The Divide

Far, far away, in the beautiful scenic village of Kalavasos, there lived a very nice couple who's names were Giorgio and Elena. They were the most hospitable, warm, welcoming couple the girl had ever met and she was so glad they let her stay with them in their beautiful home.

On the outskirts of Larnaca in Cyprus, they lived in a place called Stratos Art Deco House. This house has been in their family for centuries, starting with Elena's great grandfather, Stratos. He was born in 1865 and became one of the first school teachers in all of Cyprus. Their house is like a museum.

The birds were chirping, the wonderful smell of flowers in the air and the sun was out, the girl took to exploring the small town of Kalavasos and partaking in some local food before setting out on her journey.

After a nice meal, she went to the Levantis museum in the city center of Nicosia, where she learned all about the culture of Cyprus. She noticed the cool dishes they used to eat with back in the 13th Century. Even back then they had taste!

And then, the girl crossed over the border to the Turkish side of the island. The island of Cyprus was settled in 1960 by both Turkish and Greek communities, however following that date there was violence between the 2 parties over constitutional amendments. Then on July 15, 1974, the Greek army staged a coup d'etat and overthrew the president. 5 days later the Turks invaded the island in response, taking possession of the northern third of the island and creating what's known today as The Green Line which divides each side. The Greeks and Turks now peacefully share the island of Cyprus we all know today.

The girl thought this was all very interesting, and once crossed, she saw a beautiful gothic architectural mosque, Selimiye Camil, from the 13th century.

After a long day, she retreated back to the Art Deco House and fell into a deep sleep. Over a nice breakfast in the morning, she told Giorgio and Elena all about her day and they were so pleased to hear of her adventures.

And, they all lived happily ever after.

Bailey Sue