Week 11 #Project365 – 2015 – Nissi Beach, Cyprus

This week we’ve been at Nissi Beach in Cyprus.  We’ve been to Cyprus quite a few times but this was the first time we’ve been to the north of the island.  So apologies here that this will probably be a longer post than normal.. 🙂
Last January I won a week at the Nissi Beach Resort. The only trouble was the holiday would only be available in March or November – out of season. By the time the organisers and the hotel stopped fannying about with dates it was too late to go in March last year and in November the resort would be pretty much closed for the winter. 

ANYWAY – we booked the week with the hotel, got cheap flights and even managed to get free parking (that was another win that expired in December but I asked nicely and they obliged. )

Saturday – We set off just after midnight for the drive to Gatwick. We took off at 6:20 am and settled in for the 4+ hours flight. I was most impressed that Norwegian Airlines have Wi-Fi access on board!  Whilst in the air I took a photo of the alps, uploaded it and had a Facebook chat with the son in Oz. How bliddy cool is that!!

When we got to the hotel we were given a sea-view room on the third floor. The room itself was pretty standard fare, nicely furnished and had almost all you needed. Lovely balcony overlooking the gardens that lead down to the beach and outdoor pool.
We unpacked and went out to explore, most bars and restaurants were closed. After a late lunch we spent the afternoon sat in the gardens.

Sunday –  As is our usual plan, the first full day is spent lounging on the beach! Cloud free sky and mid-twenties temperatures. Lovely!

Monday – A short 10 minute bus ride to Ayia Napa. Had a stroll around the town but like Nissi most shops were closed. We walked back to Nissi and spent the afternoon on the beach.

Tuesday – We debated hiring a car but the only place open only had a tatty old car available, it didn’t look very roadworthy to me so we decided against it.  A pity really as we would have liked to have explored a bit further afield.

Above:

• Lazing on Nissi Beach, 
• The Alps 
• Cows on a restaurant?
• Feed the bird on pizza crumbs
• Main road with most places in darkness. 

Wednesday – It rained for most of the day. It’s days like this you wish you had a DVD player or better Wi-Fi access. At least it stopped by early evening.

Thursday – Another couple at the hotel told us about a path that runs along the beach all the way to Ayia Napa harbour, it would take about 30 minutes but worth doing.  It took us about 40 minutes and we were glad to get a cool drink at one of the bars at the harbour. No boat trips available though.. I do love a boat trip..
On the walk back the sky was getting very dark and we could hear thunder. We managed to find an open bar to while away an hour or so until the storm passed.. #anyexcuseforabeer.

Friday – Last full day came around all too quickly! It was a bit cool to sit on the beach so we lazed by the pool for much of the day. Our last evening was spent in our favourite restaurant – Sacramento – the food here is good, it’s not haute cuisine but what you get is wholesome and tasty, plus you get free soup, salad and an Irish Coffee. But the best was the hospitality from the owners – Xanis and Barbara, they make everyone welcome and you’re not put in any rush to leave.

Saturday – Packing done, taxi to the airport and journey back to the UK. Then the long drive back home.

Above:

• Rain clouds gathering but they got blown inland 
• Back on the M4 – It’s not that clear but the sign says ‘THE WEST’ – knowing you’re 100 miles from home!
• Someone’s idea of putting trees outside the restaurant – good idea but poorly done. 
• Rain clouds gathering – there’s a bar just up on the left!
• Sea view room – one of the nicest views we’ve ever had. 

We had a fabulous week of unwinding and relaxing. Makes a change from our usual ‘let’s see it all before we go home’ holidays!

Even though you don’t go on holiday to spend time watching TV it would have been nice to watch something other than BBC World News.  I also missed having ready access to the internet, Wi-Fi was only available in the hotel lobby. Pretty poor for this day and age when you can get free WiFi in bars, restaurants and even when flying across Europe!

I don’t if we’d go back to Ayia/Nissi, we both decided we preferred Paphos and the surrounding areas. Maybe because we’ve explored more of the area.

 

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