Sunset Breeze in Paphos is a cosy, welcoming neighbourhood venue that serves a wide selection of drinks, snacks and meals all at a reasonable cost.

Set off the main coastal road in Kissonerga (on the way to the Cynthiana Beach hotel), this is a popular casual spot with good service, modern decor and lovely staff.

Opened in 2013, Sunset Breeze is hugely popular with locals, especially expats, and has a fair share of customers holidaying in Paphos as there are a number of hotels and tourist apartments close by.

An outdoor terrace is an appealing place to savour a glass of wine, cocktail, soft drink of tea or coffee. Enjoy the Mediterranean sea in the distance from the shaded outdoor terrace which is dotted with shrubs and plants that add a splash of colour.

The modern white interior is clean and bright and offset with various shades of blue. Chairs and tables are well spaced and comfortable and the overall atmosphere is welcoming.

An array of hot drinks include Capuccino at €2.90 and a selection of teas at €2.50, while €6.50 for a 20cl bottle of Treviso DOC prosecco is well priced, and there is also a good selection of wines, including new world wines and offerings from local wineries. A glass of Andesitis Kyperounda Winery is €4.25, Tsangarides Xinisteri €4.25 a glass, and a selection of popular cocktails include Margarita at €5.80 and a refreshing Pimms at €5.50.

If you like vodka, try the Sunset Breeze cocktail at €5.80 or if you prefer something non-alcoholic the Elderflower Spritzer at €4.50 is delicious.

If time is not pressing, you may find yourself meeting friends for a drink and extending your visit to include a snack or meal and won’t be disappointed.

Food is of a high quality and well priced, a daily lunch menu, which consists of a soup of the day and a main course is only €7.99.

An a la carte menu is also available, as is afternoon tea with pre- booking.

Sunset Breeze is also well-known for its Sunday Lunch (book ahead) which is flavourful and only €9.99. A vegetarian option is also available.

Children are also catered for and there is a small play area. Events, weddings and parties are often held here and catering for up to eighty guests is available.

Sunset Breeze is a great venue with friendly staff, excellent value for money and boasts a large number of repeat customers. It’s easy to see why.

Sunset Breeze

Where: 35 Mosfilion Street, Kissonerga, Paphos

When: 11am-11pm

Contact: 26-940791, 96-239030, 96-239029, office@sunsetbreeze.net

Price: Price: Beer from €2.20, Prosecco €6.50 Treviso DOC, 20cl, Margarita €5.80

Elderflower spritzer €4.50

A protest against the creation of a new Cathedral to be built in Paphos town hall gardens will be held at 6pm today. The contentious issue is the first item slated to be discussed at Thursday night’s council meeting, according to authorities.

“We will discuss this matter this evening and apparently, even though we had information that the state had found a solution to exchange the municipal garden, which belongs to the Church, with land in Larnaca and we understood that this had been settled, apparently now the agreement has been overturned,” Paphos councillor, Andreas Chrysanthou told the Cyprus Mail on Thursday afternoon.

The protest against a new cathedral being built on the central garden is being organised by concerned citizens of Paphos and is supported by the Paphos Green Party. It will be held outside the town hall.

Andreas Evlavis, secretary of the Paphos Greens said that they are opposed to the idea of building anything on this space, which should be available for use by the public.

“This argument has been going on for far too long and the space is run down and not cared for. It needs to be looked after and made possible for people to visit and not run down as it is now,” he said.

He added that as the only green space in the middle of Paphos, the gardens should remain as such, noting that as the Church owns many other plots around Paphos, they are able to build a new place of worship ‘anywhere.’

Evlavis added that the Greens were calling for a referendum as that the public may decide if they wish a Cathedral to built on the space or not, as this is the democratic way.

This view is being supported by some of the town’s councillors, he added.

Chrysanthou confirmed this, although he said that the subject was now rather more complicated.

“It’s a complex issue. Some of the councillors favour a local referendum, and others have opposing views, it’s a real mixture,” he said.

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral on the grounds instead.

It was thought that the matter had been resolved and in October 2016, Mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos, posted on his personal Facebook page: “Good news! A big story of the city is resolved permanently. In agreement with the church and the state, the public garden becomes public property with an exchange. With respect and without fanfare, we managed to understand each other.”

However, this is all now up in the air, said Chrysathou, following the Bishop of Paphos expressing his desire to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (of around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden.

The councillor added that the municipality was also facing a civil court case, the first hearing of which is scheduled for June 1, as the Church is claiming that the garden area is valued at €26.1m but that this has been slashed by stipulations put in place by the municipality.

“They are saying that as we limited the building co-efficient to one per cent in this area, it has devalued the land,” he said.
Chryasanthou noted that ten years ago, the municipality also had an evaluation undertaken which valued the grounds at €16.8m.

“Even if the parties met in the middle, who would pay the colossal amount of money, how could the municipality manage that.”
Evlavis added that the Church was not a business and is supposed to be there to serve the citizens.

The rejection on Thursday night by Paphos municipal council of a proposal to build a new cathedral in the gardens of the town hall, is likely to see the matter ultimately put before the council of ministers, a local councillor said on Friday.

Paphos council voted by a majority against the proposal to build a new cathedral at Thursday night’s meeting.

Paphos councillor, Andreas Chrysanthou, told the Cyprus Mail on Friday that the council vote was in the majority against accepting the Bishop of Paphos’ intention to submit an application for a town planning licence.

“Seven councillors, including me, voted for the intention and one proposed a people’s referendum on the subject,” he said. Twelve voted against.

The contentious issue has been rumbling on for years and the council previously believed that the state had found a solution to exchange the municipal garden, which belongs to the Church, with land in Larnaca back in 2016.

Chrysanthou noted that the council understood that this had been settled, but apparently not, as the Bishop again put forward a proposal for a new cathedral, he said.

Recently, the Bishop of Paphos expressed his intent to apply for a building permit to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (of around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden.

The matter will now go before a special committee that will decide independently if the application will be accepted, but a similar application was turned down in 2010, noted Chrysanthou.

“It will then go before the council of ministers for their decision, which is final. I don’t know how they will vote. My belief is that there won’t be a church built here, but you never know,” he said.

Andreas Evlavis, the secretary of the Paphos green party, said they are opposed to the idea of building anything on this space. The Greens say it should be available for use by the public. Evlavis took part in a public demonstration at the town hall on Thursday evening during the council meeting.

He said that around one hundred concerned citizens, many of them young people, had turned up to add their voice to the opposition of creating a Cathedral in the park.

“It filled me with hope to see so many of the younger generation at the demo and showing they care about their town. I believe it made the councillors think more about which way they were voting,” he said.

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a cathedral on the grounds instead.

He added that the vote was important as the garden is the only green space in the middle of Paphos and should remain as such. He noted that as the Church owns many other plots around Paphos, they are able to build a new place of worship ‘anywhere.’

The next step, he said, is to upgrade the gardens and create a space that the public will want to visit, as at present it has been left and is like a dead space.

“It needs to be made into an area where people want to spend time, with things for children to play on and to attract people as it did before,” he said.

A relatively new sport aimed at the over 50s is already gaining momentum in Paphos following the recent creation of a ‘walking football’ group.

“Twenty-four players aged from 50 to those approaching 80 have already registered with us and we are hoping to attract even more,” Ian Charlesworth (Charlie) told the Sunday Mail.

Launched just six weeks ago, ‘Paphos United Walking Football’ is attracting Paphos residents who hail from all over the globe, said Charlie who is group secretary.

Walking football is predominantly aimed at the over 50s, although those in their 40s will be accepted in Paphos. The game involves playing football without running, sprinting or jogging. It’s a non-contact sport and the ball should not travel above head height.

Currently matches are played with five or six a side and sessions are for men and women.

Some of the team with Charlie front row fourth from right

Charlie said that although a certain amount of skill is involved, players possess varying degrees of ability, and the aim of the initiative is for participants to enjoy the experience, which comes with the benefits of physical exercise, activity and social interaction.

“These are the three F’s under which we operate: fun, friendship and fitness,” he said.

Walking football was devised in 2011, by the Chesterfield FC Community Trust in the UK, as part of the ‘Extra Time Initiative’ aimed at people aged 50 years and over. Its aim is to keep people involved with football who may have mobility issues or for other reasons are not able to play a traditional game.

‘The Football Project’, a Nicosia-based organisation is looking to help walking football progress in Cyprus and cooperate with the Cyprus Football Federation to help promote the sport to create an association and national leagues in the future.

Walking football is a current UK ‘craze’ after coverage of a session featured on Sky Sports News and a documentary broadcast on Sky Sports Football.

Several other clubs have adopted the game and support is growing daily, with over 1,200 registered teams in UK.

“Although walking football is based on association football, the main difference is that, if a player runs, then they concede a free kick to the other side.”

This means players learning a whole new approach

There is also a ban on slide tackles, part of a set of rules to ‘level the playing field’ for those who may have a physical disadvantage.

“We do have a couple of ex-professionals playing,” said Charlie, including one from Denmark, who’s in his 70s and very fit.

Walking football promotes cardiovascular fitness and produces little stress on the body.

The beauty of the game is that it is suitable for everyone, and currently one of the players, a 77-year-old man, is able to play despite having a double knee replacement, he said.

Next week, the UK’s Graham Collier, a current England Walking Football Over 60s International, who played professional football for Nottingham Forest and Scunthorpe United, will be joining the group to undertake some coaching and offer helpful tips.

In June, the ‘England Walking Football Over 60s’ manager, Stuart Langworthy, will also attend a couple of sessions.

“He thinks it will become huge here and he’s got experience of setting up a team in UK. They started their team with only four players and just four years later, they have 60 players in their squads. They are now one of the best teams in England,” said Charlie.

The ‘Paphos United Walking Football’ sessions take place every Tuesday morning at 9.45am at the ‘AM Fair Game’ sports centre Tremithousa, and also at the Tala community council football ground.

‘Paphos United Walking Football’ has a Facebook page which is kept up to date.

For further information: Malcolm-96645449 or Charlie-96742836

Email: malcbushel@sky.com

A new initiative to help budding journalists will get underway in Paphos in April with those attending learning reporting skills from well-known writer Andrea Busfield.

Former newspaper journalist and editor Busfield said the programme is an opportunity for youngsters considering journalism as a possible career to gain essential journalism skills, as well as gathering a portfolio to present to colleges and employers.

“Age is not a barrier in good reporting and we also want adults to come and have a go. It may enable them to fulfil a dream of being a journalist,” she said.

The five-week course is a basic introduction to the ‘essentials of the trade’, and includes news gathering, interview techniques and article writing for news and features, she said.

On completion, students will automatically qualify for membership of the Chakra reporters club.

“Our team will continue to mentor students, helping them to develop skills and story ideas and ensure that their articles are publication ready before submission to the local and national press,” said.

There are two courses: one aimed at youngsters aged 13 and up, and the second for adults.

The idea behind the Chakra reporters’ club is to try and create the same kind of buzz associated with a working news room. Every Saturday afternoon members will be able to drop in and discuss story ideas with the team, take advantage of the experience on offer and turn those ideas into articles. This will begin once the courses have finished.

The team will then ensure the articles are edited to a professional standard ready for submission with the main objective being to see reporters’ names in print, either online or in the local press.

Creative Writing with Andrea Busfield
Students aged 13 plus Saturdays from April 20. 1.30pm-3pm. Adults Tuesdays from April 23. 6pm-7.30pm. For information: 99-914351 or Facebook: chakragallerypaphos

Hundreds of visitors are expected to descend on Polemi village in the Paphos district on Sunday to admire thousands of wild tulips in full bloom at the annual tulip festival.

The event will get underway at 11:30am and celebrates the wonder of the not-so-humble tulip Tulipa Agenensis, which is found all over the southern Mediterranean and other areas such as Israel.

However, the plateau between Stroumbi and Polemi is the only area on the island where the tulips grow en masse.

Two other species of tulip are known in Cyprus, one of them found in Tymbou and the other (a sub-species of the first one) found in the Akamas region, but these are only found in tiny numbers.

There will be free wine and traditional Cypriot sweets (loukoumades), a cultural programme and tulip-design face painting for the children, followed by the main event when everyone will walk together from the village square to the nearby plateau to admire the tulips.

Dr Antonis Nicandrou of the Friends of the Polemi Tulip, who is hugely knowledgeable about the blooms and their history on the island, will be on hand to answer any questions.

During the 1960s and 1970s the plateau was full of wild tulips – and has somehow survived being obliterated, despite the “irrational” land use of recent decades and the regular use of pesticides, Dr Nicandrou said.

His wife Constance, also a tulip-lover, will auction off a limited-edition framed print called Polemi Tulips in the Field, all of the money raised being donated to the Friends of the Polemi Tulip for the preservation of the flowers. There is a reserve price of €150 to get the bidding underway.

Polemi Tulip Festival
Annual festival. March 31, 11.30am. Polemi Youth Square, in the centre of the village. The village is off the main Paphos to Polis road (B7). Polemi community council: 26 632736.

Developers of a stricken project that is sliding down a hillside in Tala have been found guilty of not complying with the terms of a building permit at the Supreme Court, Paphos District Officer Mary Lambrou told the Cyprus Mail.

“On March 27, the Supreme Court found the developers guilty of undertaking several alterations and not proceeding according to the permit given and thus causing the problems being experienced,” she said.

She added that the Paphos District Office, PDO, is waiting for the court to decide on the final penalty, which may include ordering the demolition of the development.

Recent heavy rainfall has accelerated the problems with huge cracks appearing in buildings which are tilting, and ripples and cracks apparent on the busy Kamares road beneath.

Tremetoushiotis Developers Ltd (established in 1992)– operating under the umbrella of Top Cyprus Properties– were responsible for the construction of the development, but have said that they would never have gone ahead with construction if they had been aware that the land was ‘problematic’ to build on. They have argued that the fault lies with the authorities.

“We wouldn’t buy the plots if we knew there was an issue with the subsoil on the area and even if we found out afterwards, would we build there. We have suffered financial damage of more than €3.5m for the construction, and have reimbursed the owners of the properties with an additional cost of €750.000,” a representative of the developers, Christis Tremetoushiotis, told the Cyprus Mail.

In August 2003, the developers purchased three residential plots from Ayios Neophytos Monastery with a building allowance of 60 per cent.

“Residential plots is important as a term, as according to planning and building law it is translated to plots where the owner is allowed, and also safe to build on them without any limitations or precautions.”

He said that in a map issued in 2003 by the Cyprus Geological department, were published only for governmental use by the inspectors of the building permit applications prior to any approval.

“We have applied for a building permit in 2005, and it was approved without any notes or remarks in 2007.” Construction got underway in 2008 and by 2010, five of the fourteen units were delivered to the owners.

“The rest of the complex was paused due to the recession and we planned to finish it upon sale,” he said.

However, in 2011 following a period of heavy rainfall, problems started appearing with the first cracks around the buildings and the parking areas becoming apparent. Since then, there is a continuous movement of the underground subsoil, he said.

“Immediately without accepting any liability regarding the issues, our company offered the owners of properties in the complex alternative properties in another of our complexes of equal value.”

The developer cannot afford to proceed with the demolition, he said.

In 2011 the PDO proceed with court action against the company for not following the terms of the building permit, something which the developer refutes.

Tremetoushiotis has contacted residents to provide them with information and details about the case, the history and procedures taken by the developers until now, he said.

“As we have informed the PDO and ministry of interior with letters dated 18/02/2016 and earlier this month, the danger is obvious, and we gave our permission to the PDO to take any necessary actions even if this is to demolish the whole complex in order to protect the area, residents and those who drive by.”

Tremetoushiotis said the developers understand everyone’s concern and they have every right to be worried, as the mountains movement is like a ‘time bomb’ for the condition of the structure.

“The PDO suggested a few measures in 2013 which they have undertaken, which they said would stabilise the movement – according to the findings of a survey they did.”

However, he said that there is evidence of the movement of the entire mountain, clearly visible for all. “The problem is not on the surface or even 20-30 metres deep, the problem goes much deeper, and whatever someone suggests to be done on the surface or even 15-20 metres down cannot stabilise a moving mountain.”

“The PDO suggested a few measures in 2013 which they have undertaken, which they said would stabilise the movement – according to the findings of a survey they did.”

However, he said that there is evidence of the movement of the entire mountain, clearly visible for all. “The problem is not on the surface or even 20-30 metres deep, the problem goes much deeper, and whatever someone suggests to be done on the surface or even 15-20 metres down cannot stabilise a moving mountain.”

When his mother fell seriously ill with kidney disease, her son knew just what to do

Just months after undergoing surgery to give his mother one of his kidneys, 31-year-old Nicolas Miltiadous is busy running marathons both to prove his quality of life has been unaffected and to raise funds for a kidney charity.

Miltiadous, a staff sergeant in the national guard from Nicosia, underwent surgery last November at the Nicosia general hospital to remove one of his kidneys which was then successfully transplanted into his mother. Although she still has to take medication, she no longer has to undergo daily haemodialysis treatment.

“I was always under the impression that donating a kidney would mean a loss of quality of life and that the donor wouldn’t be able to do the things they did before,” Miltiadous told the Sunday Mail. “This is absolutely not true and I want to show that life is great after this procedure, and that it can be even better than before.”

The soldier said that he had been reassured by his surgeon and the ‘fantastic’ medical team in Nicosia that after a recovery period his fitness and health would not be compromised.

“Of course, it’s painful to have an organ removed that is obvious, it’s major surgery and after I was discharged I had to have two months off work. My mother, Marlette, had three months, but we are both fine now.”

Marlette is American and has lived in Cyprus for the last 28 years. She met her Cypriot husband at college in the US and works for the UN in Cyprus.

Diagnosed with kidney failure which doctors believe may have been caused by chronically high blood pressure, Marlette was hooked up to a haemodialysis unit at home, needing treatment every four hours. She would have to race home every lunch break to connect to the machine for treatment, before returning to work. This was followed by a year of treatment every night.

Nicolas in action

Miltiadous said it was difficult to witness the mental and physical effects the treatment had on his mother, who had previously been so active and cheerful.

The soldier, his parents and his siblings (he has two brothers and two sisters) are a close-knit family and he decided to take matters into his own hands by donating one of his kidneys to his mother.

He didn’t discuss it with his brothers or sisters, initially just informing his mum of what he wanted to do. At first, she refused his suggestion, saying she would rather die than take one of her son’s organs.

“But I asked her to respect what I wanted to do, and in the end she did.”

The pair were unaware of what this decision entailed and a barrage of tests on both followed, including blood, urine and an MRI scan. Miltiadous said he was carrying some extra body weight at the time as he was recovering from a work injury which affected his lower back. A year ahead of the operation, the surgeon told him to lose as much weight as possible to bring him close to his ideal weight to ensure the operation had the highest possible successful outcome.

This inspired him to take up running and participating in marathons at home and abroad.

Two weeks before his November 2018 surgery, the soldier ran the Athens marathon and one week before the operation, he completed a 10K race in Larnaca.

“The surgeon and the entire team reassured me again that what I would go through wouldn’t affect me in the long term as I planned to continue running.”

After a lengthy surgery, he had to remain in hospital for five days, his mother for a week.

Whilst recovering, Miltiadous started running small distances – very carefully – and said that already just four months after his operation, he feels even better than he did previously.

Only two months after surgery he competed in a 12KM race and on Sunday, March 24 broke his personal best, running the half marathon in Limassol.

“Doctors suggested that I could help to raise awareness of kidney transplants and donors and demonstrate that it doesn’t affect you physically in any way afterwards. Many people are even born with one kidney and never know about it, living perfectly healthy lives,” he said.

Miltiadous is also raising awareness and much-needed funds for the Paphos Kidney Association.

“This organisation and the people involved are amazing, which is why I want to support them,” he said.

Graham Brown, the chairman of the Paphos Kidney Association, which spends the funds it raises on equipment for the renal unit at Paphos general hospital, said he is delighted by the cooperation with the solider.

“We want to get more Cypriots involved and Nicolas has so many great ideas, we are thrilled,” he said.

Brown has hereditary polycystic kidney disease and receives regular dialysis treatment at the unit to keep him alive. Each of the hemodiafiltration (HDF) machines at the unit comes with a €25,000 price tag. The charity has donated three of them. If a patient doesn’t receive dialysis when needed, they will die within five days.

Funds for the new renal unit have been brought forward from the 2021 budget as a matter of urgency, said Brown, and the new facility is due to be completed by the end of 2021, although adding the 25 beds will still not be enough, he said.

In the meantime, the current renal unit will expand to create eight new beds. The unit currently has 14 beds.

“There are 87 patients in Paphos undergoing treatment and more than 20 on the waiting list. Death by kidney failure is now the 6th fastest growing cause of death in the world,” he said.

This is mainly due to lifestyle. Diet, a lack of exercise, use of painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

There are 850 million people with kidney problems and 80,000 in Cyprus, he added.

“Last year, 2.4 million people were killed by kidney problems.”

Miltiadous is planning to run aboard again in the coming months and will participate in the marathon in Copenhagen, Denmark, in May and then the Athens marathon in full combat gear, raising funds for the Paphos Kidney Association.

They will set up a dedicated ‘go fund me’ page for this race.

“I will wear my combat gear, boots, chest rig and a backpack. I’d like to help the Paphos Kidney Association in any way possible.”

The runner’s brother, Erodotos Miltiadous, is the president of the Cyprus sports journalists’ society and is also helping his brother to raise awareness of the cause.

“Just because you donate a kidney life doesn’t finish.”

Cyprus transplant association: www.transplant.org.cy. Paphos kidney association: www.cypruskidney.com

Clubbers will have a treat on Saturday when female DJ and producer Miss Monique will play in Cyprus for the first time.

The accomplished DJ from the Ukraine will play at Club Eleven in Limassol with support from local DJS Los V, Demi and Nicola P.

The evening gets underway just ahead of midnight and party goers will be able to grab an early breakfast afterwards as it finishes around 5am.

Miss Monique made her debut in Ibiza, and has played at a host of International events in countries including Hungary, Belarus, the Czech Republic and India.

The DJ’s eclectic mix of trance, progressive house and techno is suitable for both smaller, intimate venues and festivals.

Often in the studio, she has gathered the support of a number of well-known DJs and her most recognisable hit No Fear was championed by Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Gareth Emery, and others.

The DJ’s live sets on YouTube are popular and her set at Radio Intense boasts 13 million views and counting.

She also podcasts Mind Games where fans are treated to a fresh DJ set every month.

Saturday’s event promises to be a night to remember, full of progression and melodic techno bliss.

Miss Monique, with Los V, Demi and Nicola P
Saturday April 6. Club Eleven, 5 Ampelakion Street, Germasogia, Limassol. Tel: 99 620507

A contract to build a new municipal multi-purpose centre in Paphos will be signed at the town hall on Thursday.

The new centre comes with a price tag of €3,665,200 and will offer social and cultural activities, as well as care for infants and young children, a spokesperson for Paphos municipal social welfare said.

“This is a great development for Paphos and much needed. Other municipalities have similar centres and this will be good for the people here. The municipality has upgraded the squares and other areas and offered cultural events to the people and now this centre is a very good infrastructure that is much needed,” she said.

The building will be created over three floors, the top one will be used as a day centre for elderly people and have a separate entrance.

Older residents of Paphos will be able to enjoy all sorts of activities including, dancing, painting singing and crafting. They will also be able to buy lunch at only €3.

The further two floors will be used as a children’s centre to offer childcare for infants from four months up to pre-school age.

“We saw a need to help mums after their maternity leave has finished and they need to go back to work. It’s difficult to find someone to take care of their babies,” the spokeswoman said.

There will also be an afternoon centre where children can be brought after school to eat and do their homework.

A similar after school centre in Kato Paphos currently looks after 100 children and there is a long waiting list. This highlights the urgent need for something similar in Paphos centre, she said.

The construction of the new building will get underway soon and it is due to be completed in around fifteen to eighteen months.

The contract for will be signed with contractor AN Ioannou Construction Ltd on Thursday.

Representatives from the Paphos’ tourist sector will visit Poland next week to boost the district’s profile as an all-year tourist destination.

The Paphos regional board of tourism, along with hoteliers from across the region will participate in workshops and presentations in three cities in Poland, Krakow, Katowice, and Varsovia, next week April 9-11, said a spokesman for the board.

“These are important actions with the view to ensuring Paphos is an all-year tourist destination and the region is popular with visitors from the Polish market,” he said.

In 2018, there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of tourists from the Poland, compared with the same period the previous year.

“Arrivals from the Polish market have increased drastically in recent years. In 2018 numbers reached 89,000 and Paphos gained a significant share each year.”

Direct flights from Ryanair and other charter flight currently connect Paphos with Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw and Poznan, he said.

The events are the initiative of the deputy tourism office in Poland and aim to highlight what Paphos has to offer.

“We have an entire package to present about Paphos including, a power point presentation, a promotional video about the district and other promotion material to hand out,” he said.

More than 100 travel agents are due to attend.

Photographers from all over the world can now submit their work for an art event which will see their photos displayed in public areas in Cyprus and exhibited in Athens. “Each participant is free to choose his or her own theme. It is important to clarify that we are seeking a thematic portfolio, a story, and not a set of the participant’s best shooting photos,” said a spokesman for the organisers, the Paphos Branch of the Cyprus Photographic Society.

The deadline for entries is April 14. This will be the fourth time the annual event is held. The purpose is to hold a free, 42-day exhibition of photographic projects and stories at several public spaces.
Photographers are requested to send a portfolio of between four to ten photos which highlight the photographer’s personal preferences or depict an idea or a part of a project, or even a story-telling situation.

An assessment of the proposals will be undertaken by a committee of judges and will be made based on the following criteria: the contiguity of the photos to the specific subject, the coherence of all of the photos as a united set, the artistic and sensational quality of the set of photos and the uniqueness of the proposal.

There are a number of prizes on offer, including solo exhibitions. “The top ten stories will be exhibited in ten different spaces in Paphos town for 42 days. Printing, mounting and installation are covered by the organisers,” the society said.

Information about the artist and contact info will be also displayed. The exhibition will take place from May 20 – June 30.

The top five stories will also be exhibited in Athens in collaboration with iFocus gallery in the Autumn 2019.

The top 15 stories will be projected in two different locations, at the House of Letters and Arts in Paphos and the Fotodos Photography Club in Nicosia, and the top 10 stories will be published in PHOTOnet magazine, one of the most popular photography magazines in Greece. Also, reports about the winners will be posted on the internet.

In addition, all participants will get a 25 per cent discount on fee payment for next year’s Public Art open call.

Each photographer may participate with more than one story. Each story should be submitted differently. Along with the photos, a brief artist’s statement – maximum 100 words – must be also sent; this statement should describe the theme selected in brief.

The photos will be assessed by a committee which comprises of the following three members: Zisis Kardianos a street life photographer based in Zakynthos, Ilya Shtutsa a documentary and street photographer currently based in Saint-Petersburg, Russia and Dora Lavazou, a successful photo editor, curator and teacher living in Athens.

The participation fee is €20 for entries received after March 20, 2019.

Photography Competition
Photographers can submit a thematic portfolio. Selected top photos will be displayed in Paphos and Athens. Deadline: April 14. For further information: publicartpafos@gmail.com

A new app using augmented reality technology will be launched in six months and enable visitors to use their mobile phones to find out about Paphos hotspots of interest, according to Paphos Municipality.

“The new app will make it possible to turn your phone to the building and see and hear all of the information about that place,” a municipality spokesman told the Cyprus Mail.

Buildings and places of interest will include the archaeological park in Kato Paphos, the Tomb of the Kings, all sorts pf places in Paphos centre such as the town hall’ library and schools, the Markideio Theatre and Ibrahim’s Khan.

“This is an invaluable tool to place in the hands of every foreign visitor who wants to get to know our city and to know about every point of interest by using only the mobile phone.”

On Wednesday, Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos signed a contract with Pyramind Services Ltd for the creation of a digital tourism, culture and entrepreneurship platform, as well as augmented reality and e-democracy application, totaling €122,570.

The mayor said that using such apps the municipality offers a great way of using technology directly into the hands of 1.7 million tourists that visit Paphos every year, and not only for foreign tourists, but also for local residents to get to know the area.

“While it makes our town more friendly to visitors, Paphos is also entering the new digital age,” he said.

The platform for tourism, culture and entrepreneurship will include all points of tourist and cultural interest in Paphos as well as information on business and the natural environment. Both the digital platform and the applications are implemented within the Smart Cities project and will be ready for use within six months.

Within the framework of this programme, the competition for the procurement and installation of Wi-FI hotspots and touch screens in the town to which the platform will be connected will be announced shortly. The Smart Cities project is being implemented within the framework of the INTERREG V-A Cross-Border Cooperation Programme: Greece-Cyprus 2014-2020 and Paphos Municipality is a lead partner. Partners are also the municipalities of Chania and Lesbos.

Although Paphos municipal council rejected a proposal to build a new cathedral in the gardens of the town hall by a majority vote just over a week ago, it now seems likely that the matter will again be discussed by the council at a meeting due to be held next Monday, following a request by Edek councillors.

The reason for this move, explains Andreas Evlavis, Paphos Green Party secretary who is opposed to the construction, came after letter from the Bishop of Paphos to municipal councilors who stated that he was ready to discuss all aspects and proposals to build a cathedral in the garden.

“He said in his letter that he doesn’t mind if the church is a bit to the left or right, or in a different position, but still inside the public garden, but this is not all right, the council already voted against it.”

The disagreement began after the public gardens were returned to the owners, the Church, when a long-term agreement expired in 2005. The Church had rented it to the municipality on a long lease and instead of continuing the agreement, as the municipality had hoped, the Church expressed a desire to build a Cathedral on the grounds instead.

Evlavis said that Edeks’, Vassos Dimitriou, raised the topic of re-discussion of the issue and of a new vote for a decision, taking into account the points raised by the Bishop in his letter.

“The discussions would start again from the beginning,” said Evlavis.

In response, angry and frustrated residents of Paphos opposed to the idea have formed an opposition group, ‘Initiative in support of the preservation and protection of Paphos Municipal Garden,’ and held a 50-strong meeting on Saturday to discuss future action.

A public demonstration was held at the town hall just a over a week ago during the council meeting which saw them vote by a majority to reject the proposal.

Evlavis noted that a six-member team, of which he is a part, will lead the group, which was set up by teacher Eliza Christoforou.

She told the Cyprus Mail: “We want the garden to be for use of the public, it’s a tradition for Paphos society and we want it to be as it was before for people to enjoy.”

She suggested a children’s play area, planting more trees, shrubs and flowers and creating a small kiosk where people would be able to enjoy a coffee.

The group will hold a demonstration opposing the idea outside the town hall next Monday, April 15, at 6pm, and are calling on the public to join them.

Recently 12 councillors voted against the proposal and seven in favour. One councillor also proposed a people’s referendum.

The contentious issue has been rumbling on for years and the council previously believed that the state had found a solution to exchange the municipal garden, which belongs to the Church, with land in Larnaca back in 2016.

The council understood that this had been settled, but apparently not.

Recently, the Bishop of Paphos expressed his intent to apply for a building permit to use one third of the space to create a new cathedral (of around 730 square metres) in exchange for giving the municipality two thirds of the garden.

It was expected that the matter would now go before a special committee that will decide independently if the application will be accepted, but a similar application was turned down in 2010.

However, the recent turn around by Edek councillors may have scuppered that.

Christoforou said:” We have no problem with a church being built, but this can happen anywhere else, not in this space which should be a park.”

Work is now underway at the two main car parks in the centre of Paphos old town to create a more modern and convenient space for drivers, according to Paphos municipality.

The total cost of the project is €1.3 million and work is expected to be completed within 36 weeks.

“The area, road, and its facades along with the two existing car parks, will be redeveloped and the facilities will have a capacity of 100 spaces,” the municipality said.

As a symbolic gesture to signify the start of the work, the Mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos, took the seat behind an excavator and demolished a concrete kiosk that existed in the old parking lot.

The mayor said that the project was very important as it would unite the shopping centre with Mouttalos, and so contribute to the increase of commercial traffic in the area.

“In the context of the redevelopment, all illegality will be removed and the facades of the old and abandoned buildings of the area will be fully renovated,” he said.

Since 1880, Feloroglu Street in central Paphos has been the commercial centre of the town where the bazaar was held mainly on Saturdays, said the spokesman.

In the early years of the Republic of Cyprus, the road lost its glory and its commercial value, since it is adjacent to the Turkish Cypriot area of Mouttalos, he said.

The quarter’s turbulent past saw most of its original Turkish Cypriot inhabitants move north after the Turkish invasion and their homes were given to Greek Cypriot refugees who were forced south.

With its legacy of displaced populations, the former Turkish Cypriot quarter of Mouttalos was given a special role in the cultural programme of Pafos2017.

Found close to the market in Paphos old town, Mouttalos was until recently neglected, its infrastructure left largely untouched for decades.

However, recently the central square was renovated, the narrow roads upgraded and a botanical garden created. And now. Further work on the outskirts will see the area further improved.

“After decades of inactivity and abandonment, the municipality of Paphos is currently proceeding with the redevelopment and landscaping of the road and area as part of its development programme,” the mayor said.

Officials are furious after it emerged that a request by a Paphos developer to legalise an illegal ‘limanaki’ or small marina built in Peyia in the 1990s has been granted by the council of ministers.

The decision only came to light this week but was made on January 2, according to daily Phileleftheros, which reported the move.

The decision has been condemned by Peyia mayor, Marinos Lambrou, who told the Cyprus Mail that he would be issuing a statement on Thursday.

Concerns were recently raised over coastline erosion which appears to be linked to the marina. Lambrou said previously that Leptos, the developers of the popular Coral Beach hotel in Peyia, maintained the marina without permission and both the coastline and other businesses were suffering the dire consequences.

The ‘small port’ was created at Laorou beach in front of the hotel a number of years ago and has since grown in size.

Greens MP, Charalambous Theopemptou, told the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday that such a move by the council of ministers can go ‘under the radar’ as it can take some time for the minutes of meetings to ‘get out’ and do not have to be published or a public announcement made. He said that in such instances, even before a construction is considered, an Environmental Impact Study, should be necessary before any green light is given.

“There should have been a study insisted upon before this was allowed, any problems have to be corrected before such a permit is given. In this case, the developer was just given a permit,” Theopemptou told the Cyprus Mail.

The Greens also issued a statement, on Wednesday condemning the cabinet’s decision to legalise the port, thus satisfying the request of the developers, Leptos Calypso Hotels Public Ltd.

The Greens said that in 1988, Leptos first created a parallel breakwater opposite the Coral Beach hotel, and then a shelter for vessels.

“The ultimate goal of the company is the creation of a marina for the exclusive interests of the company. All work was carried out without prior permission or a study, resulting in ongoing erosion of adjacent beaches,” the statement said.

In January, the Greens noted, the government approved the registration of the marine space as immovable property, creating berthing space.

At the same time, the minister of energy and tourism approved mooring space to Leptos under Article 8 of the Management Services Mooring Yacht Laws.

It also signed a contract with a long-term licence for the use of the area as a marina space by Leptos.

In 2017, Lambrou wrote to the auditor-general to clarify the status of the marina after a water sports accident in the area and amid calls to clear up the issue of the illegal operation of facilities meant for bathers.

“It is worth mentioning that recently the president of Disy, Averof Neophytou and Edek’s, Marinos Sizopoulos and finance minister, Harris Georgiades, played the gardener, at a recent event at this hotel, planting shrubs and pronouncing warmest praises of Leptos,” the Greens said. They were referring to a tree-planting event held at the Coral Beach two weeks ago.

They said the ministerial decision was arbitrary and served special interests.

“We agree with the mayor that the local authority has been overlooked again and ask the state to refrain from applying double standards and immediately revoke the decision. ”

Theopemptou added that he believes that the developer will now also try to ‘claim’ the beach as his own, using a law passed in Cyprus in 2017, much to the MP’s chagrin and despite his desperate attempts to drum up support against it.

“Unfortunately, in 2017, parliament took a decision that: if rocks are built into the sea to form a breakwater to protect boats from the rough sea, for example, or to extend land, that person/ persons, can claim the beach as his own private area.”

He added that the only limitation is that the public must have access ‘to pass through.’

“This is important, it means I can only use the beach to pass through it, I may not put my own umbrella there for example,” he said.

Theopemtou said that hoteliers seem to get ‘whatever they want’ and although he tried, in vain, to prevent this outcome, the major parties of Disy, Diko and Edek all backed this change to the law.

Bikers from across Cyprus will on Friday take part in a ‘Rolling Thunder’ convoy to show solidarity with soldier ‘F’, a former British soldier charged with murder over Bloody Sunday.

Armed forces veterans in the UK have organised a ‘Rolling Thunder ride for Soldier F’ rally of over 4,000 bikers who will descend on London on Friday to highlight the prosecution of a 77-year-old soldier for Bloody Sunday.

Thousands of veterans and their supporters are also expected to join the convoy.

One of the participating bikers in Cyprus, Paul Carter, told the Cyprus Mail that the ride is to run in conjunction with the rolling thunder UK event.

“Thousands of bikers will descend on Parliament in the UK in support of Soldier F (decorated Dennis Hutchings) a 77-year-old former soldier accused of murdering a 27-year-old in Northern Ireland some 45 years ago. Twice he has been exonerated and now his case is at the court of appeal.”

Prosecutors recently announced that there was enough evidence to prosecute ‘Soldier F’  over Bloody Sunday in which paratroopers shot dead 13 protesters in Londonderry in 1972. Another wounded protester died later from a tumour. Hutchings served for 26 years in the Life Guards, he is seriously ill and lives in Cornwall.

The bikers will ride from Limassol to Paphos in support of Soldier F, he added, arriving at Paphos castle at midday before moving on to the Hogs Head in Paphos at around 12.30pm for food.

A number of ex-servicemen living in Cyprus have also expressed their intention to welcome the bikers at the castle to show their support of the soldier.

Indian nationals living in Paphos will be able to undertake necessary consular affairs at a special office donated by the municipality, according to a spokesman.

At the request of Indian High Commissioner Dr RK Raghavan, Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos, agreed to donate the monthly use of an office which forms part of the newly-renovated Attikon outdoor theatre space.

“Once a month on a Sunday consular staff from Nicosia will use the office to service the needs of their Indian compatriots in Paphos so that they don’t have to travel all the way to the capital,” the spokesman said.

The Indian High Commissioner made the request during a meeting with the mayor on Thursday at the town hall, held to further strengthen ties.

According to the Indian High Commission website, India-Cyprus political relations have been maintained and strengthened through a series of high-level visits over the years. Almost all the presidents of the republic of Cyprus have paid state visits to India.

The most recent was by President Nicos Anastasiades in April 2017.

The High Commissioner explained that there was a large number of Indians currently living and working in Paphos, that have to travel often to Nicosia for consular services, such as visas and residents permits, the municipality spokesman said.

“These people are living and working in Paphos and it is difficult for them to get time from work and it takes time and money to travel to Nicosia, which some have to do frequently. This will greatly help them,” he said.

According to the High Commission, in December 2018, the Indian community in Cyprus was around 7,700. The number of permanent residents is small, with the greatest number consisting of domestic workers (2,696), Indian students studying in private colleges in Cyprus (3,007), plus farm workers, professionals, computer engineers and software programmers.

As well as software development, other companies employing Indian nationals in Cyprus include, merchant shipping, shipping management, banking, tourism, the tobacco industry, and market research companies

The mayor said that he gladly accepted the request from “one of Cyprus’ friends”.

During the meeting, the pair also discussed further cooperation on cultural issues and decided to co-organise an Indian cultural event in Paphos in July.

“We are currently discussing what exactly this will be and will make an announcement in the future,” the municipality spokesman said.

An outdoor market is being held in Paphos on Saturday is expected to attract hundreds of people.

The first ‘Sunset Street Market’ will be held at the large car park outside Revival fashion store and the Paphos Post newspaper office, set back on the main coastal road in Kissonerga.

Stalls and ‘car booters’ will be selling all sorts, and refreshments and snacks will also be on offer.

Bric-a-brac, beauty items, beadwork, purses, jewellery, clothes, bed linen and embroidered items will all be on sale.

A ‘G and T’ bar will be serving gin and tonic and chilled prosecco and music will be provided by DJ Dave and his ‘Jukebox jive’ so that visitors can party, shop and snack as the sun goes down.

People can also bring donations of non-perishable foodstuffs – such as pasta, rice and tinned goods, for the ‘Matthew 25 Feed the Hungry in Paphos’ project, which is run by the Paphos Christian Fellowship International PCFI. The Matthew 25 project helps to feed tens of families in Paphos every other week by giving them a bag of basic necessities.

A similar night market event takes place every Christmas.

Paphos Sunset Street market will open at 4pm on Saturday April 13, and close just after sunset.

Car park outside Revival Fashion store and the Paphos Post newspaper on the main Paphos to Coral Bay road. Tel: 26-632564

Working with animal welfare groups to help improve lives of stray cats and dogs

By Bejay Browne

Hotels are catering to animal-loving tourists by teaming up with animal welfare charities and launching programmes to improve the lives of stray dogs and cats.

With Cyprus’ stray cat and dog population estimated at around 200,000 to 250,000, initiatives to keep those numbers down are clearly welcomed by animal welfare groups.

Just last week, a couple of these more recent cat initiatives at Aphrodite Hills hotel and Columbia Beach resort were featured in the UK’s Telegraph newspaper.

Paphos-based animal charity Animal Rescue Cyprus featured in the newspaper for its cooperation with Aphrodite Hills hotel where feeding stations and a sort of ‘cat hotel’ have sprung up under the watchful eye of manager Nicholas Kittis, said the charity’s Oana Bodnaras.

Animal Rescue Cyprus has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the resort.

“For a long time we have trapped, neutered and returned the cats from the area. There are a lot there and they have embraced the cats. They are creating ‘Kittis cat hotel’, named after the manager, and have built special cat houses for them to sleep in, in certain areas and feeding stations as well.”

Bodnaras said that children and tourists enjoy visiting the cats and that the charity hopes more hotels will follow suit.

“Cyprus is a popular holiday destination, so our overall aim is that all sorts of establishments will become more and more pet friendly.”

Animal Rescue Cyprus has also teamed up with five-star luxury hotel Almyra – the first pet friendly hotel in Paphos complete with dog park – to hold a dog adoption day in May.

The Almyra approached the charity to hold a double event. One is their annual dog party where the public is encouraged to bring their dogs to the hotel dog park. The second is a dog adoption day.

Bodnaras said dogs from the shelter will be special guests at the event where the public will be able to adopt them, sponsor them or other dogs at the shelter.

“This is a great chance to find the dogs a lovely home and an important event for us, like other similar occasions, to raise awareness of the work we do and the plight of unwanted animals in Cyprus.”

The shelter currently has around 500 dogs and puppies looking for homes as well as cats, donkeys, rabbits, horses and goats.

Almyra hotel manager, Radu Mitroi, told the Sunday Mail that the hotel decided to hold an adoption day as they recognise the issue of shelter dogs on the island and wanted to do something to help.

“It’s very important for us to be involved in such actions as we have to live together in synergy on the island, people and animals, side by side. We must do what we can in order to assist and make it happen,” he said.

The hotel became dog friendly last year.

“People are traveling with their dogs which are part of their family, so this is an added value we wanted to provide for our guests as a unique experience. We also built a designated dog park at the hotel.”

Almyra spoils pets with VID, a “Very Important Dog” service. Play dates in the dog park and a special menu for discerning dogs are all available.

The hotel’s dog park has a designated fenced dog run area, walkways, lawns, a water station and an obstacle course and dogs can run free here. There is also room service for dogs, the menu includes five main courses and two desserts!

Another animal welfare charity has long been aware of how animal-loving tourists can help stray dogs and cats in Cyprus. Paphos charity, Paws, joined forces with the Aldiana hotel in Larnaca many years ago, in a bid to rehome many of the district’s unwanted dogs in new homes in Germany.

A large number of the shelter’s dogs find new homes in Germany through the work of the facility’s sister charity, Zypern Hunde.

“Most of the holiday makers staying at this hotel are from Germany and they let us ‘attach’ a dog as their luggage and they accompany them on the flight home back to Germany where the dogs are rehomed. The dogs need to be accompanied on the trip and the arrangement works well,” shelter manager, Matthew Harris told the Sunday Mail.

In return, the animal charity supports the hotel with any stray dogs they encounter. Paws will take the animals to their shelter in Achelia, near Paphos airport, with the aim of finding them homes. The facility cares for around 150 abandoned, rescued and abused dogs.

The shelter has to rehome as many dogs as possible to keep functioning on a daily basis, said Harris. They exist solely on donations, fund-raising, sponsorship and money raised through their charity shop.

Dogs remain at the shelter for around one to three years on average before they find homes and the shelter does not euthanise any healthy dogs.

The second hotel to feature in the Telegraph is the Columbia Beach resort in Pissouri Bay. They started cat shelters in the hotel grounds almost a decade ago and operate the Columbia Cat Care Project (CCCP) with the main aim of neutering and vaccinating the cats, ensuring that they are well-fed and groomed.

The hotel blog notes that witnessing the ever-increasing number of cats on the island – with no place to formally call home – Columbia Hotels and Resorts felt inspired to do what they could to aid the cats’ healthy living and also protect the environment.

They say that guests may support the CCCP project in a number of ways, firstly by not feeding the cats around the grounds or at any of the restaurants to help maintain their daily routine.

Guests may also become a ‘Godparent’, take part in the name a cat programme, or officially adopt one of the project’s cats, ‘taking more than just memories of Columbia home’.

Bodnaras said it would be fantastic if more hotels in Cyprus were pet friendly, undertook similar schemes and held adoption days.

“It would be nice to see more pets accepted in shops and coffee shops, under the right circumstances.”