North Cyprus Winter 2022/23

Chapter One: VISA-VIS

Upon our arrival at Karpaz Gate Marina in Northern Cyprus we were given a 30 day visa. We later found out that some people got one for 60 days and even 90 days, but you’d either had to have a family in Northern Cyprus or a property to qualify for that, and we had neither. As it was, we intended to stay for the whole winter season and thus had to apply for temporary residency. The marina informed us that this was to be done online before our initial visa expired. And this was also how and when we found out they’d made Ingrid an Australian! This error caused much amusement among the staff and the culprit, with roars of laughter proclaiming “Austria – Australia! Hahaha!” whenever we tried to explain they’re different countries.

It took a few days for it to be rectified on their computer, causing a delay in the process, but eventually we could both register on the government’s website. To gain access, though, we needed a Turkish telephone number where they could text a code to. Luckily we’d bought a TurkCell SIM card a week earlier, and could now put it to good use. Once the code was inputted the site opened with instructions for the next steps. We had taken the first hurdle!

Next we had to provide proof of residency. This involved a trip to our closest community Yenierenkőy to the house of the Muhtar (=head, i.e. “The Guvnor”). We sat around her kitchen table, presented our passports and mooring contract whilst our driver explained what we needed and then rushed to the post office to get a couple of tax stamps (TL4.00 each) to affix to the documents, and we soon came away with a domicile certificate each. After multiple unsuccessful attempts Peter finally managed to upload them as pictures to the portal, and in return we were given an appointment for the 22 November at the Immigration Office in Iskele, a town some 30 miles away on the other side of the island. We’d passed the second hurdle! We now had about three weeks to sort out all the requested documents, get a passport photo taken at the chemist’s, and arrange for a shuttle transfer. At the end we produced a rather substantial file with all the original papers and copies of them for each of us.

On the given day Zeki, the marina’s principle shuttle driver, took us to Iskele (€107.00) and acted as our interpreter and guide. He took us inside the police station to the right department and told the immigration officers what we were there for. They looked at our papers and kept the copies, then we were asked to pay online for our health insurance. Also, if under 60 years of age, one is obliged to go to the hospital afterwards for a blood and TB test, and pay for it in advance with the insurance. This did not apply to Peter, but the ever youthful Ingrid had to follow this procedure. So we logged in online and entered our credit card details, confirmed the payment with our bank, only for it to be rejected on the immigration site. We tried numerous times, always with the same result – they just wouldn’t take our money! No payment meant no appointment at the hospital, but whether out of frustration or pity, the officers sent us there anyway, leaving it to someone else to deal with our predicament. Zeki drove us and Peter kept trying to pay during the journey, and again and again when we arrived. He was always cut off, they wouldn’t accept cash either, and we were at our wit’s end.

Then Zeki handed me his phone. Having seen us struggling, he’d contacted the marina office who unravelled the plot. Turned out you could only use a Turkish credit card for payment, no foreign cards accepted! However, you can only have a Turkish credit card once you’re a resident, after you’ve applied for a residency permit for which you need to pay with this Turkish card which you don’t have because you’re not yet a resident?!?? All ended well as the marina used their credit card and made the payment on our behalf. We reciprocated later by settling the equivalent amount in cash. It came to just under TL2,400.00 for the both of us, consisting of approximately TL920.00 for the insurance each, and the rest for Ingrid’s test. As soon as the amount was received on the government’s account Ingrid was instantly given a hospital appointment for 29 November to carry out the tests, but as the place was empty, these were performed there and then. We left with instructions to return in two days to check on the TB reaction. What a relief, we’d overcome the third hurdle!

Two days later we were back at the hospital. Ingrid entered the building at 2.00pm, showed them her arm with no reaction to the TB test, wrote her name on a list, and re-emerged thirty seconds later. To justify the cost of the shuttle (€107.00) we stopped off at a large supermarket on the way home and filled our bags.

For the next month we kept on checking the process online, and just before Christmas Ingrid’s status advanced from hospital to immigration, meaning they were satisfied with the outcome of the tests. At the same time we were also provided with a health insurance number. We were supposed to receive a text every time there was an update but this never happened, so we logged in to their website every so often to check. The weeks passed, and our applications were stuck in immigration. We did not worry about it too much, though, because we were made aware that people who’d applied for residency at the beginning of December had been given a date in mid-April for their appointment at the immigration office, so there must have been quite a backlog. Then, on 26 January we noticed that our application had moved on to the tax office.

We were directed to an online payment site for which we needed a Turkish credit card. So Ingrid trod off to the marina office with our details where, due to holidays and the resulting delay, five days later they used their credit card again to pay for our residency permit (TL450.00 each) plus stamp tax, and we then repaid them just under TL1,000.00 in cash. They also printed out the permits for us, and this concluded the immigration process. We’d jumped the last hurdle and were now fully fledged legal residents of Northern Cyprus! The permit started on the expiry date of the original 30 day visa, cost us about £80.00 each (excluding shuttle costs), and was valid for six months. Our “Yacht Tourism” residence permit would expire on 21 May, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy our stay.

Chapter Two: KARPAZ GATE MARINA

After a rather bumpy couple of hours we neared the entrance to Karpaz Gate Marina just before 2.00am on 22 October. Luckily the approach was straight forward into the little bay towards the cordoned off beach, with a left turn between the pier heads and along the breakwater to the visitor/quarantine area. We later discovered that there was an unmarked and unlit mooring buoy just outside the breakwater which was occasionally used by the Coast Guard, but fortunately this had no impact on the direction we had come from. A friendly marinero took our lines and once we were securely attached we were off to bed. It was quiet and calm, and it was difficult to imagine that it was blowing over 30 knots outside. We slept well and dealt with the initial formalities the next day, all with the help of the efficient marina staff, and then we went off to explore.

The marina was advertised as a five star resort and did not disappoint. It had a beach club on site with access to the sandy beach. It was shallow to go into the sea, and featured rocks with fish swimming around them. The water there stayed warm until January. In contrast, the water in the infinity pool was unheated and sported a cool 19ºC.

We could, however, warm up with a hot drink or snack from the bar, or stay under the hot showers till the body temperature was back to normal. We also sunbathed on the sun lounges which were covered in towels, and topped up our tan. The club was open to the paying public (free to marina residents) who got chauffeured down and up the hill from and to the car park in golf carts, and proved to be quite popular. It remained open as long as there was any demand and good weather which turned out to be mid November. By this time the newly built indoor pool with jacuzzi had opened for marina and hotel guests only, and many a grey and blustery afternoon was spent there in the warmth.

We also made good use of the gym, but dismissed the services of the adjacent spa and hammam (=Turkish sauna).

We enjoyed some lovely meals at the onsite Hemingway’s RestOBar where marina residents got a 10% discount on the food. BOGOF (buy one get one free) happy hour was between 5.00pm and 8.00pm and was applied to each person individually, so we ended up with two drinks each to supplement our dinners. We also had a very tasty Christmas dinner there with various mezze (=starters) in form of salad, humus, pâté and figs, followed by seafood ravioli and the main meal which was slow cooked lamb shank rather than turkey. The traditional sweet of baklava concluded the menu. The food was good, the prices were reasonable, and a typical mains course with beer would normally come to about £25.00 for the both of us.

Despite this, we mainly ate on board, with the ingredients to our culinary delights sourced from the local supermarket and greengrocer’s. “Local” was not at the marina as their own shop was as good as empty and was only opened by request by the Hemingway’s staff. The nearest settlement called Yenierenkőy, about 4 miles away and at a height of 120 meters, however, kept us in supplies despite a rather limited choice. In particular, the fruit and vegetables were confined to seasonal produce, harking back to an earlier, more innocent time. So no strawberries for Christmas! As walking up into the village for 1 ½ hours and then carrying back the goods wasn’t really feasible, the marina had laid on a free shuttle service, bookable a day in advance in reception. This shuttle could also be booked for a fee to go to other towns or the airport. Reception could also help with a hire car (through Maxx), though this proved to be rather expensive (€65.00 per day), and people instead used a local taxi and car hire centre (Sonçiğ) or “borrowed” a car from a “friend” (a fellow boater). As public transport was non-existent these were the only viable options to travel further afield.

At the opposite side of the marina entrance was a slipway and a dock for the travel lift. Once hauled out one could make use of the yard and the workshop (a covered shed in the far corner). One could also engage the services of an electrician or a painter whose offices were in the same building as the port authorities (when they were present), the showers, laundry room with washing machines and dryers at €2.00 a go each (token from reception), and the yacht club with its own (empty) kitchen, toilet, library, television (DVDs only) and ping pong room.

There was also a chandlery on site with very little merchandise inside, but if one had plenty of time reception would order in what was lacking. As with anything, supplies were very limited due to the ongoing trade embargo, and although the marina staff were bending over backwards to help, we would strongly encourage people to bring their own gear and parts if they wanted to carry out any work or maintenance on their boat.

Overall, we were very happy with our decision of overwintering in Karpaz Gate Marina. It came at a decent price, was clean, safe even in big winds and thunderstorms with marineros checking on the lines and moorings, the staff were always very friendly and helpful, there was hardly any traffic noise and definitely no loud music blaring out, and the nights were quiet. It was, as promised on their reviews, a retreat, and we wholeheartedly agreed with their slogan: Karpaz Gate Marina – haven, home, heaven on earth.

Chapter Three: OUT AND ABOUT

It was the end of summer when we arrived at Karpaz Gate Marina. The air temperature had cooled down to under 30ºC, the sea was still warm (approximately 25ºC), the ground was dry and the bushes bore only thorns and withered leaves, if any. Soon enough, though, the farmers started ploughing their fields, churning the red soil in preparation for the rainy season. When the rain came, it fell stealthily at first, hiding under the cover of darkness in the night. Eventually it got bolder, with heavy showers and hail accompanied by thunder and lightning, even during the day. Bushes, trees and fields turned green, and this part of Cyprus, having had its own appeal when still parched, now displayed its true beauty. We fell in love with it there and then.

With no public transport available we set out exploring our surroundings by foot and our trusty folding bikes. We ascended the narrow winding road to the village of Sipahi and visited the ruins and mosaics of the Trias Basilica, carried on through the Tanyel Estate (named after the company who built it) and walked back along the coastal road (D-100) past the fishing harbour to the marina. On a couple of occasions we took the shuttle bus to Yenierenkőy and wandered back through the countryside, and on one sunny day we hiked up to the fire-watch building on the mountain Pampoulos (ca. 370m).

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To extend the range of our excursions Peter prepared the bikes, and we were faced with two choices – we could turn left or right when leaving the marina. To start off with, we kept going left along the coastal road towards the Azure Bay which featured a church dedicated to St Thyros with a wishing well inside.

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We also made it up the hill to two fallen down Bronze Age stone sculptures of a man and a woman with a child, the church of St Marina with its 13^th century fresco and a medieval water cistern.

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On another day we had an uphill struggle to the ruin of the Eleousa Monastery with a few icons inside, remnants of a building with an arch outside and some donkeys nearby.

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We swam at Turtle Bay (a turtle sanctuary), and cycled partly off-road as far as the Oasis Restaurant and its ruins of Ayios Philon Church.

The latter was near the site of ancient Karpasia where the peninsula derived its name from, but except from the harbour moles we could find no other traces of its existence. So instead we tackled the 170m of ascent to Dipkarpaz and found the town centre with a statue of Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, mounted on a horse.

Later on in the season we mainly chose to make the right turn out of the marina. A new section of the road had been completed which now by-passed Yenierenkőy and ran along the coast instead, i.e. on the flat. We scouted out various bays, the lighthouse, a little mount acting as a viewpoint, discarded carob warehouses, and the way back via Yenierenkőy and Sipahi.

We also grappled with the 10% ascent to Balalan, a little hamlet with a fountain on its periphery and not much else, passed through Eşenkőy with its houses, farms, derelict church and barking dogs, carried on to Yeşilkőy and rejoined the coastal road at Yenierenkőy back to the marina.

This particular trip comprised of 22 miles and 590m of ascent and took us around three hours – no mean feat on our little bikes! Our tour de force, however, led us past the turn-offs of Yenierenkőy and Balalan, as we carried on along the road to a caravan village. From there, a lane to the left wound its way up in steep serpentines (15%) to the summit of Yudi (ca. 210m) and an abandoned building. We huffed and puffed as we pushed the bikes upwards for most of the time.

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A downhill run to Yedikonuk followed, then a flat section to Mehmetçik where they make the Othello Zivania, a traditional Cypriot spirit made with grapes and cinnamon (we sampled quite a few bottles of it, just to make sure, and found it to be rather delicious). On we carried to Balalan and the familiar way back home. After 32 miles and six hours we were back on board. Unsurprisingly, we had an early night on that day.

We enjoyed fantastic outings on Northern Cyprus with beautiful sights wherever we went. We looked across hills and fields, out to sea, down ravines and inside derelict buildings. Villages were nestled into the countryside, flowers and pretty weeds brightened up the scenery, the air was clean (no industry in the area to speak of) and the locals were picking potatoes or generally going about their business (whatever that was). We found the people to be extremely friendly. They stopped to check we were okay when we looked at our map, shouted “hello” from cafés (how did they know we were tourists?), honked their car horns as a greeting, waved from their tractors and gardens, offered us a lift and even invited us to join their picnic. We truly had a most wonderful time!

It wasn’t all games and play, though. Cordelia required our attention, needed to be winterised, serviced, maintained, cleaned and inspected. We hauled her out in March and spent twelve days on the hard. It should have been no more than seven, but a storm with 60 knots of wind delayed our splash and we were yard-bound. We took this as an opportunity for more polishing and getting friendly with our boat neighbours.

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We had also become gym bunnies! Peter pumped iron and put miles on the exercise bike, while Ingrid discovered her dodgy knees were okay for jogging on the treadmill. We also spent time in the pool where Peter found his buoyancy and Ingrid practised diving.

And so the season passed. The temperatures that had dropped for about three weeks to just over 10ºC (air) and 16ºC (sea) rose again, the Beach Club re-opened in April, the locals eventually abandoned their puffer jackets, and the hotel and restaurant saw some guests again. We were getting itchy feet and prepared Cordelia for sailing, but before we bade adieu we wanted to see more of the sights. So we rented a car and went on a road trip.

Chapter Four: A WEEK WITH A CAR

17 April 2023 (Monday)

The rental car from Sonçiğ, a little silver Nissan Note, got delivered at 9.30am, and we were away just before 11.00am. Turning left out of the marina we took the D-100 towards Dipkarpaz, then made a right turn onto the IK-23 and followed the signs to the Apostolos Andreas Monastery. This used to be an important resting place on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Today, there’s still a chapel and healing waters, and as such it attracts bus-loads of tourists. The road to it was narrow and full of potholes, and when we finally arrived we wondered whether it had been worth the effort.

We found it very commercial with stalls and cafés outside. Inside, next to the room which held all the icons, they sold candles. You’d buy one, light it and make a wish. Then, as soon as you were round the corner, a monk would come, blow it out and remove it, so it could be sold over and over again.

We saw some wild donkeys, and liked the views over Golden Sands Beach on the way there. It wasn’t enough to make us linger, though, so we retraced our way to Dipkarpaz and took the quiet IK-17 towards Kaleburnu.

We parked up outside the village and climbed up the faint path to Kastros Hill, an excellent view point. From there we carried on towards the village and found the ancient cave tomb. It was a bit of a struggle to get in, but we much preferred this empty place to the crowded monastery.

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We walked through the village, were greeted by the locals, saw some strange looking plants (turned out to be Agave Americana in their dying stage) and made it back to the car. We’d had a rewarding 1 ½ hours’ walk. Then we carried on along the road past Avtepe, Derince and Gelincik, bypassed Yenierenkőy and were back on Cordelia at 4.45pm for a cup of tea.

18 April 2023 (Tuesday)

We left the marina at 8.45am and took the D-100 and D-55 to Salamis, an ancient city state on the other (=east) side of the island. We paid our entrance fee of TL50.00 each and entered via the gymnasium, bath and latrines. These were from the Roman period, and so was the adjacent amphitheatre.

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The place itself was believed to have been the capital of Cyprus back in the Bronze Age, and tradition claims it was founded by Anatolian tribes. It had seen many different occupiers since 1,100 BC, like Assyrians, Persians, Egyptians and Greeks. It suffered from earthquakes and was ultimately destroyed in 647 AD after the Arab invasion.

We left the crowds behind and followed the Colonnaded Street past the Roman Bath and Fish Market, and had a rest on a bench at the 7^th century Byzantine Wall. It was a hot day, but we walked to the Forum-Agora and the Temple of Zeus before concluding our round tour via the Geometric-Hellenistic Remains, the Basilica of Campanopetra and remnants of an old olive oil mill. A good two hours later we were back at the car, sweaty, thirsty and hungry.

Peter had found a Molto supermarket when he did his research and we now paid it a visit on our journey back to the marina. It was of a decent size, so we were able to stock up on bottles containing various liquids (mainly red) and we even got some English mustard. Next stop was at the Senmar supermarket where we managed to obtain more wine, whisky and Zivania along with some other essentials. We stayed clear of the pizza, though, as £6.00 for a frozen Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante felt extortionate.

We postponed a hike we had planned near Kumyali Kőy and drove straight back to the marina with our purchases. Once they were stowed away, we enjoyed a cup of tea and got ready for some serious evening relaxation.

19 April 2023 (Wednesday)

We’d had rain during the night and the day was overcast. We set off around 10.00am on the D-100 to Girne. It was lovely to drive along the road we’d cycled on to Mehmetçik, and very pretty for a long time after that. In the first half hour of our trip we only saw four other cars on the road, but it got busier the further we went, and chock of block when we got to Girne. There we finally joined the D-25, crossed the dual carriage way and ascended a steep hill.

When we passed a military zone we were stopped by a man dressed in combats and asked to wait, the reason we were given for this being “sniper practice”. Not wanting to get caught by a stray bullet we happily obliged. Five minutes later we were allowed to move on, and soon afterwards we parked up at the 11^th century Saint Hilarion Castle. Another TL50.00 each to enter and we were free to wander about.

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The complex was surprisingly huge and consisted of remnants of a Byzantine church, barracks, the royal apartments, a privy, kitchen, workshops, cisterns and several watchtowers, all of course devoid of any furniture. The buildings were on multiple levels and connected by stairs inside and out which were rather slippery due to the frequent rain showers on that day. We made it safely all the way to the peak (732m) and back down again in a couple of hours, and were suitably impressed. What was good enough for Richard the Lionheart who stayed there on his trip to the Holy Land was definitely still worth a visit all these years later.

By then we were spent and decided to retreat to the Savoy Hotel that Peter had booked online (£99.00 incl. breakfast and dinner). The hotel doubled as a casino, tried to pass bling as posh, and had two Bentleys and one Maybach parked near the entrance. It also featured valet parking, so we handed over the keys of our little Nissan to a smartly dressed man and checked in. After a little rest in our room and a cup of tea we ventured out again to walk along the harbour quay. Just around the corner of the hotel we found our car neatly parked – on the side of the road!

The town itself was busy and loud but the harbour was just touristy with a few gulets (large wooden Turkish tourist boats) moored up. We found the entrance to Kyrenia Castle which we planned on visiting the next day, lots of shops, a chandlery and several busy barbers. We gave them all a miss and returned to the hotel exhausted. After a refreshing shower and a bit of a read we went to dinner just after 7.00pm. This turned out to be a buffet, so we filled our plates with multiple samples of the local cuisine. It was all very tasty, but we soon adjourned to our room for a snifter and more tea. We read again until our eyelids got heavy, and turned the lights off at 9.30pm.

20 April 2023 (Thursday)

We awoke to sunshine at 6.00am. Ingrid read for a while, then showered, and woke up Peter to have breakfast at 7.00am. We were checked out by 8.30am, deposited our overnight bag in the boot of the car, then made our way to the harbour, and after a brief walkabout carried on to the castle.

We were the first and only ones there, paid the usual TL50.00 each to enter and had a good look around the 14^th century building. We also saw the exhibition of a family tomb from the Stone Age, and the shipwreck museum with its 2,300 year old Hellenistic boat and amphoras. We walked along the top of the castle, careful not to dislodge any stones, and had great views over the harbour and town, then had a look at the gruesome dungeons with very realistic displays before we left to pick up the car.

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On the drive back to Karpaz Gate we stopped at two supermarkets and a hardware store for more provisions, then turned off right onto the IK-02 towards Kantara Castle. We parked at the restaurant and walked the remaining three miles up through lovely scented pinewood. This complex was much smaller than yesterday’s ruins but approximately of the same age, and Richard the Lionheart had been a guest there, too. We clambered around its empty rooms and watchtowers and admired the views. What a place to build a castle!

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We followed the IK-76 road down to the car. Despite us coming from the top we seemed to be going uphill for most of the way back, a phenomenon we couldn’t explain. Luckily, this was not the case for the long and winding road down to the D-100, and from there it was only a short hop back to Cordelia and a nice cup of tea.

21 April 2023 (Friday)

The day started overcast with drops of rain. We were in no hurry and had a leisurely morning, so only set off along the D-100 to Kumyali Kőy at around 11.00am. We parked at the church of this little village, then walked along a track that led through fields of flowers, grasses, cereals and olive trees. To start off, we were at first followed by a shepherd and his flock, but soon they began feeding (the sheep, that is) and we were left on our own.

We passed a quarry and had a look at a derelict church and a cave before we reached a little lagoon and the beach. There was a bench nearby, so we had a short rest before we completed our round trip through the countryside. On the way we encountered various wildlife, such as grasshoppers and even a cat snake, and after a couple of hours in nature’s bosom we were back at the car. We made a detour to the Senmar supermarket to stock up on water, wine and whisky, and turned back home.

22 April 2023 (Saturday)

Another overcast start, and it was supposed to get worse, so we decided on a rest day. This touristy sight-seeing malarkey was quite tiring and we took the conditions as an opportunity/excuse for a break to recuperate from our travails.

As it turned out, the weather cleared out and the sun came out, but we still didn’t go out. Instead, we sat in our cockpit, sunbathed, read, drank tea and generally relaxed. We had a session in the indoor pool in the late afternoon just before a family of five arrived, so we returned to Cordie and enjoyed our dinner. A little snifter of whisky while watching YouTube videos concluded the day.

23 April 2023 (Sunday)

After breakfast, fully recovered and bursting with energy Peter cleaned the hire car and washed off the sand that had come within the rain a couple of days ago. We then had another cup of coffee and once again set off on the D-100. We passed all the familiar places until we reached Crystal Bay Marina. There was no marina despite the name, just holiday homes and a hotel.

We took a left turn onto a lane that led to nowhere, and parked at the end. Out of the car and on foot, we followed a track that meandered gently up the hill through gorgeous smelling pinewood. We stayed on it for a bit too long and had to retrace our steps until we found the path that was going off to the right. It was narrow and a bit overgrown in places, but except for a few scratches on our legs from some prickly bushes we suffered no vital injuries. Further on we squeezed through an opening between rocks, and bravely continued on the route through the woods of pine and carob trees until we reached the ridge. From there it wasn’t far to a little no-name peak (ca. 310m) where we stopped for a rest before we headed down.

The path was more distinct now and was lined with pine needles which cushioned our steps and made for easy going. Soon we came to a natural tunnel, about 100 meters long. We had brought along a torch each for just such an occasion and they came in handy forthwith. We were not pestered by the flying insects that lived in their thousands in little holes they’d dug into the sandstone at both ends of the tunnel, but nevertheless we were glad to get out and pass them unscathed.

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Eventually we joined a larger dirt track that took us back down to the village and the road. At the Joya Hotel we turned left, went up the lane and found our car at the end of it. It had been another enjoyable walk in a beautiful countryside with good views.

On the way back to the marina we drove along the Old Coastal Road for a while. What a scenery we were presented with! The locals obviously knew about this as they had come in droves in their camper vans and mobile homes and lined up along the beach for their end of Ramadan holiday. Unfortunately the road was only wide enough for one car and contained a plethora of potholes, so before it got any worse we rejoined the new road.

We took the turn to Balalan, filled up with some petrol for the car and some for our outboard at Yeşilkőy, and arrived back at the marina at around 3.30pm for a nice cup of tea.

24 April 2023 (Monday)

At 9.30am the car was collected from the marina, inspected for damage and found to be no worse off than when we’d taken charge of it a week ago. All in all, the whole rental process had been painless, and having paid cash on delivery there were no additional costs. The staff at Sonçiğ Rent a Car spoke perfect English, could be contacted via Instagram and WhatsApp, and were pleasant and courteous. The price of £25.00 per day included delivery and pick-up, and the car, a Japanese import, was sound albeit for a few minor dents and scratches. The only consideration we had was that we should have looked in renting it for the whole duration of our stay, which would have provided us with more flexibility and independency, but such is hindsight.

As it was, we had managed well without it. We saw plenty of the scenery of Northern Cyprus, and loved its countryside, culture and people. We could even imagine living permanently in this part of the island or retire there when it’s time to hang up our foulies. However, we hope this to be a long time away in the future. In the meantime, we planned on more adventures in 2023 in Turkey and Greece, and had already booked our winter berth on Leros. All that was left for us to do was to wait for a weather window to take us there.