Out of a handful of coffee shops around the world (at least those with a searchable internet presence) with this name, I would dare to say that the Spitfire coffee shop [ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟΝ ‘ΤΟ ΣΠΙΤΦΑΙΑΡ’] of Nicosia is the only one which has CONFLICT AND DIVISION “painted” all over it. Together with so many other historical … More No31. Spitting fire (and bullets)
On a number of occasions, I have met persons visiting Cyprus that had from little to zero knowledge of the political history of the island. Most visitors seem to know that there is “a Greek part” and “a Turkish part” to the island (it’s actually much more complicated than that). A number of the visitors … More No29. April 1st: Of lies and myths
The creation of You’ve Got: Cyprus! is forcing me to look beyond what I already know about the history of the island and to share my findings here on the blog. One thing is for sure: I can speak about the beauty and the particularities of Cyprus now much more easily than if I had … More No22. 300 years of …. ????
Among the many idioms used by Greek-speaking Cypriots is the expression “Το πουλλίν επέτασεν” [To poullín epétasen], literally translated into “The bird has flown away” and meant to signify a “lost opportunity”. The coat of arms of the independent country formed in 1960 when the British Empire released Cyprus from its colonial grip, includes a … More No19. Is the bird gone?
Not surprisingly, even the coffee in Cyprus has an identity crisis. Depending on where you sit on the island, you will be expected to say either Cypriot coffee or Turkish coffee to mean the same thing. [The citizens of Greece call it Greek coffee, the citizens of Armenia call it Armenian coffee – go figure.] … More No17. Coffee tales
They call it the “Dead Zone”. Yet, it is quite the opposite. It is all alive and well, thank you! This is the strip of land (aka buffer zone, aka ceasefire line) running 180km from the East to the West of Cyprus, dividing the northern from the southern part of the island and regulated by … More No14. Dead or Alive?
You've Got: Cyprus! 