A Matter of Choice

Earlier this year we visited the Cyprus Historic and Classic Motor Museum in Limassol. It's been on my 'to-do list' for several years now and I'm glad we finally got there! The museum originally opened 2014, and moved to larger premises in 2015. Today it covers an area of 3000sq meters and more than 150 exhibits covering more than 130 years of motoring history. Each of the vehicles had an information board, in both Greek and English although of course the boys were not patient enough to stop and read these without prompting.  However they enjoyed listening too Aaron tell them about the cars, especially when the stories were personal. He was amazed to see three makes of cars that his Mum had owned,  the Talbot (Matra) Rancho, Range Rover and Fiat 500.   This brought the cars to life for the boys as he told them about days out he'd had as a child in cars like these. My absolute highlight was the red double decker bus for several reasons, ...

As much as I love the beach and pool you can have too much of a good thing, especially in the height of summer when the temperatures reach 40 plus degrees every day so I am always on the look out for alternative ways to occupy ourselves. There are not a whole lot of options really but one I'd had in mind for a long time is the Thalassa Museum in Agia Napa.  Last year was the first year I thought Leo might appreciate it so back in July my Dad and I took the boys for a look round.Worst way round I thought we'd all appreciate the air conditioning! Leo was really impressed by the model sharks and other sea creatures and enjoyed looking at the main display - a replica of the 'Kyrenia II' a life size exact replica of the ancient vessel of the classical period (400 B.C) There are many glass panels in the floor which he found really interesting and a huge section where a reconstruction of the old shipwreck is displayed underneath.  There is also a documentary shown wh...

When you step off the tourist trail in Cyprus you realise there are many little hidden gems to be found, one of these is in Derynia, the village where we live.  The Derynia Folkloric Museum is a picturesque old house full of traditional Cypriot items including many household and farming tools. The museum is run by a friendly local called Varnavas, who grew up in the house and decided to open it up to the public and share his collection of now historic items.  He is happy to tell you lots of interesting information and you can tell he genuinely enjoys sharing his family and countries past with the visitors.  From telling you about all the photos of his large extended family lining the walls to opening up all the cupboards and pulling out  delicate hand made linens and traditional clothing to show you nothing is too much trouble. It is even possible to get married here at the museum, either in the traditional bedroom or in the c...