Overseas Properties in Cyprus by K&S Overseas Properties

Throughout our working life and all the colourful bustle of a busy career, raising a family and hectic social life, most of us spend time daydreaming about a very different lifestyle in the years to come... K&S Overseas Properties like to think that we have the home of your dreams right here for you, on Aphrodite's island...

The country of Cyprus is different enough to be challenging and exciting, yet has many aspects of life including driving and medical care that are reassuringly similar.

Life is never hurried in Cyprus, so relax and do the things you have always wanted to do, whether it be to start a new life working and living in Cyprus at a slower pace; as a place to spend you free vacation time or in your golden years of retirement.

CUISINE
Greek Cypriot cuisine derives from mainland Greece and its associated islands. Given the geography and history of Greece, this style of cookery has influences from Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisine. The terrain has tended to favour the production of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes tend to be a rarity by comparison. Fish dishes are also common.
Olive oil produced from the trees prominent throughout the region, adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. Many dishes use filo pastry. Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine. Traditionally, Greek dishes are served warm rather than hot as eating food too hot was deemed unhealthy.

Brandy Sour
Brandy Sour is the drink of Cyprus. It combines local brandy with the fresh tang of Cyprus lemons. The ingredients used are lemons squash, brandy, angostura, soda and lots of ice cubes.

Macaroni Pastitsio
This dish is loved by all, the young and old. It's delicious to be eaten right after baking. Although the preparations stay the same, the ingredients may vary from different countries. In Cyprus, the special ingredient includes halloumi cheese, cinnamon, bechamel sauce and nutmeg.

Barbecued Halloumi cheese
This is a special dish, made by the population of Cyprus. This dish is baked adding halloumi cheese (Arab in origin), then placed under a hot grill and grilled on both sides until golden brown. The slices are then served on a warm plate with the dressing poured over. Garnish with sprigs of coriander or flat leaf parsley before serving, eaten together with toasted pita bread.

Grape Tart
This delicacy is one of the favorites among younger generations. The grape tart is baked in large quantities, and served well chilled.

Kalimeras Halloumi
There's nothing lighter, more refreshing or tastier than this dish, grilled or fried until it's beautifully brown and served alongside a combination of crisp lettuce, raddiccio, fresh Cyprus tomatoes and Greek dressing. Add some bread, a glass of fresh Cyprus orange juice and you have a meal that will brighten up your day.

Melomakarona Honey soaked buns
To make the bread honey is used in a large quantity. The ingredients can be changed for sugar, instead. The buns are sprinkled with coarsely ground almonds before serving.

FIESTAS
Many folk traditions, such as the Carnival and Kataklysmos (Festival of the Flood) have overtones of ancient themes. Carnival festivities take place 50 days before Greek Christian Orthodox Easter which is the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting before Easter. The centre of Carnival festivities is Lemesos, but some festivities take place in Pafos and Larnaka, which hosts the biggest event.
At the heart of the festival is a joyful procession to the sea where people sprinkle each other with water. Whether this is in memory of Noah's survival of the flood, the coming ashore of resurrected St. Lazarus or, a celebration of the birth of Aphrodite, is sometimes debated, but in any event Kataklysmos is a spirited and uniquely Cypriot festival.
On June 28 and 29, St. Paul's Feast is feted in Pafos, where the Apostle journeyed after leaving Jerusalem.
Every September the Wine Festival takes place in Lemesos, a tribute to the fruit of the vine as it grows and thrives in Cyprus. With ten days of free-flowing locally produced wines, Dionysus would surely approve.
Cyprus also has rich musical and dance traditions quite distinctive from those of Greece. Instruments that typically accompany folk dances are the violin and laouto, a lute with four double strings played with the quill of an eagle or vulture. Both men and women are very nimble-footed and the dances often allude to village courtship rituals - and are therefore most popular at wedding ceremonies.
Hardly a week goes by in Cyprus without a celebration of some sort, whether it is a colourful festival or homage to a saint on one of the numerous ‘name’ days. The ‘Panigiri’, a traditional open-air fete, takes place mainly in the villages on the occasion of a saints name day. Easter, the most important Greek Orthodox religious event, is celebrated with solemnity, joy and hope.

The Greek Orthodox Church has been the mainstay of religion in Cyprus since the 1st century A.D., and in a society where the church continues to play an important role, old style values have been maintained and the family unit retains close-knit qualities that keep colourful customs alive, and underline the warmhearted character of Cyprus.
Carnival is one of the best known Cypriot celebrations, along with ‘Anthestiria’, the Spring Flower festival, and ‘Kataklysmos’ - the festival of the Flood, which coincides with Pentecost. Throughout the year there are also exhibitions, concerts, drama and folk festivals.
Whatever the present-day situation may be, Cyprus is littered with reminders of the islands' history. Relics from every era - Greek temples, Roman mosaics and 15th-century frescoes - influence the artists of today. Many villages specialise in a particular art form, and as you travel around Cyprus you’ll see pottery, silver and copperware, basket weaving, tapestry and Lefkara’s famous lacework.

Climate and temperature
Cyprus enjoys the best Mediterranean climate with approximately 340 days of sunshine per year. Pafos has the finest climate on the island with cooler summers and short, mild winters.
In Cyprus, it is possible to go skiing in the mountains in the morning then drive down to the coast and swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon!

How to get there
Excellent communications have contributed to a large extent in the progressive development of the island. The two international airports of Larnaca and Pafos, as well as the ports of Lemesos and Larnaca, connect Cyprus with all countries of the world. Charter and scheduled flights come into both airports daily with many major airlines.