The Cyprus Mail occasionally delivers us some delightful headlines that either haven’t been thought through, or perhaps, were deliberately created tongue-in-cheek. My favourites up til now were FIVE LESBIANS EAT QUICHE IN THEATRES (the first four words being the title of a play, but that wasn’t made clear) and BATMAN BOUGHT DRUGS FOUND IN PANTS BY DOG (drugs, having been purchased in the Turkish town of Batman, were discovered by a sniffer dog being smuggled inside underwear). Last month a tragic tale was headlined with RUBBISH TRUCK DRIVER DIES FROM ACCIDENT INJURIES.
I’ve had an eventful month, travelling west for the Cyprus Rocks music festival in Pernera, which I found to be well organised with quality bands (mostly tributes brought in from the UK) and seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.
The next evening I went along to the Stardust Show, a drag queen extravaganza that has been running on the island for over ten years now, playing three times a week at The Oxagon in Vrysoulles, and more recently, Mondays on the Wavedancer yacht in summer. I loved the yacht show last year so grabbed the chance to see the residency show, which has even more to offer. I recommend it even if you have no interest in the drag scene at all – the comedy value is hilarious.
I experienced my first Ayios Fotias festival – hardly advertised, but nevertheless absolutely teeming with people, almost all Cypriots, enjoying the free samples of wine, zivania (straight from the distillation machine), trahanas and rice, along with a variety of stalls.
A visit to the Adonis Botanic Gardens in Akoursos was also thoroughly enjoyable and a new experience. Arriving on a bank holiday, it took us a while to find any life (other than plant), but I’m glad we persevered, as we eventually found owner Michalis, who gave us a tour of the site and its many plants from all over the world, a glimpse at the new pods which serve as B&B accommodation, the pool and lounge area, and finally a taste/sniff of the farm’s essential oils, fruits, home-made lemonade and, again, zivania. We were sent away with dragonfruit plant cuttings to grow at home, along with some lovely memories, tips and anecdotes.
At home there’ve been some dramas. For about a week I, and our neighbours, could hear a kitten crying, but despite searches, none of could find the source. Eventually I traced it to our poolhouse, and after turning every possible stone and brick, and crawling into some dark, bug-ridden, extremely narrow gaps, I eventually traced the mewing to be coming from the space between our poolhouse wall and the two adjoining properties’ fences. Over the next few days I tempted the tiny feline out with food, finally capturing the minute creature in a cat basket and ferrying it to the vet./ When I told the vet she’d quite possibly be the first human to touch the kitten, she immediately passed the task to her team of nurses and asked us to return later. Soon he was declared a healthy three-month-old boy, de-flead, de-wormed, and vaccinated. After a few days living in the pool house with a bed and food bowls, he’s now joined the family in the house.
Our cats were far from impressed, and have now taken to visiting next door for some respite from constant play-attacks from the new kitten. But next door have two little girls, and yesterday our enormous, very male tabby cat returned from next door looking even more disgruntled and bearing three pretty blue flowers decortating his head, and none of his dignity.
stardustvarietyshow.co.uk
Adonis Botanic Garden Ltd 99625050
Jezebel hosts a Silent Disco Evening Saturday 2nd November 7pm at Peggy’s Secret Garden in Peiga
and a Quiz Night Tuesday 5th November 7.30pm at Xrys Tavern, Tsada Square
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