another day at the beach

East of Limassol city we sometimes meet up with friends at a cozy beach bar where kids can play by the sea. It's in an area referred to as Nautikos where youngsters practice sailing. So did our first Olympic medallist by the way. We thought this area was on Dasoudi beach until that day when we ended up on Nautikos while our friends in Dasoudi. Dasoudi being bit further east. This day any party was too lazy to move.


The waters at Nautikos are bit muddy unfortunately, probably from lack of cleaning in the warm and still(er) waters inside the built beach barriers. Afterwards we heard one of our friends at Dasoudi was stung by a Weever fish buried in the sand. Not dangerous, but painful and definitely swollen. Huh!

lava pebble beach in sunset

The pebble beache at the root of west Akrotiri peninsula is probably the best spot in Limassol for admiring sun go down in the Sea. Walking barefoot here is sort of good for both feet and back.

The grey-black stones that dominates are Troodos Ophiolite, so called igneous rock that formed through cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

The pebbles and cobbles have been transported along Kouris river for millions of years. Just being here feeling the lava stones under the feet gives a little perspective to things.

summer time

Went to catch the sun drop into the sea on west Akrotiri with kids grandpa. Kids played in their favourite natural pool sheltered by beachrock while grandpa went strolling for beach finds.

How do you enjoy summer best?

I'm working halftime with a local company's digital platform, currently mostly digital marketing.

beaches west of Kourion

Westwards from Kourion are several sea turtle beaches, not road signed in an effort to protect the turtles nests. We leave beaches cleaner than when we arrived.

More Long beach...

The little one is amazing how he keeps up walking with the rest of us. Some walks back and forth are several km:s in total.

From this beach only one shot, too busy chit chatting with folks we went with.

Oh, and this amazing beach. Found only seaway or through a narrow spooky tunnel.

summer

Summer, and mama collecting beach stones as visualized by son.
Occasionally knitting on a cardigan. One or two rows at a time.

Husband and his father chatting, and kite surfers covering sky line.
@ Long beach in Paramali.

Have a nice summer!

Sand fun

There's a lot of sand at Akrotiri turtle beach. It's stretching perhaps a hundred meters inland. Imagine the kids loose here. Much fun and lots sand in the shoes. I always have pocket full of finds after our beach trips. Here's a collection of what I found on this trip.

Something artsy

Crocheted a coral in waiting for summer I guess. And of curiosity over hyperbolic crochet. This is a hyperbolic plane with increases every second stitch, starting with fifteen chains in pure acrylic. Made another one right after in cotton/acrylic and smaller hook. Already pondering what do crochet next, maybe a double hyperbolic plane or a pseudosphere.

a lady

This sweetie is Ophrys flavomarginata. Met her scattered around Akrotiri area, a few here and there. She typically has green petals and sepals and it's upper (dorsal) sepal is bending over the flower.

That web project I mentioned earlier, I'm busy with it now.

common

While Ophrys orchids resembles of insects. The Anacamptis syriaca looks more like my preconceived idea of a common orchid. The first orchid we found on the island. It's also the kind we find in most abundande. This orchid is the most common orchid on Cyprus. Characterized by the noticeable veins on the hood shaped petals.

A lot of orchids on my mind lately. And the season isn't over yet.

graphical

Another lovely orchid on Akrotiri. Ophrys fusca ssp iricolor, non-endemic to Cyprus. Flat shape and graphical dark-blue-purple pattern. Seems a tough one. Found some exposed to rough wind on a barren hilltop, while others where dwelling in shadows or places popular with other species.

Every Ophrys is supposed to have it's own insect. It's tactic for survival is seducing that insect to pseudocopulation. Not only being insect looking, it releases a female pheromone to get pollinated.

Only in Cyprus

An expression used by Cypriots about Cypriot ways of doing things. Bit ironically. It isn't unusual however to see cars parked in weard places, signs with astonishing information, pickup trucks loaded oddly, and so on. Last year I saw a large television being thrown out of a car, while moving. Outside the fence of the neighbors backyard. As if it would disappear from there by itself. Sometimes it really is a useful expression for sure.

I am referring to something else here though. Orchids, these wonderful mystic vegetable creatures . Last weekend I finally discovered a bunch in the wild. At Akrotiri where we sometimes go for a walk or picnic. Some of them endemic, meaning they only exist in Cyprus.

Say hello to this Cypriot exclusive orchid: Ophrys argolica ssp elegans, or Argolian bee-orchid.

There will be more orchids in the following posts, new acquaintances with lovely characters.

fabling about

Mostly we're the only people when hanging around west coast of Akrotiri peninsula. If we spot someone it's a man fishing or jogging along the shore. Otherwise it's just we and the marvellous nature, and all random stuff that floats up on land. Sometimes these things are the spark for storytelling as we wander about. About ancient civilisations, shipwrecks and pirates. Though when sun drops into the sea it's time to head home again, back to modern civilisation. 

The job I told you about is a web project, and I will be writing a really good proposal this week.

another cardigan and a sea in sunset

Finally assembled the pieces of a cardigan I knit ages ago. Bit 60s chic and very warm mohair (about the project here, on Ravelry). Well needed on the cardigan stack. A girl can't have too many cardigans, right?

I'm job hunting and going on an interview tomorrow. Wish me luck!