pirates. Only in 965, Cyprus was liberated from the invaders by the emperor Fok and became part of the Byzantine Empire.

Byzantium was interested in strengthening the borders and protecting the island after the Muslims occupied Asia Minor. At this time, the castles of Vufavento, St. Hilarion and Kadaras were built for the defense and protection of Cyprus. Also at this time, many monasteries were founded, among which the most famous were the monasteries of Machairas, St. John Chrysostom, Mother of God Kykkos and St. Neophyte.

Such a large number of monasteries testifies to the flowering of the monarchy. The most revered at that time was the Mother of God, to whom most of the monasteries were dedicated.

In 1191, King Richard the Lionheart of England took part in the Third Crusade. Near Limassol, Cyprus, the ship with the king's sister was wrecked. The ruler of Cyprus did not want to help wrecked which infuriated the king and he took over the island. In Lissamon, Richard and Berengaria were married, and the latter was proclaimed Queen of England. Some time later, Richard sold Cyprus to the Templar Naites for 100,000 dinars.

As part of France

The Naites sold the island to King Franck Hu de Lusignan after the rebellion local residents. A new era began in the history of Cyprus - the era of Frankish oppression.

The king introduced a feudal system on the island, turning the locals into slaves. The official church was the Catholic, which began to persecute the Greek orthodox faith.

The people of Cyprus have preserved the Orthodox faith, despite all the pressure on them. The capital of the island was Nicosia, where the residence was french king. The period of French rule ended after the island was given by its queen, Catherine Cornard, to Venice in 1489.

As part of Turkey

Cyprus was a little more than a hundred years part of Venice, but the Ottoman Empire, despite all the fortifications and desperate defenses, conquered Nicosia in 1570, killing about 20 thousand people. Famagusta was besieged by Turkish troops for a little over a year. Despite heroic resistance, in 1571 the city had to surrender. Cyprus joined Ottoman Empire. Between local population and the power introduced the principle of dragomania, which bound them.

Dragoman copied the property of the Greeks, calculated and collected taxes. The most famous dragoman is Hadjigeorgakis Kornesius, who, taking advantage of his position, tried to make the life of the captive Greeks easier. He was beheaded in Constantinople as a result of a conspiracy by his political opponents.

In 1821, a revolution began on the island, during which hundreds of civilians were shot. As a result, many Orthodox churches turned into mosques.

As part of England

In 1878, as a result of an agreement between the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain, an agreement was concluded, the result of which was the transfer of control of the island to the British. Officially, Cyprus was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1914. After the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the first world war on the side of Germany, the island became an English colony. The people of Cyprus greeted this change with joy, hoping that Britain would soon hand over the island to Greece.
Turkey renounced Cyprus in 1923 and it officially became a British colony in 1925. After that, positive changes began in the rule of the island.

Cypriots volunteered to fight in Greece during World War II under the flag of Great Britain, but she refused to grant the island self-determination at the end of hostilities.

In 1955, an armed liberation movement began in Cyprus, to which England responded with mass arrests and punishments. Only 5 years later he was able to win back his independence. In 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was proclaimed.

From independence to the first half of the 2000s

According to the constitution adopted in 1960, the entire island was divided into two communities: Greek (about 80%) and Turkish (about 18%). Between the two communities, tensions were established from the very beginning, gradually increasing and eventually leading to an armed conflict in 1974.

The result was the coming to power of the radicals, who were supported by Greece. The Turkish authorities became worried, fearing the accession of Cyprus to Greece. The Turkish army that landed on the island established control over 35% of the territory, finally dividing the island into two parts. Greece, in protest, even withdrew from NATO. As a result, about 200 thousand Greeks fled from the Turkish part to the Greek part, and about 30 thousand Turks from the Greek to the Turkish part.
The line between the two parts is guarded by the armed forces of the UN.

At the same time, attempts began to unite the island through negotiations. The most recent attempt was in 2004. Then, in a referendum, 75% of the Greek community voted against unification, while Turkish side supported him.

In 2004, Cyprus joined the EU, but the de facto member European Union became only Greek part. 30 years of conflicts have led to different economic development regions, as well as completely different laws.

Second half of 2000s

In 2007, the wall was finally destroyed, which divided the capital of Cyprus Nicosia into two halves. At the same time, free movement between the two halves of the island became possible.

January 1, 2008 - the full entry of Cyprus into the Eurozone. In the same year, the people elected their new president. They became the only head of state-communist Dimitris Christofias. Now great hopes are pinned on him for the final unification of Cyprus.

Recently we went to rest in Cyprus (in English Cyprus (cypres), and the inhabitants are cypriots) in a small “village” called Protaras. The word “village” is not accidentally put in quotation marks, because the village is only in its size, and, unfortunately, not in authenticity. That is, it is such a “tourist village”, on the one hand main street, a bunch of cafes-restaurants-shops and hotels-apartments-private villas. I don’t know how old this “resort” is, but it looks completely new, so new that the windows of our hotel on the shore overlooked the construction of a neighboring hotel ((
But I wanted to write not about the place itself, but about the tourists who come here. We were specifically looking for a place where there would be fewer of our compatriots, and we found it! There are really very few Russians here, and basically, as I already noticed in Greece, this is a trio of grandmother-mother-child. And for some reason, only Russians can be found on the beach at five o’clock, when the sun has already gone, but it’s not dark yet, and you can swim quite well, because right now the water is the warmest!
I cannot be responsible for the whole village, but several groups of people rested in our hotel. Older German couples, older English couples, young English couples with a child, Russian trios. And I wanted to dwell on the English in more detail.
The grandparents are just adorable! They are very attentive to each other, walk hand in hand along the beach, watch football together in the bar during the day, and drink wine by candlelight in the evenings.
Young couples are very similar to each other. Mostly they have one child. Dad and mom are about 30 (+/-). The husband is thin and fit in a T-shirt with the logo of his favorite football team, the wife is short and rather plump. And all the young English women (I saw several without children) with extended nails! It's fashionable now, I guess...
In general, everything there is set up in an English way, starting with sockets in the rooms and downloading the menu in the restaurant. English breakfast, the one with scrambled eggs and bacon, really is and is very popular here! I don’t know how things are with the generation of 30-40 year olds, but English grandparents every morning line up for a cook who cooks scrambled eggs right there in front of them. Do you know what the British eat in the evenings? Soup!! It is also on the lunch menu, but of course, who eats it at lunch? That's right, Russians! (Because the eating habits of the British seem very strange to me, probably, like ours - to them)))

And the British also have a wonderful habit - to “dress up” (to dress up) if they go out somewhere in the evening. It doesn't matter where they go! For example, dine at the hotel, or have a pint of beer at the bar! Even for the sake of the evening promenade along the only street of our tourist village, English women of all ages put on make-up, hairdo, beautiful dresses and jewelry. There is no way without this) And you know, I liked this state of affairs, it immediately creates a feeling of a holiday, which, you see, is very pleasant)
And I was also immediately surprised upon arrival that the driver (taxi) was sitting on the right, and when we were driving along the road (it was at night) I still could not understand why we were driving in the oncoming lane all the time!? And only then I realized that here, as in England (and Cyprus, for a moment, a former British colony), right-hand traffic!
Before leaving, I was going to read a textbook of Modern Greek, learn the rules of reading and basic colloquial words, such as “good afternoon, thank you, please” and so on. Hands somehow did not reach, but on the spot it turned out that this would not have been necessary, because all the attendants in this “tourist village” are not Greeks, but ... anyone but not Greeks. And with them, of course, it would be rather stupid to “speak” Greek. Almost everyone understands English, and many also Russian, because they come from the former Soviet republics or, for example, from Poland, and we will understand Polish if we listen carefully.

And now some translation))

The photos, unfortunately, were lost, but I had a note that among the dishes on our menu were:

“Carrot Cake”, “Coconut Cake”, “Orange Marmalade”, “Almonds”, “Figs” (i.e. figs), “Cheddar Cheese”, “Peach Yogurt” and “Peach Compote”.

And in another store I came across very cool hmm ... dice? marble with all sorts of cool inscriptions:

My family tree is full of nuts– My family tree is full of nuts (the second meaning is “abnormal” (jokingly))
You'll always be my friend You will always be my friend, you know too much 🙂
I tried jogging but I couldn't keep the ice in my glass– I tried to run, but I couldn’t keep the ice in the glass 😉

I keep losing weight but it keeps finding me- I continue to lose weight (that is, literally lose weight), but he still continues to find me!
Alcohol doesn't cause hangover, Waking up does- alcohol is not at all the cause of a hangover, but waking up is very much so!

veni, vidi, visa - I came, I saw, I shopped I came, I saw, I bought

Excuse the mess, we want you to feel at home– sorry for the mess, we wanted you to feel at home :))