Dear old Girne

[Mufflet]

Someone, Who ?, has got to get a grip on this place. Traffic is horrendous, building is horrendous, roads are horrendous. Went to school here, saw camels on Colony road then, today it's BMW's. Had my bike stolen yesterday, perhaps I had better lock my front door and take my ignition keys out or maybe move to Karpaz but I suppose it will happen there as well soon before they hand it to the Greek's that is. Saw the carpenter in the old town, he's still making chairs, he's over 80, so it's all over for my generation. Advice sought !

[Hilltop]

Can't stand Girne. A reasonable harbour, smelly noisy traffic and ...............................................................er....... that's it really.

[Ragged Robin]

Yes Hilltop, but the point is did you know what it was like fifty years or even twenty . One of the most picturesque and and characterful places on the globe and peaceful and full of friendly and interesting people. A real tragedy what has happened to it. and it is happening all over the World. Mufflet is right it will catch up with te Karpaz. And we used to boast that Northern Cyprus had the only unspoiled coastline on the Med,and look at it now.

[munchy]

Ragged Robin, I cannot agree more. Girne had the finest Harbour certainly in the Eastern Med. What made it EXTRA Special were the people there. Funda at the Harbour club , "Eddie" at the Chimera, Brian at the Cavalier Bar for example, were wonderful Hosts.

[jofra]

Our first visit to TRNC in 2011, we stayed with/at our TC friends' apartment in Girne - it had a (partial) view of the sea on one side. Our friends told us that when they first got the apartment, they could see the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. The following year, a minuscule view of the sea existed - the next year - no view of the sea whatsoever! Just 4/5 storey blocks all around.....
Having said that, we now have our little "swallow's nest" out at Karsiyaka - but I still prefer even Girne as it is now over our seven-mile-distant town of Manchester.....

[munchy]

Jofra, No one can stop the march of progress, but I agree, the TRNC is still a very special place if you know where to go. There are still gems to be found and the place is not for everyone but most long standing Expats have a common "feel for the place" because of its uniqueness.

[sophie]

I used to be like munchy, but I'm sadly, very sadly I must say beginning to feel just like Jofra. I try hard not to have to go into Girne unless forced to do so. On top of all else the pong is getting worse. I also feel sorry for some of the visitors as well, because when they book their holiday and look at pictures in brochures and on the net, the photographs were taken long before the rash of awful blocks of flats. A German couple last week at the Pia Bella were saying they had met some fellow German visitors, who showed them the web site for the hotel they were staying at and then showed them photographs taken the day before. No sea view at all and barely any mountain view from their terrace. I know all included holidays are peanuts at the moment but it is still a disappointment when people arrive for their 2 week break