greek side

Back to the Greek side. Back to rebuilding, renovating and ... Starbucks. Ahhh. (Didn't drink any-- are you kidding me?!-- but it is funny how the 'Bucks seems to be the mark of "civilization" these days...)

Grabbed an electricity-less siesta and some much needed water and hit the streets again. Armed with three types of writing utensils and the map of the south side of Nicosia we began walking the Greek side of the Line, mapping out what streets were destroyed during the fighting, which ones are still vacant and which have started renovations. The thickness of the buffer zone is marked on all maps of the city, but when one includes the dilapidated streets in that calculation, the Line takes on another size entirely.

It is sad how many streets have been deserted since the war, but when compared to the Turkish side, there's a stark contrast. It takes roughly four blocks from the Line before the Greek side starts getting life again. Whether it is better funding, citizens more bent towards entrepreneurship or determination to reclaim their city, the Greek side has moved towards the contemporary regrowth with substantially more speed.

one block from green line

The areas that are still in ruins are either completely abandoned or are sparsely occupied, mostly by automobile workshops and architectural studios (oh, aren't we the ballsy ones!... Either that or the poorest, willing to set up shop anywhere. Hmmm.) It is clear that everyone wants these particular streets to be active once again, but so far it has only been a few brave (or monetarily challenged!) individuals who have actually begun reclaiming the area.

student coffee shop

After mapping and diagramming in the sizzling, sweltering sun for three hours (definitely got many strange looks as I used the buildings as a vertical writing surface and even had a few passers-by pull over to ask if I needed directions--- "ah, Miss! You have beautiful eyes!"-- sheesh), we grabbed some water and lemonade at the Cyprus University student hang out that we had discovered the day before. This area is near the Line but come 6 o'clock and it is packed with students drinking frappes and enjoying cigarettes, discussing politics, fashion and other such things. A busy hub like this, just a few blocks from the Line, only reinforces the striking distinction between the north and south sides of the city.

We finished our lemonades and made our way back to our beautifully air conditioned hotel to peel off our soggy clothes, saturated in afternoon grim and sweat. Delicious.

We are finally on the Cyprus schedule (the last day we're here!):


10 am: coffee and yogurt
2 pm: siesta starts/ electricity out
4 pm: siesta ends/ electricity on
5 pm: espresso and/or ice cream
9.30+ pm: dinner

view of Greek growth outside ancient walls

In the spirit of late night carousing, we waited until almost 10 pm before finding a place to eat. Oh, we are so with the times! Having had a Greek salad every day since arriving in Rhodes mid July, we opted for some pasta and found ourselves eating an Italian salad and roasted veggies pasta. A full bottle of wine and good bread and we were right back in Italy there on the streets of Greek Nicosia. Gotta love globalization.

Grabbed a Turkish coffee after dinner. Now, just for the record, Turkish coffee could be the best thing in the world. Layered with cardamon and the lightest amount of sugar, its thick texture coats the throat as it ambles down making a girl feel like she might just downright have to dance a jig with joy. Hot smooth liquid that is relished up to the point where the sipper must stop! suddenly lest she suck down the viscid dregs that occupy the entire bottom half of the tiny espresso cup. It is well worth the risk of getting the gritty dregs in the mouth. Well worth it. It's heaven. Simply heaven. Being around the Green Line makes one have a distaste for these Turks, but if they could come up with a drink this amazing, well, I might have to reconsider...

street starting housing renovations

Tomorrow it's an early flight to Beirut where I am hoping to do a similar mapping exercise. The Lebanese Green Line was taken down in 1990 at the end of the Civil War and has become a hot spot for flashy architects and millions of dollars of developmental investments. Nicosia is struggling to deal with its Green Line, to come to a political agreement or a way to move forward. Beirut has had 21 years of slow progress and has recently attacked the idea of reclamation with a fervor unmatched in any other war-torn city.



Goodbye Greek salads. Hello labneh and modern architecture.