Traditional Cyprus foods

The Cypriot food is wonderful, there are lots of different types of foods available and it is great to know what is in foods before you visit Cyprus so that you can also try some of these delights. "Kopiaste" in old Greek, literally means take the trouble but the meaning is really "take the trouble to come and sit with us, eat and drink with us and talk with us".

If you are going on a family holiday in Cyprus, then hire a car and venture in to the villages Xylofagou, Dherinia, Freneros, Sotera, Paralimni and Kapparis. This way you can truly experience the traditional foods and cultures of Cyprus.

Afelia... usually made with pork, coriander, corn oil, red dry wine and salt and pepper and usually served with mashed potato or potatoes of some sort.

Kleftico... Sealed lamb cooked very slowly in a clay oven, the sort of food that falls off the bone when you eat it. Served with potatoes it makes for a lovely meal.

Tavas... again a lamb dish, cooked with onions and ripe tomatoes and usually a spice like artisha for a distinct taste. Again served with potatoes.

Stifado... a beef dish this time, done with onions, bay leaves, garlic cloves, dry red wine, olive oil, Cinnamon sticks, pepper corns and tomato.

Meze... this was the meal that was originally made up off leftovers. It was small bits of different foods put on the table for everyone to try everything. There are two types of mezes in Cyprus now, the meat meze and the fish meze. They are a great way for trying different types of foods in small sizes.

When you take your family holiday to Cyprus make sure you try these, the Kleftico is probably the best to try first! There are many traditional Greek taverns in Cyprus all over the island. I rented an apartment through http://www.spotonvillarentals.com/ and they told me some great places in land to try, one was in Vrysouless, "LouLoudia" or known as the "shack". A tiny place with amazing food. Look it up if you go to Cyprus... Another place is Olympus in Protaras.

"Kopiaste"

See also my blog on sweet Cyprus traditional foods. http://aboutprotaras.blogspot.com/2008/01/sweet-cyprus-traditional-foods.html

Long term renting in Cyprus

Renting in Cyprus is the alternative to buying a property in Cyprus.

When you are in the middle of a decision of 'to buy or not to buy' why not rent. Thats what i did when i first moved to Cyprus. I had been to Cyprus a lot of times for holidays but things are different when you live somewhere, you are not on holiday any more so how do you decide where to live without actually being there.

I first rented an apartment in Protaras, a one bedroom furnished apartment and then moved to a two bedroom apartment in Pernera. The apartment in Protaras was so central for Protaras and was great for holidays but as i discovered not so great for long term living. My next apartment that i rented in Pernera was ideal, quiet and relaxing and perfect for walking to the beach and Pernera. After that i decided that i would actually prefer to be closer to the main town of Paralimni, where i now live as it is walking distance to the centre and only a 2minute drive to the beach and is open all year. Plus there is lots of local people around me which i wanted, i didnt move to Cyprus to be around only English speaking people.

The most important thing to do when renting is be picky. If you are moving over and wish to rent for a year or more, then book an apartment for a holiday for example, two three nights or short term like one month until you find something you like. If you move over and rush in to things then things will go wrong! Once you have found your dream property dont let it go, i did that too, found a perfect apartment and then by the time i blinked it had gone. In cyprus apartments and villas dont wait around forever.

There are lots of areas you can rent in Cyprus. If you rent an apartment in Kapparis, there is lots of choices for unfurnished and furnished properties. For local traditional life you should rent in Paralimni areas, whether you rent an apartment or villa in Paralimni you will get used to the local traditions and also ideal for schools. For more of the village life you should rent an apartment in Xylofagou or rent a villa in Freneros, all surrounding villages of Paralimni and Protaras.

When i rented there was a variety of apartments and villas available, you may be asked to put down a damage deposit of between 1 and 3 months and although most pay monthly you may be asked to pay one year in advance or 6months rent in advance. Always make sure you use a repretable company and have contracts secured. Try Spot On Villa rentals long term rentals in Cyprus

Be aware that most places are not to keen on pets, so look in advance if you have cats or dogs as they will be harder to come by!