First picture of my trip to Cyprus - this is an abandoned asbestos mine - yes they don't put that in the tourist brochure - on google earth it shows up as weird blueish splotch @ 35 deg 55' 16" N 32 deg 54' 31" E

Spilia was where I stayed

Road to Kykkos

Leaving Cedar Valley - car by now a wee bit mucky

Just in case...

This road was marked on my "Insight Map" as "dirt" - many roads that existed on the ground - not shown - many others turned out to be closed, 4WD forestry tracks - obviously no field check then!

Forested hills of Eastern Cyprus - spectacular - and there was no one else there - everyone goes to the monastry at Kykkos and then straight back to the concreted over coast

The forestry department offices - a great building - I want a house in a forest and I want it to look like this (the end bit at least)

The Cypriots love their birds - dead, any bird - but dead (at least this explained the strange lack of birdsong)

The sign says it all...

Yes it was quite a striking view

Part of our "unsinkable aircraft carrier" in the eastern med - Akrotiri Base

The rock is sacred to Aphrodite - and women wanting children tie ribbons to the bushes - I have seen the same in Mongolia at a sacred spring and again at St Kenelm's Well - not 10 kilometers from where I live in the UK

No photographs... the obvious route to Nicosia is along the coastal lowlands - but the Turks have that bit

The part of maddest road I have driven on - only exists to link Nicosia with a village cut off be the UN buffer zone (Kato Pyrgos) - no one in their right minds would have built such a brilliant but stupid road except because of National Pride. Of course it was not on my "insight" map - a big work of fiction if ever there was

It is a church on a big spur with a huge white concrete cross - what exactly do they mean by "services"?

I am glad I got the 1600i - was worked very hard for 6 days - pity the next person hiring this car

A day trip to "officially does not exist" Northern Cyprus

And they mean it...

Officially there - but nothing in your passport,,,

Sandbags and sniper holes still in place 31 years after... no one dares make any changes

Post Box - Northern Cyprus

Top of the wall in Northen Cyprus, Bottom in Cyprus, not sure exactly which course of bricks is the 'border'

Not at all subtle and not at all pleasant

We had one of these in 1969! (Vauxhall Victor 3575PG)

Gunned down by "freedom fighters" in the service of peace - Sgt Niels Verner Haar Larsen - 22 years old - what a waste

Best place of the holiday - from the EOKA hideouts - the photo does not do it justice - one of my "magic places"

Nice desserts at the Marjay Inn, Spilia - no, not what you think - these are "Walnuts in Syrup"

Sums up the whole road network really

Spilia - heroes of the independence struggle. I wonder if these were part of the same mob that went around killing Danish (UN) soldiers?

Giant Fennel - and another "Sovereign" Territory ticked off [Dhekelia Base]