‘They’ say you should never look back, or you can’t go back, but most tourist venues strive for repeat visitors, and certainly Cyprus has many tourists who come back year after year. For us residents of a relatively small country, some repeat excursions are likely, especially when friends come to visit and want to see the highlights. This summer I’ve returned to a few old haunts to find that some things remain the same while others change.
In July I nipped back to the UK to help out with an orchestral run-through of a musical my brother has written. This took place in a London theatre, and whilst I have paid pilgrimage to the West End many times since leaving the UK twenty years ago, it’s that long since I’ve been backstage. I had been a theatre manager, and to find myself unloading musical equipment into a docking bay through the wings and into an orchestral pit was supremely nostalgic. Much has changed with technology of course, so much is now electric and the pit floor itself went up and down by hydraulics, but that backstage smell and the anticipation in the air took me right back. As musicians and singers arrived and the stage was set, the excitement grew, and finally hearing my brother’s music as it was intended to be, was mind blowing. Look out for Santa Santa, hopefully coming soon to a theatre sadly nowhere near you.
Next came my first camping visit to Polis campsite in years. I was pleased to find the tent just as comfortable, and the area more green and pleasant. The site has finally managed to secure itself against freeloaders but does feel something of a fortress surrounded by a fence all round with no chance of parking in the road and carrying stuff across. The charge for parking on-site has meant less cars taking up space, but more driving around as people unload and pack up. The cafe’s menu has extended a little; otherwise all is much the same, a mostly quiet, sandy haven.
More than a decade ago I performed on the Paphos coastal cruise yachts as part of the Talk of The Town shows, and later returned as wedding DJ. Last month I returned as a singing host, and was delighted to see some old faces still working hard on the coastal cruises. Little has changed here, although the company now boasts some new yachts, including the massive Ocean Vision on which I spent my birthday last month, enjoying the up-to-date version of the show – Matthew Edmondson still ruling the waves with his musical creativity.
A short return to Old Kakopetria was a slight disappointment as the antique hotels seem to be undergoing renovation (undoubtedly much needed) but in the meantime seem somewhat neglected. We saw little personnel other than builders and the sounds of the gushing river were drowned out by cement mixers. The quaintness of the street remains, but there seemed to be fewer potted and hanging flowers in bloom. I hope the end product of the works will be in keeping with the olde worlde charm, yet cared for.
I’ve just returned from a three-day trip to Ayia Napa – the first place we worked on arrival in Cyprus all those years ago, somewhat confused after leaving Greek-speaking Zakynthos to find ourselves in a country where all the bar staff were Russian and we were working in Scandinavian hotels. On my trip last week we saw only Cypriots and Brits, celebrating the bank holiday weekend in their masses. The glorious beaches, which I last saw as camera footage of empty sands during lockdown, were heaving, the sea was people soup. Revellers were still filling the streets at 5am, but come 8am the roads were deserted and clean – this town is managing itself extremely well.
I made a day trip to Salamis – my first visit, and what a fascinating trip, highly recommended, but do go with a guide who can tell you the history of what you’re looking at – and once again the ‘ghost town’ of Famagusta, which I saw via the Mr John tour in May. The political situation is changing, albeit slightly, especially in Varosha, where the beach, as stunningly beautiful as Nissi in Napa, is becoming more established and crowded. But still with a backdrop of abandoned and crumbling tower block hotels and barbed wire. Something that sadly has not changed in 48 years, whilst many still hope to return.
