Cyprus II: Mythology

Botticelli's Aphrodite

This small island has amassed an incredible amount of historical importance over the centuries, which I will expand on in a different entry, but something that really intrigued me was the overlap of actual history and mythology. While reading information on a historical site, both types of stories are written as fact.

Dionysus
I’ve already touched on the mythology of Dionysus in Cyprus, but just as a recap: The Cypriots claim to be the first among mortals to drink and produce wine, this knowledge was imparted by The Greek God of Wine (and lots of other things) himself: Dionysus. The first round went fairly poorly, but picked up after that.
Still, there are many sites around the island claiming to be important areas for some of Dionysus’ sidekicks: nymphs, satyrs, fauns, etc.

Aphrodite
There are hundreds of versions of the legends of Aphrodite, I am just going to describe a few.
Aphrodite was a half-goddess, ‘born’ to Cyprus. The story of her birth begins with the God Uranus (God of Heaven, way up no the God Hierarchy), or in some versions of the story, Zeus. Uranus was married to Gaia (Earth) and the two had several children, including Cronus, their youngest. Due to many manipulative act’s on the part of Uranus, the rest of the family was seriously displeased and Gaia convinced Cronus to castrate him. He did so, and the penis fell into the sea and as it washed up towards the shore it turned into foam, and the foam and blood turned into Aphrodite ("aphro" means foam). The story goes that she landed on a specific rock,’ Petra tou Romiou’, (near Pafos), which people have been visiting for centuries.

There have also been centuries of women who formed the Cult of Aprhrodite, with pilgrimages being recorded to the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, constructed in 1500 b.c. (But Aphrodite-worshiping artifacts have been found dating back to 3800 b.c.) Many of the worshippers over the centuries have been prostitutes. The famous mosaic of Aphrodite and the swan was originally in this sanctuary.

(More information on her cult: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cyprus/paphos-sanctuary-of-aphrodite.htm) I find this site incredibly interesting.

Aphrodite Falls

Early on, Aphrodite was married off to a lesser god named Hephaestus who was mean, ugly and crippled. She had thousands of love affairs, one of the most notable being with the beautiful Adonis (also born on Cyprus, but his story is a lot more incestuous) and she allegedly would meet him at some waterfalls near the town of Polis. (We visited; there was an eel in the water, which kind of freaked me out).

Achilles
One of the sites we visited was the ruins of Kourion (details to come in a future entry). Along with a theatre, a palace, a basilica, etc., there is also a building (4th century A.D.) on the outskirts of the town that some claim was the home of Achilles. There is a mosaic on the floor of this building portraying the following story:
“In order to prevent Achilles from entering the Trojan War, his mother, Thetis, dressed him in women's clothes and hid him among the daughters of King Lykomedes. However, Odysseus blew his cover by displaying a range of weapons alongside a selection of jewellery and watching Achilles’s reaction.” (http://www.cyprus.com/the-house-of-achilles-t-info.html).

Another mosaic was found  depicting the first bath that Thetis gave Achilles, allegedly making him immortal.

Venus and Adonis. 1635.Pieter Pauwel Rubens. ''The story tells that Adonis was the offspring of the incestuous union of King Cinyras of Paphos, in Cyprus, with his daughter Myrrha. His beauty was a byword. Venus conceived a helpless passion for him as a result of a chance graze she received from Cupid's arrow (Ovid: Metamorphoses). 

Click this link to read Ovid’s story of Venis and Adonis:
http://www.windowoncyprus.com/myths_and_legends_of_cyprus.htm#Venus%20and%20Adonis

Or Ovid’s story of Cinyras and Myrrha:
http://www.windowoncyprus.com/myths_and_legends_of_cyprus.htm#Cinyras%20and%20Myrrha

Both part of ‘Metamorphoses’
Written 1 A.C.
Translated by Sir Samuel Garth, John Dryden, et al

Cyprus I: Wine

After Morocco it was time to head to the other end of the Mediterranean- the island of Cyprus. My friend Vicky (from such adventures including Carnival in Cadiz and her last visit to Granada) is stationed in the southwest of the island, the Akrotiri peninsula, and a visit was long overdue. Over three weeks the two of us explored the whole island and discovered tons of interesting things.
Instead of recounting our travels chronologically, I’ve decided to separately focus on the things that really shaped my Cypriot experience.

Historically

Cyprus is archeologically one of the sites of the oldest known wine-makers and wine consumers with discoveries of winemaking evidence in Erimi village from at least 3500BC (five and half thousand years ago), as well as grape seeds in two wine vessels excavated in Pyrgos from more than 5000 years ago. These finds clearly give Cypriots the title of oldest wine-o’s of the Mediterranean.

The first literary reference to Cypriot wine is in the Bible. In Solomon's "Song of Songs" Chapter 1, Verse 14 "My beloved in unto me as a cluster of Cyprus in the vineyards of Engadi".
King Richard the Lionheart captured the island in 1191 and liked the wines, In the same year he sold the island to the Knights Templar, who set up their headquarters or Grand Commanderia in the district where ever since the best known Cyprus wine Commaderia has come from ever since.

Mythology

The Cypriot wines were praised by Dionysos (Greek God of Wine); worshippers of Aphrodite celebrated with 'Cyprus Nama" allegedly the oldest wine known in history. The ancient House of Dionysus in Pafos is currently being renovated to show the elaborate and ornate mosaic floors. One of these floors portrays the myth of the creation of wine. The story goes that Dionysos paid a visit to the house of a horticulturist, Ikarios. He left with this man a vine-plant, telling him that by following the instructions he would be able to extract from the plant an unusual drink. Ikarios planted the vine, harvested the grapes, fermented the liquid exactly as he had been told to. He then invited his neighbours over to taste the new wine. The fragrance of the drink amazed them, and before long they were singing its praises. Then suddenly the drinkers began to collapse, falling over in drunken stupor. Those left standing accused Ikarios of poisoning them, and they beat him to death and threw his mutilated body into a well. His daughter hanged herself. This, according to myth, was the first manifestation of Dionysos, benefactor of mankind, giver of good things.  (http://dionysia.org/greek/dionysos/thompson/dionysos.html)

Today

The Cypriot wine industry ranks 37th in the world in terms of total production quantity (37,500 tonnes) and much higher on a per capita basis (wikipedia). Internationally, it is best known for Commandaria wine (a delicious sweet wine, known as ‘The Wine of Kings’).

Mavro grapes

The grapes grown here have been carried throughout the world to become cultivated on every continent. The most used locally are Mavro and Xynisteri, Other grapes cultivated on Cyprus include:
Malvasia, Sauvion Blanc, Riesling, Semillon, Chardonay, Muscat, Ofthalmo, Carignan Noir, Mataro, Malaga, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Palomino, Shiraz, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache Noir, Merlot, Oeillade, Lefkada and Maratheftiko (the most ancient variety, currently enjoying a revival.)

Besides the Commandaria/Koumandaria, another local treat we found was the fiery Zivania ‘The Rural Spirit’. This is an incredibly high-alcohol (max 52%), clear spirit that is uniquely made entirely out of grape residue (the leftovers). (If you’d like the details on exactly how this procedure goes, let me know). Anyway, this is a BURNING liquor that many locals use as window cleaners, as well as an after-dinner shot. Honestly it was a little strong for my preferences, although some of the variations we tried were better than others.

Another Cypriot wine is Kokinelli, rivaling the Zivania in strength and most overwhelming when ordered at any of the local kebab shops or restaurants. Rumor has it that when tested it contained over thirty known poisons!!

Vicky and my Cypriot wine experience was fairly thorough. Day one found us at the National Wine Museum in Kolossi, near Akrotiri. Here we saw some of the “Amphora”- double handled terra cotta jars (Pithari in greek), as well as one of the oldest known giant jug things (Pitharia) We also watched a stellar video montage of Cypriot wine through history accompanied by music composed by the museum’s very own owner….

The labeler at one of our favorite
visited wineries

In addition to some independent study over the next few weeks we also spent a day driving through the Troodos region whose hills and mountains are well-known for their copious amounts of wine trails (although some are almost impossible to locate and follow). A few of the wineries we did find were closed, but the ones that weren’t were run by incredibly friendly Cypriots who were more than happy to proudly share their finest work and family stories with us. One showed us some of his hundred year old vines, emphasizing that the hills of Cyprus have never been exposed to some of the diseases and pests that ruin vineyards in other parts of the world. The lack of variation in climate also ensures little change among the vintages- a good wine in 2000 will almost definitely taste the same in 2007. During these winery visits we also discovered Kiofteria- a sweet, tan-colored, chewy treat made from grapes that is used for a healthy energy boost.

Me at Troodos, Mt Olympus

It was also during our Troodos travels that we visited the snowy top of Mount Olympus and the darling (not snowy) town of Omodos, home of an ancient wine-presses.

We also encountered a very exciting 800 year old olive tree

and were locked into a little old man’s historical home.











Fun Fact:
The Cypriots used to (and still do) hollow out gourds to use as scoops for wine out of the jars/barrels! Some we saw were very extravagantly decorated, but most were unadorned with sloppy holes cut.


Here's some more information, if you're interested:
http://www.cypruswinemuseum.com/eng/tour/

http://www.cypruswineries.org/index.php?id=2

Sand and Camels!

Hands-down, the highlight of my Moroccan experience was the time spent in Erg Chebbi, the sand dunes southwest of Er Foud. I had been so disappointed up to this point at not having seen any camels. We might have passed some during our long driving day from Fes to Er Foud, but as a good deal of this was done after dark, I was none-the-wiser. [Sidenote- this drive was incredible as we found ourselves in such a variety of different terrains throughout the day. There was also a heroic move on Angel’s part of saving a road-crossing turtle from certain death, as well as a ‘romantic dinner’ on a very dirty, busy street of Midelt, where we ate dinner to celebrate the surprising arrival before our anticipated run-out-of-gasolinery.]

By the time our truck rolled into the astonishingly lavish Xaluca hotel it was way past dark and we were exhausted. (We did take the time to explore the place before bedtime though!) The next morning we experienced another incredible Moroccan breakfast of fruit, juices, meats, cheeses and more pastries that I could even possibly try (despite no lack of effort to do so).

When we walked out of the hotel I was SHOCKED to see….. finally….. CAMELS!!! There were four babies right outside the entrance, standing there, chewing on some straw and just generally lazing about. I was beyond excited!

An hour of roadless driving across rocky desert lead us to the dunes!! Once we got close to the sand we saw the occasional evidence of human life, as well as quite a few more camels!! We checked into our hotel (if you can call it that, ‘private sand castle villa’ might be more appropriate) Café du Sud and were finally forced to slooooooowww down to the mindset of the desert and enjoy ourselves. We were given the typical sweet mint tea on the patio overlooking the dunes and offered the lunch menu: Yes or No were the options.

We were not at all disappointed- lunch consisted of a large, fresh salad and a giant tagine full of meat, vegetables, egg, possibly some cheese and a lovely spicy flavor to it all. Dessert was beautifully sliced and arranged fruit. At this point we were shown to our room- a large, cool, adobe living arrangement including several sitting areas and a private rooftop terrace with bowls of dried fruits and nuts and lined with cozy, comfy and colorful floor pillows.

Café con Leche

Late afternoon a man brought some camels by for us to ride up to the top of the dunes (which I loved but made Angel morally uncomfortable and unceasingly apologetic to the camels). I was appalled to learn that our pair of camels were nameless, and the situation was soon remedied- My darker camel and Angel’s lighter camel were from then on referred to as Café con Leche (Coffee and Milk).

 Once at the top of the tallest dune, we ran around a little in the sand and admired the smooth, flawless lines created by the wind and shadows before settling down on a blanket to watch the most awe-inspiring sunset I’ve ever seen.
The way back down found me incredibly relaxed. For dinner (another ‘yes or no’ option) we had more of the delicious tea, another even-more-impressive tagine creation with sides of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the accompaniment of several bored local teenage boys who all pulled out various forms of percussion for an impromptu jam-session. Walking back to the room, the moonless sky showed off more stars than I had ever seen, especially with no man-made light visible in any direction.

I am once again delighted by a Moroccan breakfast on Monday morning- this time enjoyed at a table directly at the foot of the dunes with our bare feet in the sand. I sat and enjoyed my sweet coffee while Angel sneakily pursued and studied a large, weird-looking sand beetle across a couple of the smaller dunes.

After a while we drove to the nearest semblance of a town on the other side of the dunes, where we each rented a 4x4. All in all, we were out for about 3 hours- climbing sharply up and flying down the drastic angles of the sand until we reached the green, palmy oasis in the center. Here we enjoyed a glass of tea and Angel made a new friend- the two of them had the genius idea of dragging each other on a snowboard behind one of the 4x4s. I watched from the shade and hoped that they didn’t kill themselves. (They surprisingly didn’t). The drive back was even more exhilarating! We had time for one more delicious tagine lunch by the pool before we had to leave. We spent the rest of the day exploring the market of Er Foud- much smaller than the one in Fes, but with just as many interesting finds. We drove for the majority of the next two days, stopping for food and random scenic views until we reached the port of Nador where we caught the 6 hour boat back to Spain and reality!

Fes Festivities

Every town we went to had a market, usually supplying spices, vegetables, random decorative items, etc. However, I have never experienced anything like the markets in Fes.
We arrived to the city around sunset and somehow managed to dodge the kamikaze boys on scooters flying at us and trying to convince us to stay/eat/drink/shop at their father’s/cousin’s/uncle’s/neighbor’s hotel/restaurant/tea café/material store. We stopped at the top of a hill overlooking the city and I was shocked at how enormous it is! When we finally braved the insane traffic (mostly due to the aforementioned kamikaze solicitors) it took us forever to find the hotel and check in, so that it was fairly late by the time we decided to head into the medina- the old part of town- for some exploration. It was almost eerie- full of dark, quiet and abandoned streets with tiny little alleyways we weren’t sure we would even fit through if we tried.

At the top of the hill a few restaurants and snack stands were still open so Angel bought me some tasty little almond pastries that I love and then we sat down to eat a private, delicious tagine dinner. We had the traditional sweet mint tea, tabouli and lamb. By the time we headed back to the hotel there was hardly anyone at all left on the streets.
The next morning we started off with what may be my favorite part of traveling- a huge hotel breakfast buffet. The thing about traditional Moroccan breakfasts is that they are 90% delicious pastries. I ate heartily.

After breakfast we headed back to the Medina, which was unrecognizably different in the daylight. The streets were packed with people, not very many tourists but quite a few with donkeys.

In every possible space there are stands and stores selling everything including shoes, textiles, vegetables, meat, live baby chickens, live adult chickens, severed goat heads,

pharmaceuticals, musical instruments, religious items, carved wooden animals and other art, underwear, spices, etc.
Absolutely Incredible.

We passed one particularly beautiful building which turned out to be the Medersa Bouinania- built in 1350 as a mosque and residential theological college. This was a building full of colorful tile patterns and alabaster carvings, the same traditional Arabic style as the Alhambra.
We wandered around for a while and eventually asked several shop owners where we could find the areas used for dying cloth and leather. A man (who we think was named Rashid) appeared out of nowhere and offered to show us the dye areas and around his neighborhood in general.

We walked past the bread bakery where we saw a man pulling the typical pita-like dry bread out of an enormous oven.

Then we visited the textile house and met the man who weaves the blankets and tapestries out of silk, cotton or wool. (We bought beautifully bright silk ones- a red and a green.)

Next was the dye pools. We entered and were immediately greeted by a very strong stench. The ground floor was full of sectioned rock pools, mostly full of white lye but also a few shaded pools colored by spices such as paprika and cumin. There was also a water wheel where a man in very tall boots was stomping and churning the bleached hides.

Up some very narrow and rickety steps was the top floor, full of small shaded rooms used for stretching, texturing and detailing the hides. The roof was crammed with dyed hides drying in the sun.

From there we walked via other roofs to the top of a hill where ‘bric-a-brac’ and antiques were sold, as well as workshops for carpentry and musical instruments.

We spoke to several men who were making guitars and drums. Continuing up the hill we climbed past a cave that has been used as a stable for centuries up to the top for a stunning view of the city.

When we wandered back down, Rashid took us to his neighborhood spice guy, who let us smell the contents of every beautiful glass jar and explained some of his favorite combinations. He seemed particularly excited as he was not used to tourists coming into his shop so far away from the main market.

We ended up buying a few spices and a block of musk but politely declined several offers of henna paintings.

 The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering through the streets and back to the market. Truly a completely new and exciting experience for me!

To Chefchaouen: Vibrant Colors

I was shocked at how green the hills around the north coast were- I had imagined the country to be entirely desert. I was equally as surprised by the mountains…that still had some snow on them!!! 

We drove the borrowed pick up to the top just so we could say that we’d touched snow in Africa. (Also, it was on the way to where we were heading anyway). We had a lovely little snow ball fight.


The people also wore very brightly colored clothing- ranging from modern tee shirts to women in bright scarves and wide straw hats with colorful yarn decorations. These were worn mostly by the people working in the countryside- we passed hundreds along the highway.

An exception to the bright clothing was the dark, pointy-hooded Obi Wan Kenobi cloaks worn by the majority of the older men that we saw.

To be fair, each of the towns that we visited had a very colorful market, but the entire town of Chefchaouen was a beautiful beautiful bright blue! The old town climbs up along the side of the mountain with small, winding paths, and stone homes and shops built into the rock.

Most of the doors are tiny- I felt like I had swallowed the ‘eat me’ cake from Alice in Wonderland. We climbed all the way up to where the city ends and nature trails begin. At the top along the river there is a place where the women bring their washing and a tiny market selling candy, fresh orange juice, etc. We started talking to an older man sitting in the square and he told us about how Chefchaouen got its name- it means 'to see the horns' (on the mountain).

The horns of Chefchaouen

We also found out that the reason the town seemed vaguely familiar to us was because Granada’s Albaicín was designed in imitation (however it is white as opposed to blue).

When we went back down into the blue labyrinth we found a cozy little place called Restaurant Granada for lunch. It is owned by a little old man who has cooked there every day for the past 6 decades, during which I imagine the establishment has changed very little.

 We had a delicious lunch: tagines of chicken and vegetables with couscous. A little old man in one of the aforementioned cloaks joined our table (one of two) and ate with his hands, no napkin, and drank something muddy looking out of a clay mug.

After lunch we walked around the town some more, looking into the shops and exploring more of the tiny streets. Some of the things that I found really interesting were the baskets of colored powders used as paint or dye. (More bright colors!)
When we finally found our way back down to the new part of town we discovered a giant truck full of armed military men- preparing for a protest that was apparently going to happen that evening. We paid the guy who insisted that he had been guarding our car and headed south.

(Immediately upon entering Morocco you are bombarded by people asking for tips for everything. "Give me those border control forms... I filled them out for you... tip?"; "I watched your car drive safely over that speed bump... tip?"; "Here's some tea for the drive... tip?". One of the most common of these occurrences is tipping car-watchers. It is practically impossible to park without someone letting you know that they will be guarding your vehicle until you return, whether you want them to or not.)

Fun Fact: Ketchup is a very popular flavor in Morocco!! Throughout our time there we saw quite a few different ketchup-flavored packaged food items.