Back to School Again

So, September has arrived and, thankfully, so has the (slightly) cooler weather. The change in temperature on the first of the month was almost spooky, almost as if the Cyprus thermostat had been set on a timer. The oppressive humidity has dissipated and it is now safe to lay a thin cotton sheet on the bench and not fear waking up drenched and mummified by the bedclothes as a result of futile nocturnal wranglings. People are starting to emerge from the refrigerated havens of their homes, where they have been holed-up against the temperatures, and are walking around like zombies blinking at the sudden onslaught of natural daylight.
Another pressure is also off here at Akrotiri, and one wonders if the breeze has picked up or we are experiencing a collective sigh of relief from all the parents. Yes – the children are back at school- hurray! However, after six weeks of lay-ins and lazy days watching DVDs under the air-con (or whirring ceiling fans in our case) , it’s a bit of a shock to the system when the alarm goes off at 6am and you realise that you have just sixty minutes to rouse your reluctant offspring, prepare breakfast, pack a snack box, locate the PE kit and play a grudging game of “guess where I hid my school shoes, mummy”. Mean while at the same time you are trying to find yourself a clean set of clothes which are deemed acceptable at the school gates, brush your teeth and wash down your third cup of coffee. For those unaccustomed with the Cyprus way of life, school starts at 7.20am, in order to avoid the worst heat of the day, and ends around 12.30pm. This takes a little getting used to, and, as I’m approaching my fourth year at Akrotiri, I think I’m finally getting the hang of it!
My office have been a hub of activity over the last week or so as it there that parents have to register their children to use the school buses, especially the one which transports the secondary school students from Akrotiri to St John’s secondary school at Episkopi. The majority of my callers have, typically, left the process to the last minute, as other priorities have taken precedence, so I’ve been knee-deep in paperwork and anxious mums and dads. I’m glad to report, however, that all students appear to have made it to the bus on the first day of term, and I was not greeted at my workplace door with an angry mob bearing torches and pitchforks. Well, so far, so good anyway.
Over the summer there have been a lot of new buildings spring up. Our new Med Centre is almost complete, and the shiny white walls and glassy frontage look quite resplendent, especially when compared to the tired and aged building that has been previously used since, I suspect, the 1950s. My street, too, is also undergoing renovations, a lot of the old Cawood bungalows have been bulldozed to make way for a new housing project. It’s quite sad to see the old homes fall, especially as several friends who have since left the island, were good pals and neighbours living there. In fact, I couldn’t resist hanging out of my bedroom window the other day, video camera in hand, to document the destruction of the house opposite mine, and to post it on facebook for the previous resident to witness. The new homes are already well underway, so I’m taking the chance to enjoy an extended view from my windows before the new builds dominate the horizon again. What is really encouraging to see is that the builders have taken care to avoid and protect some of the old trees that were part of the gardens of the previous homes. Inside the site are scattered a variety of ancient and wizened olive trees, gnarly cedars and elegant pine trees, many of which have been homes to the birds and wildlife nearby. A great majority of these trees have outlived by many years the stay of the residents of our streets and it is a relief to see that they will remain to provide shade and pleasure for more years to come.
While on the subject of buildings, I thought I would share with you one of the visits I took to the Troodos mountains, during which time I took the opportunity to visit the long-abandoned Berengaria Hotel. Nestled beween two restaurants on a roundabout at the village of Prodromos lies a small dirt track. Venture up here and you will discover one of the hidden gems of Cyprus. The Berengaria (or Verengaria) was built in 1930 and was considered the height of luxury in its time, with marble floors, flock wallpaper and splendid chandeliers. The rooms boasted magnificent views across the Troodos and the courtyard with its pool were a peaceful haven from city life. It is said that princes from the Middle East were known to reside there, and only the fortunates from the upper echelons of society could afford its luxuries. According to local lore, when the owner died, he bequeathed the hotel to his two sons who argued extensively over property rights and eventually left the hotel closed for so long that it ran into disrepair. After some time, it became apparent to the locals that this magnificent building with its even more magnificent fixtures was standing empty, and so, over time, they slowly but surely stripped it bare of all its finery, leaving the empty shell that now stands. There have been several attempts to renovate the place but each time has been beset with such obstacles that many now believe the building to be under some kind of malevolent curse.
But don’t let that put you off, the old remains are well worth exploring and it doesn’t take much imagination to envisage the opulence that existed where now remain broken beams, shattered glass and the inevitable graffiti-scrawled walls. It would be nice to hope that one day Berengaria will be restored to her former glory, such a formidable building in such a breathtaking location is surely deserving of some loving care.Well, that’s all I have to say for now. I’m off to battle the pile of school uniform that needs labelling, and take a sneaky afternoon nap. These early morning starts are exhausting!