The rest of you are due to leave the EU next Thursday, we decided to leave today although we did come back again.
In 1974 Turkey invaded Cyprus and took possession of the north of the island which is now known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a country which is not recognised by the UN as the invasion was illegal. The capital (formally known as Nicosia) is divided in half with a buffer zone of derelict houses and high fences between the two sides. The guidebook says “since the fall of the Berlin wall it is the only divided city in the world” I am not sure what the Palestinians would say to that, perhaps it is the definition of a city. On the EU side there is a viewing point on top of an office block from which you can look across the city and at the huge Turkish flag drawn on the mountainside which is in the photo above.
For many years the tensions between the two halves have been receding, this has changed when the Turkish president Erdoğan claimed last September that the sea around Cyprus belongs to Turkey, he has sent drilling ships into Cyprus’s territorial waters which is going to end in tears at some point.
Feeling brave we decided to cross the border on foot (taking the car involves a lot of paperwork), we were a little disappointed not to get a stamp in our passports to prove we have been to a country which doesn’t exist. The picture shows Gill about to enter the checkpoint.
Fortunately the EU let us back again and we have now driven to Larnaka where we are staying in a huge, very smart, two floor apartment. It has sophisticated sound and TV systems, we are currently blasting out Fight the Bear from my laptop via bluetooth into a fancy amplifier.
Our apartment living room