Life Observed

"Spacious and well appointed Bathroom with exceptional views"

Here we have a student on the Estate Agent training course. She is facing the ultimate challenge.  How to best describe a pile of stones and a tree with no local services.

It is a strange continental thing, this painting your trees white. Is this supposed to protect the tree from the strong Mediterranean sun?  Does it just make them look pretty?  Is it, perhaps, to mark out the road in rural areas with no street lighting?

I'm hoping they have rather better decorators in Heaven.

Greek orthodox churches seem to come in two varieties. You often find splendid examples with smooth stone facing and elaborate painting inside. However in rural locations the structures are much simpler. Something you will not find is large stained glass windows. This is an island that spends a lot of time keeping the hot sun out, rather than letting the light in.

Hmm. The bread has been on the shelves here far too long . I think we will buy our lunchtime perquisites and comestibles elsewhere.

OK, it is actually an Austin A55. This wonderful 1950s delivery van is living out an honourable retirement in rural Cyprus. Long may it rust in peace. Except it's so dry there that things tend to fade rather than rust.

There is something very Mediterranean about this Terracotta colour, much used for Olive Oil containers in that region.

I'm glad I complained when we got to the hotel. I was able to get us upgraded to a better room.

Our favourite hotel is proud of its eco credentials, but I suspect the grass lawn is getting ahead of the new lawnmower replacement.

A striking feature of the Cypriot landscape are the ubiquitous unfinished projects. Clearly quite a sum of money has been spent here, but work has come to a halt and all the construction equipment has long gone. You see estates of villas where the roads, kerbs and lighting are all installed but there are no buildings. Why are there so many unfinished projects, where did the money come from, and why were they abandoned? 

Hard at work, keeping the foreign hoardes at bay.

Cyprus is a land of architecture and antiquity. If you go searching for odd little rural details there is more than enough to fill your lens with the odd and the obscure.