Nicosia Local Customs

Well, after about 10 years to easyoar’s trip to Bandabulya, we are here trying to get an update on the current look of the basketman.

As we were wandering around, we first realised that the basket stall has been moved to the front of the market. We also found out that there is now a lady running this stall. She was kind enough to let us get this memorial picture.

3 more images

I put some pictures to show you how Cypriots cook corek (large Cypriot bread/bun). Mostly people living in villages have a special clay oven where they can cook such traditional breads and other pastries, including traditional dishes, such as Firin kebabi in Greek Kleftikos.
Corek/ Tsoureki is usually shaped in rectangular or round.
The ones look like pretzels are called Peksemet.They are harder than bread , more like biscottis.
I took these pictures, when my grandmom and mom were cooking Corek/Tsoureki couple years ago.

Cypriot men, especially as they get older, like to spend time in tradional coffee houses, chatting away - discussing everyday matters, playing backgammon, reading newspapers. It’s a break from the wives and daily chores like grocery shopping. A coffee house is sort of the equivalent of a boys’ club.

Each village in Cyprus – both in the North and South, has at least one coffee house where the men hang out. The cities have them also, but it might be harder to find them. There is also a few women-only coffee houses in the cities.

If you like to chat up with locals, it’s one of the best places to go – as they are usually friendly, and almost always opiniated ;-)

The Greeks commonly meet up in Eleftheria Square. You will frequently see people waiting either under the clock tower here, or on the seats opposite.

Alongside the seats are the kiosks, sp people frequently buy a drink (Cyprus is VERY hot in the summer) while they wait. It is fairly easy for people driving to stop off on the side of the road to meet someone, which probably explains why it is so popular there. Eleftheria Square is also very central making it easy for many people to get to.

The main thing about Cyprus in general is how trustworthy the cypriots are, you can see everywhere people leaving their key in the ignition when popping in the shops, front doors open etc... I am sure there are more that I will discover as time goes by....

Drive on the left in both north and south Cyprus.The currency used in the north is the Turkish Lira The currency used in the south is the Euro

The local beer is Keo, very nice taste,the beer mat has the slogan Brewed on the island of Cyprus.

Remember that what look like abandoned, empty oil drums actually mark the areas where entry is forbidden.