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Journey into Cyprus
It was an unique journey - a 600 mile trek on foot around Cyprus, in the last year of the island's peace. Colin Thubron writes about it and with great immediacy, intertwining myth, history and personal anecdote. What emerges is a tapestry from which characters and places, architectures and landscape all spring vividly to life.
As a guide to the island and its survival through centuries of turmoil, JOURNEY INTO CYPRUS is invaluable. As a fine narrative of travel, it is compelling.
"Thubron worked hard to know Cyprus. He is a sympathetic observer, but also a candid one. He never lets sentiment or expectation get in the way of truth." (Daily Telegraph)
As a guide to the island and its survival through centuries of turmoil, JOURNEY INTO CYPRUS is invaluable. As a fine narrative of travel, it is compelling.
"Thubron worked hard to know Cyprus. He is a sympathetic observer, but also a candid one. He never lets sentiment or expectation get in the way of truth." (Daily Telegraph)
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First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Colin Thubron
45 books432 followersColin Thubron, CBE FRSL is a Man Booker nominated British travel writer and novelist.
In 2008, The Times ranked him 45th on their list of the 50 greatest postwar British writers. He is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Thubron was appointed a CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours. He is a Fellow and, as of 2010, President of the Royal Society of Literature.
In 2008, The Times ranked him 45th on their list of the 50 greatest postwar British writers. He is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Times. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Thubron was appointed a CBE in the 2007 New Year Honours. He is a Fellow and, as of 2010, President of the Royal Society of Literature.
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August 2, 2019So, this was my first book I read in March. The book with which I started my journey in Cyprus through 3 more books. So I will keep this review as brief as possible since I'll have more opportunities to show off Cyprus in the following reviews.
What I will do with this review is:
1) Tell you what it is about
2) Show you the titles of the fifteen chapters and pictures from the main places from each chapter.
That's all I'm doing.
1) So, Colin Thubron is a well known travel writer who wrote books about his travels in Himalaya, in Russia, in Syria, in China, in Central Asia, and of course in Cyprus.
He visited Cyprus between spring and summer 1972 less than two years before the Turkish Invasion, the so calledPeace Operation.
Cyprus a seemingly peaceful country, with Turkish and Greek speaking Cypriots living together in peace, the majority of them of course.
The author started from Aphrodite's Birthplace near Paphos and travelled, on foot, all around Cyprus covering a distance of almost 600 miles.
Sometimes sleeping under a roof, sometimes sleeping under the starry sky, getting lost in the Cypriot wilderness, encountering Cypriots of all kinds, Christian, Muslim, Rich, Poor, Friendly, Suspicious, encountering the sublimity of nature, the magnificence of history and the smells and sounds of Cyprus.
A bittersweet, nostalgic journey into Cyprus. Now it's time for some pictures, one per chapter.
01. The Goddess from the Sea
02. Tombs and Twilight
03. Wilderness
04. The Copper Hills
05. Into the Mountains
06. The High Troodos
07. The Glory of Byzantium
08. Poseidon's City
09. Nicosia
10. The Orchard Coast
11. The Gothic Range
12. City of the Graves
13. Famagusta
14. The Greek Heart
15. The Karpas
That's it. I hope you had a nice time travelling through these pictures. And why not take this book and come to Cyprus to see them for yourself?
Rating: 8/10
What I will do with this review is:
1) Tell you what it is about
2) Show you the titles of the fifteen chapters and pictures from the main places from each chapter.
That's all I'm doing.
1) So, Colin Thubron is a well known travel writer who wrote books about his travels in Himalaya, in Russia, in Syria, in China, in Central Asia, and of course in Cyprus.
He visited Cyprus between spring and summer 1972 less than two years before the Turkish Invasion, the so called
Cyprus a seemingly peaceful country, with Turkish and Greek speaking Cypriots living together in peace, the majority of them of course.
The author started from Aphrodite's Birthplace near Paphos and travelled, on foot, all around Cyprus covering a distance of almost 600 miles.
Sometimes sleeping under a roof, sometimes sleeping under the starry sky, getting lost in the Cypriot wilderness, encountering Cypriots of all kinds, Christian, Muslim, Rich, Poor, Friendly, Suspicious, encountering the sublimity of nature, the magnificence of history and the smells and sounds of Cyprus.
A bittersweet, nostalgic journey into Cyprus. Now it's time for some pictures, one per chapter.
01. The Goddess from the Sea
The Rock of The Greek. The Birthplace of Aphrodite
02. Tombs and Twilight
The Hellenistic Tombs of the Kings near Paphos
03. Wilderness
Akamas Peninsula, one of the last natural reserves in Cyprus
04. The Copper Hills
Skouriotissa Copper Mines
05. Into the Mountains
Saint Mamas Church in Morphou
06. The High Troodos
Spillia Village in Troodos
07. The Glory of Byzantium
Panagia Araka, One of the UNESCO Troodos Churchs
08. Poseidon's City
Medieval Fortress in Limassol. Richard the Lionheart's wedding took place here.
09. Nicosia
Saint Sofia Cathedral in Nicosia, converted into a mosque by the Ottoman Turks
10. The Orchard Coast
Kormakitis Coast, The last place on Cyprus that the Cypriot Maronite Arabic is still spoken
11. The Gothic Range
The Gothic Castle of St. Hilarion, one of the three gothic ranges on Pentadaktylos Mountains. Said to be the insparation for Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs castle
12. City of the Graves
Cathedral of Saint Lazarus, built on top of his grave in the 9th century. One of the oldest and largest Byzantine churches in Cyprus
13. Famagusta
Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Famagusta, also converted into a mosque by the Ottoman Turks
14. The Greek Heart
The Ancient City of Salamina near Ammochostos
15. The Karpas
The Golden Beach near Apostle Andreas Monastery on Karpasia Peninsula. One of the most beautiful natural beaches on Cyprus
That's it. I hope you had a nice time travelling through these pictures. And why not take this book and come to Cyprus to see them for yourself?
Rating: 8/10
August 10, 2014
The island of Cyprus has a history going back thousands of years, and has had numerous cultures invade an live there. The very earliest human activity is thought to be around 10,000 BC. The island is presently partitioned between the Greek south and the Turkish north following an invasion in 1974 by the Turks.
And it was in this period of tension Thuberon undertakes a walk around the island, looking to discover the people, the history, the places and the underlying reasons behind the animosity between the cultures in that decade. Being British he has good access to almost all of the areas of the island, and the people that he meets and extend their hospitality to him and almost all generous and welcoming.
He has a knack of bringing the landscape that he is travelling through to life, through the sights, smalls and atmosphere. He writes with an engaging style and his encounters with the people of this island are told with humility.
Still one of my favourite travel writers.
And it was in this period of tension Thuberon undertakes a walk around the island, looking to discover the people, the history, the places and the underlying reasons behind the animosity between the cultures in that decade. Being British he has good access to almost all of the areas of the island, and the people that he meets and extend their hospitality to him and almost all generous and welcoming.
He has a knack of bringing the landscape that he is travelling through to life, through the sights, smalls and atmosphere. He writes with an engaging style and his encounters with the people of this island are told with humility.
Still one of my favourite travel writers.
May 9, 2020
This is quite a unique book, Thubron must have been the last person to freely walk around Cyprus in the 1970's before things went to hell and the island was split in two. During his walk he interviews both Greeks and Turks to try and judge their level of animosity towards each other. On the whole they seemed quite peaceful, not much hatred towards each other...surprisingly there wasn't any hatred towards the British who had carried out their usual colonial brutality on the locals. Everybody he met was kind and they fed him, gave him shelter and asked how much his boots cost.
I've read a lot of travel books and this is one of those rare books about a country I have visited and it was nice to see Thubron visit a village that I have been to, each place got a little cheer from me.
The best part of the book was when Thubron found a small cave at a popular ruined site and he went exploring, soon the cave got smaller and darker. Thubron was relieved to see some daylight coming from a gap in a paving slab above him and had a look through it, so see a lady looking back at him. Just imagine the shock of seeing an eye staring back at you from beneath the paving slabs.
This was an interesting read, I liked how much the focus was on the history of the island, there is so much to learn about Cyprus and this only touches the surface.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...
I've read a lot of travel books and this is one of those rare books about a country I have visited and it was nice to see Thubron visit a village that I have been to, each place got a little cheer from me.
The best part of the book was when Thubron found a small cave at a popular ruined site and he went exploring, soon the cave got smaller and darker. Thubron was relieved to see some daylight coming from a gap in a paving slab above him and had a look through it, so see a lady looking back at him. Just imagine the shock of seeing an eye staring back at you from beneath the paving slabs.
This was an interesting read, I liked how much the focus was on the history of the island, there is so much to learn about Cyprus and this only touches the surface.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...
April 5, 2017
An excellent travel account of Cyprus.
May 2, 2014
Loved this book. The author does a great job of tracing the history of Cyprus from its neolithic origins through its many occupations including the Crusaders, Venetians, and Ottomans. He draws out the fascinating threads that connect Cyprus to its early Achaean settlers, to Homer's Iliad, to the Phoenicians that give the island its connection with the East, to Rome and to Persia. The author paints a rich tapestry of this small island whose copper mines and strategic position made it an important possession, sitting as it does at the crossroads of east and west. And his knowledge of the art and architecture of all the layers of civilization is quite stunning. I really enjoyed his characterizations of the people he meets while walking around the island, one year before the '74 invasion and subsequent partition. I learned much of my own heritage and plan to use this book as my guide next time I visit.
December 7, 2021
The audiobook is beautifully read by Jonathan Keeble (doing voices, including Gru's at times) and Thubron's descriptions are mesmerising. I was at this for quite a long time and I think I heard most of it twice because I kept going back to replay long sections, and it joins the few audiobooks that I'd dip into randomly in any spare moment for the instant immersive experience (On the Road, Pamuk's Istanbul, True Grit). Anyway this is the perfect balance of wandering and history, erudition and humility, and miraculously from the summer just before Cyprus was split.
November 8, 2020
I picked this up to read on my trip to Cyprus, but ended up starting it on the way back. It’s a fantastic read, a really great blend of history, politics, and travel writing. It feels fresh and alive even if though was written 50 years ago. Only complaint is that there are so many broad references that I kept getting on Wikipedia!
June 21, 2017
I really don't know where to start with this book. I had high expectations about this book on account of it's reputation, and was thoroughly disappointed.
This is a story about a man making the most boring trip across Cyprus imaginable. He was traveling a year before the Turkish invasion and decides to ignore all of the interesting activities surrounding this and instead chooses to visit boring areas of mild cultural interest.
His descriptions about the geography and history could be interesting if the had presenting them in a way that wasn't overly pretentious and pointless complicated. There was lots of possibility to really engage the history of island in his journey, but these barely readable parts of the book shoot down all of that potential.
That being said, his stories relating to the people he met are interesting and heart warming. You get a real sense of the fascinating and interesting characters that fill this island, and this in genuinely delightful to read. If Thubron had capitalised on this, it would be a far more engaging work and seem like much less of a chore to read.
If you like this sort of long winded overly grandiose type of literature, dig in. I however found it needlessly heavy and boring.
This is a story about a man making the most boring trip across Cyprus imaginable. He was traveling a year before the Turkish invasion and decides to ignore all of the interesting activities surrounding this and instead chooses to visit boring areas of mild cultural interest.
His descriptions about the geography and history could be interesting if the had presenting them in a way that wasn't overly pretentious and pointless complicated. There was lots of possibility to really engage the history of island in his journey, but these barely readable parts of the book shoot down all of that potential.
That being said, his stories relating to the people he met are interesting and heart warming. You get a real sense of the fascinating and interesting characters that fill this island, and this in genuinely delightful to read. If Thubron had capitalised on this, it would be a far more engaging work and seem like much less of a chore to read.
If you like this sort of long winded overly grandiose type of literature, dig in. I however found it needlessly heavy and boring.
November 11, 2013
This travelogue was written a year before the war began that split Cyprus in two, so the writer had the opportunity to see the island at a critical time and gauge the feelings of the inhabitants. There is a little of that (Turks and Greeks both dislike each other). But, the author seems most interested in the history and geography of the island, and only touches on the people - judging them by how authentically they match historical accounts of Cypriots. The author even wrote a few times about how he avoided contact with locals.
July 19, 2022
Colin Thubron's book on his 1972 walk around Cyprus is both of its time and not of its time. There's a strong focus on Cyprus' classical history, and probably for every one page of local interaction, there's three pages describing a mosaic or a church fresco. It's not that it isn't interesting, but such a focus on classical history is rather old-fashioned these days, and if the ratio were flipped, the balance would be much stronger to the modern reader.
It's certainly well-written, but sometimes a touch overly-flowery - it doesn't really add much to a description of boats bobbing in a harbour to suggest the scene is as if an underwater god is breathing in and out. And while cities are often less interesting than the more traditional country life, to write off the capital in ten pages of classical history starting with "I approached Nicosia with dread" is a bit excessive.
But the local interaction is strong - memorable bits include the monk who is astonished that an olive grown in his garden could somehow end up for sale in England; the down-at-heel 80-year-old who comes alive when playing his battered and alleged Stradivarius; the old farmer who accused his son of notions for going into Nicosia to buy a purple shirt (but secretly admitted to admiring it); and the old lady recounting her encounters with the local sprites, the kallikantzari. The journey along Karpas, the pointed finger of Cyprus, is nicely told, balancing wilderness with an unexpected road to a monastery, quite busy on the day as it's a Sunday. A lot of this is lost culture, and not just in Cyprus.
Yet it's here that, in a way, the book isn't of its time. The Turkish invasion was only around the corner, and yet there's no real indication of what's to come. In a way that's not surprising and arguably true to Thubron's experience - although the book was published in 1975 and some retrospection could have been written into the text - but there's also relatively little focus on EOKA and the upheaval of the previous decade. It's why reversing the balance of classical and social history could have turned this from a decent read into an excellent one.
It's certainly well-written, but sometimes a touch overly-flowery - it doesn't really add much to a description of boats bobbing in a harbour to suggest the scene is as if an underwater god is breathing in and out. And while cities are often less interesting than the more traditional country life, to write off the capital in ten pages of classical history starting with "I approached Nicosia with dread" is a bit excessive.
But the local interaction is strong - memorable bits include the monk who is astonished that an olive grown in his garden could somehow end up for sale in England; the down-at-heel 80-year-old who comes alive when playing his battered and alleged Stradivarius; the old farmer who accused his son of notions for going into Nicosia to buy a purple shirt (but secretly admitted to admiring it); and the old lady recounting her encounters with the local sprites, the kallikantzari. The journey along Karpas, the pointed finger of Cyprus, is nicely told, balancing wilderness with an unexpected road to a monastery, quite busy on the day as it's a Sunday. A lot of this is lost culture, and not just in Cyprus.
Yet it's here that, in a way, the book isn't of its time. The Turkish invasion was only around the corner, and yet there's no real indication of what's to come. In a way that's not surprising and arguably true to Thubron's experience - although the book was published in 1975 and some retrospection could have been written into the text - but there's also relatively little focus on EOKA and the upheaval of the previous decade. It's why reversing the balance of classical and social history could have turned this from a decent read into an excellent one.
October 13, 2023
“I will sing of stately Aphrodite
gold- crowned and beautiful,
Whose dominion is the walled cities
of all sea-set Cyprus.”
Homeric Hymn.
In this book, Thubron did a great job tracing the history of Cyprus from its Neolithic origins through to its many occupations.
“So rich and complex is the island’s history, so various the blood which it has mingled, that it is impossible accurately to trace its maturing. The country’s pageant is that of other races: of western powers traveling eastward- Mycenaeans, Romans, Crusaders; and of the eastern powers west – Egyptians, Phoenicians, Turks. So it is true that only these Neolithic stones can tell what was original to the people.”
The author visited the island in 1972, walked into its cities and villages, climbed up its hills, visited the antiquities, made friends with Cypriots, brought to life through his words the landscapes he was seeing and felt the presence of Aphrodite everywhere.
“Yet one of these – the recurrence in legend and belief of a goddess, a many faced Aphrodite-would keep the link unbroken between Neolithic embryo and modern man.
gold- crowned and beautiful,
Whose dominion is the walled cities
of all sea-set Cyprus.”
Homeric Hymn.
In this book, Thubron did a great job tracing the history of Cyprus from its Neolithic origins through to its many occupations.
“So rich and complex is the island’s history, so various the blood which it has mingled, that it is impossible accurately to trace its maturing. The country’s pageant is that of other races: of western powers traveling eastward- Mycenaeans, Romans, Crusaders; and of the eastern powers west – Egyptians, Phoenicians, Turks. So it is true that only these Neolithic stones can tell what was original to the people.”
The author visited the island in 1972, walked into its cities and villages, climbed up its hills, visited the antiquities, made friends with Cypriots, brought to life through his words the landscapes he was seeing and felt the presence of Aphrodite everywhere.
“Yet one of these – the recurrence in legend and belief of a goddess, a many faced Aphrodite-would keep the link unbroken between Neolithic embryo and modern man.
December 4, 2022
I loved this. There is a wonderful mix of erudition, adventure and simple delight in personality. He shows a great knowledge of the history of Cyprus and its mythology but this is all interspersed with fun, engaging encounters with local farmers and bar-hawks and the scholarly passages are usually followed by a laugh out loud encounter with a charismatic local. Moreover it is full of genuine adventure and you sense a feeling of warmth and empathy for the people he meets.
The timing is incredible - a journey by foot in the year, 1974, in which everything changed for Cyprus. As a (somewhat failed!) travel writer myself, I have to marvel at his sense of timing alone.
I have to say I read it while in Cyprus, often sipping a wine in the landscape he describes, and that might have helped. It is something to be read at leisure, not a bed-time page turner.
The timing is incredible - a journey by foot in the year, 1974, in which everything changed for Cyprus. As a (somewhat failed!) travel writer myself, I have to marvel at his sense of timing alone.
I have to say I read it while in Cyprus, often sipping a wine in the landscape he describes, and that might have helped. It is something to be read at leisure, not a bed-time page turner.
November 25, 2018
Colin Thubron writes in great detail about a Cyprus that he walked in 1972: in a frontispiece dated 1985 he says that it is gone for ever. I didn't get to this book till 2019 (it has sat unread on my shelves for 30 years!) and am so sad that the island is apparently so spoiled by the intercommunal conflict and by - I imagine - tourism, and internationalisation, including of alleged moneylaundering.
Notwithstanding, I want to visit Cyprus. Thubron's descriptions have a strong allure, although they are very detailed . I also want to find a straightforward and chronological history of the island, as this is eclectic and very deep. The one thing that this edition of the book is crying outfor is a timeline; the walk takes him through layers of history which naturally enough are not in hstoric sequence: and I now want to get them straight.
Notwithstanding, I want to visit Cyprus. Thubron's descriptions have a strong allure, although they are very detailed . I also want to find a straightforward and chronological history of the island, as this is eclectic and very deep. The one thing that this edition of the book is crying outfor is a timeline; the walk takes him through layers of history which naturally enough are not in hstoric sequence: and I now want to get them straight.
February 9, 2023
This book is based on a 600-mile walk that Colin Thubron took across the island of Cyprus in 1972 just before the island was partitioned. I read his latest book on the Amur River about 1 1/2 months ago, written when he was 80, and I was amazed at his stamina. When he did this hike, he was in his mid-30s, traveling very lightly with a sleeping bag and some clothes and often sleeping out in the open, or was taken in by local villagers or monasteries. Thubron brought out the people and landscape very well while diving into the ancient history of all these places. As one who has begun to walk daily, I liked reading a book that moved at the same pace as my walks as it really gave me a strong sense of the island.
October 5, 2021
I've been working my way through Thubron's back catalog over the past few months, and I think this book (his fourth) is the first of his great travelogues. It describes a 600 mile journey around Cyprus (mostly on foot) just before the partition of the country. Unlike his first three books, this one feels like a modern travelogue, rather than a history book with a few personal notes.
That said, Thubron still assumes his readers are as educated as he is. Do you know much about the House of Lusignan? If not, keep Wikipedia handy as you read.
He also retains the long beautiful sentences that make the first three books a joy to read.
That said, Thubron still assumes his readers are as educated as he is. Do you know much about the House of Lusignan? If not, keep Wikipedia handy as you read.
He also retains the long beautiful sentences that make the first three books a joy to read.
November 18, 2021
Ridiculously informative and evocative. The journey through Cyprus on the eve of de facto partition is a fascinating and absorbing one.
Thubron brings a wealth of historical information and cultural nuance to an often misunderstood island. Occasionally the betrays book betrays it’s age. Given it was written 50 years ago one can usually overlook the occasional racially strange references (Thubron is a fan of ‘the sensuality of x race was not mirrored in the unattractive women of y race’. But that aside an absolute must if you want to really understand the people and history of Cyprus.
Thubron brings a wealth of historical information and cultural nuance to an often misunderstood island. Occasionally the betrays book betrays it’s age. Given it was written 50 years ago one can usually overlook the occasional racially strange references (Thubron is a fan of ‘the sensuality of x race was not mirrored in the unattractive women of y race’. But that aside an absolute must if you want to really understand the people and history of Cyprus.
December 26, 2020
The book follows the author Colin Thubron as he walks around the island of Cyprus in the 1970’s right before the troubles there started and that option was taken away. I loved the book as it almost reminded me of travels in the Med with my family in the late 80’s and early 90’s before modernity took over and everything just seemed a little simpler and more innocent. A great book for travel adventurers everywhere.
February 4, 2023
If Durrell wrote about Cyprus at the end of British rule, Thubron wrote in the uneasy time between the enclaving of Turkish Cypriots and the 1974 Turkish invasion which quasi-permanently partitioned the island. Through his travels and construction of chapters, Durrell pivots between ancient mythology and history and balances it with modern appraisals of the Cypriot problem, speaking to Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, and Maronites. A view into an island before everything changed.
February 9, 2024
Focuses almost exclusively on architecture. I was expecting a more holistic representation of Cyprus, but the names of saints and monasteries with no context just made this heavy reading I knew I wouldn’t remember later. I only finished it because I didn’t want to be a quitter. There is the odd bit of lovely writing, but considering the book is 50 years old there are some aged ethnic takes, as should be expected.
February 10, 2024
Heavy with Thubron's characteristic observations, links with history, and first-person placement, but also a bit dated in attitudes towards peoples and places. It's a bit old-school British, what. The irony of a Brit rather sanctimoniously criticising a man selling antiquities in a recently independent Cyprus, while the British Museum is chock full of Cypriot artefacts shipped away during colonisation.
But it is Thubron, and so is a solidly entertaining piece of work.
But it is Thubron, and so is a solidly entertaining piece of work.
September 8, 2019
As good a place to start as any for understanding the complicated cultural heritage of this sunny island. I bought it as preparation for studying abroad in Cyprus, and was not disappointed. For good humor and impressive literary style, this might even beat the other major British work on Cyprus, Bitter Lemons of Cyprus— but I haven't read that one yet.
March 26, 2024
Thoroughly disappointing. I wanted a travelogue on Cyprus not a book on the history of Cyprus, little interaction with the local populace. An author clearly cynical about organised religion delivered with a certain arrogance though always very willing to take free food and lodging from religious orders. Glad to be finished with it
February 24, 2020
Beautifully written. Gives a-real sense of history found in ruins and sometimes rubble. Individuals met on this journey are described with wondeful observation . Very enjoyable ...ready to go and experience Cyprus myself now.
May 24, 2023
“Spend, therefore, these fleeting moments on earth as Nature would have you spend them, and then go to your rest with a good grace, as an olive falls in season, with a blessing for the earth that bore it and a thanksgiving to the tree that gave it life”.
September 24, 2018
A wonderful travel memoir: erudite and lyrical - just wonderful!
February 25, 2020
If you are looking for a wiki on history of Cyprus - this book is not for you. If you are looking to understand Cyprus and Cypriots - it is definitely an enjoyable piece.
July 1, 2020
A classic travel book, what can else can I say?
I walked many of the paths he wrote about and appreciated having read the book before I traveled to Cyprus last summer. I highly recommend it.
I walked many of the paths he wrote about and appreciated having read the book before I traveled to Cyprus last summer. I highly recommend it.
June 12, 2023
Boring. This turns me off from exploring more travel writing.
November 2, 2024
This is an excellent book about a time on the island that is now changed forever (and therefore perhaps takes on extra meaning). At times beautifully written, it does sometimes tend to want to stray (a lot) into the History books instead of the actual travelogue itself but the History does add depth and context to the Tour.
Some could also argue that the language that the writer uses is different of today (though its something I'm more use to).
I came across this publication as I was leaving a ten day stay in Cyprus (I wish I had know about it before but still I'm still very glad to have found it). Essential reading for those with an interest of the Island or for those intending to visit. Many thanks to Jane and Mark of cypruswalks.net for the suggestion.
Its the observations and the interactions with the islanders that generally make this book worthy of its full five stars. Both the Greeks and Turks, their different ways of life, what they think of each other and the British (including the traveller). Its their generosity and their kindness that jumps out from the pages of the book. I was lucky enough to experience some of this whilst visiting as well, although of course the Cyprus of 2023 is completely different to the time of this book.
My last full book of 2023, it would come 2nd (between Tim Parks's Heroes Way and Slingsby's Northern Playground).
Some could also argue that the language that the writer uses is different of today (though its something I'm more use to).
I came across this publication as I was leaving a ten day stay in Cyprus (I wish I had know about it before but still I'm still very glad to have found it). Essential reading for those with an interest of the Island or for those intending to visit. Many thanks to Jane and Mark of cypruswalks.net for the suggestion.
Its the observations and the interactions with the islanders that generally make this book worthy of its full five stars. Both the Greeks and Turks, their different ways of life, what they think of each other and the British (including the traveller). Its their generosity and their kindness that jumps out from the pages of the book. I was lucky enough to experience some of this whilst visiting as well, although of course the Cyprus of 2023 is completely different to the time of this book.
My last full book of 2023, it would come 2nd (between Tim Parks's Heroes Way and Slingsby's Northern Playground).
October 14, 2014
Now I know why the title is Journey into Cyprus. Colin Thubron literally walk into its every cities. He climbed its hills, swam its sea, slept in ancient monasteries, made friends with Cypriots (Greek and Turkish) and found the presence of Aphrodite everywhere.
On his preface, Thubron said that this book probably the last eyewitness of Greek and Turkish cohabitation, because since 1974, the island has been divided into two separated governance.
Thubron maybe a strange Mr. Tourist who walked into foreign lands, but he also a great writer. I have read many travel books in which the writer seems to be exhausted towards the end of the journey and the writing of the books so the final chapters would be superficial. But Thubron is different and I love his energy.
On his preface, Thubron said that this book probably the last eyewitness of Greek and Turkish cohabitation, because since 1974, the island has been divided into two separated governance.
Thubron maybe a strange Mr. Tourist who walked into foreign lands, but he also a great writer. I have read many travel books in which the writer seems to be exhausted towards the end of the journey and the writing of the books so the final chapters would be superficial. But Thubron is different and I love his energy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews