cyprus &laquo; WordPress.com Tag Feed http://wordpress.com/tag/cyprus/ Feed of posts on WordPress.com tagged "cyprus" Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:57:25 +0000 http://wordpress.com/tags/ en <![CDATA[Wild Goose Chase]]> http://knittingchapters.wordpress.com/?p=95 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:23:14 +0000 susanbunny http://knittingchapters.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/wild-goose-chase/ On Friday my good Patsy and I decided we would travel to Limassol in search of a yarn shop that had been recommended to her, by a stall holder on the local Sunday market here in the village.  After driving for 30 minutes, we arrived at the far side of Limassol.  We it was impossible to see any street names so I pulled down a side street and went into a pharmacy armed with my map to ask directions.  Well I was right up he creek, we were on the wrong side of town.  So we turned round and went along the coast road, through numerous traffic lights till we found the right side of town.  After looking in a couple of car parks we finally found somewhere to park off the main drag.  So of we went on our search.  On our way to the street we needed we stumbled upon Zako, which is the supplier of wool, mainly known in Cyprus.  As we walked in our excitement rose and the anticipation of a purchase grew.  The pattern I had taken called for 17 50g Balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmere Aran, well that is far to rich for my purse, so I was looking for something of Aran thickness, anything, even Acrylic would do, knowing already how poor supplies are here.  Well our excitement was short lived, they had absolutely nothing in Aran thickness.  Pasty was looking for inspiration of something to knit, but the patterns were awful to.  They did however have to beautiful patten books, in Italian, I ask you, whatever for.  Just to tease?  No good to us.  So off we set both feeling very despondent.  We found the road very easily that we had been told had this wonderful shop in, and duly began to inspect each shop as we went along.  I must say I was very dubious, it was full of all the tourist shops, you know the ones that sell all the old toot, each one selling exactly the same thing, how they make a living I can only wonder.  I digress, to cut a long story short, we didn't find it.  By this time it was lunch time, so we stopped for lunch, Burger and chips, very nourishing!  We asked for directions to any, please god, any shops that sell yarn.  We did get direction to one.  So off we went, I might mention it wasn't the one we had been told about.  Anyhow, we asked the shopkeeper if she sold yarn and were directed upstairs, at first glance they appeared to have quite a bit, excitement rose within us both.  On closer inspection however it was double knit, the patterns they had to match, well they were non existent.  Both of us felt so deflated, all this way, all this time on a Wild Goose Chase........I suppose at the end of the day it made a nice change to go out, visit some different shops, which I might add we neither of us bought anything.which

]]> <![CDATA[Aphrodite's Birthplace]]> http://jachinternational.wordpress.com/?p=469 Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:24:45 +0000 deepnimbus http://jachinternational.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/aphrodites-birthplace/ <![CDATA[Rankings and levers]]> http://northbritain.wordpress.com/?p=926 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:07:01 +0000 northbritain http://northbritain.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/rankings-and-levers/ Newspapers have been quoting the survey by the World Economic Forum in which business leaders have been rating the solvency of world banks.

The rankings however were compiled just before the recent £50 billion bail-out by the UK, the nationalisation of the Icelandic banks and the larger US bail-out.

The website has the co-authors interviewed from the 3rd to the 7th of October. The report itself was published on the 8th October.

RANKINGS

1. Canada

2. Sweden

3. Luxembourg

4. Australia

5. Denmark

6. Netherlands

7. Belgium

8. New Zealand

9. Ireland

10. Malta

11. Hong Kong

12. Finland

13. Singapore

14. Norway

15. South Africa

16. Switzerland

17. Namibia

18. Chile

19. France

20. Spain

21. Barbados

22. Bahrain

23. Slovak Republic

24. Brazil

25. Estonia

26. Austria

27. Panama

28. Mauritius

29. Kuwait

30. Qatar

31. United Arab Emirates

32. Trinidad and Tobago

33. Senegal

34. Israel

35. Portugal

36. Iceland

37. Cyprus

38. Botswana

39. Germany

40. United States

41. Lithuania

42. Peru

43. El Salvador

44. United Kingdom

45. Greece

46. Benin

47. Costa Rica

48. Malawi

49. Guyana

50. Malaysia

51. India

52. Puerto Rico

53. The Gambia

54. Montenegro

55. Mexico

56. Croatia

57. Czech Republic

58. Jordan

59. Ghana

60. Suriname

61. Brunei Darussalam

62. Latvia

63. Saudi Arabia

64. Kenya

65. Jamaica

66. Honduras

67. Zambia

68. Burkina Faso

69. Slovenia

70. Sri Lanka

71. Pakistan

72. Philippines

73. Republic of Korea

74. Romania

75. Thailand

76. Madagascar

77. Colombia

78. Cote d'Ivoire

79. Italy

80. Bulgaria

81. Hungary

82. Cameroon

83. Georgia

84. Oman

85. Tunisia

86. Paraguay

87. Nigeria

88. Armenia

89. Morocco

90. Dominican Republic

91. Bolivia

92. Malia

93. Japan

94. Tanzania

95. Moldova

96. Bosnia and Herzegovina

97. Poland

98. Nicaragua

99. Venezuela

100. Uruguay

101. Guatemala

102. FYR Macedonia

103. Syria

104. Albania

105. Nepal

106. Mozambique

107. Russian Federation

108. China

109. Uganda

110. Serbia

111. Egypt

112. Ukraine

113. Vietnam

114. Turkey

115. Bangladesh

116. Azerbaijan

117. Taiwan, China

118. Ecuador

119. Mauritania

120. Mongolia

121. Indonesia

122. Zimbabwe

123. Tajikistan

124. Kazakhstan

125. Cambodia

126. Burundi

127. Chad

128. Ethiopia

129. Argentina

130. East Timor

131. Kyrgyz Republic

132. Lesotho

133. Libya

134. Algeria

Yes. That's right.

The UK lies behind Peru and El Salvador.

Now given this report was a survey of the world's economists whose advice our banks were no doubt taking; should we believe it?

Are the UK's banks really behind Peru, El Salvador and Senegal?

Or is it an accurate representation that is slightly out of date, compiled as it was slightly before the bail-outs?

That must depend on whether you believe the bail-outs will work.

If reports are to be believed the Royal Bank of Scotland is next in line to be nationalised tomorrow. If that happens then there will be further pressure on the remaining UK bank's to be nationalised too. The banking sector could be picked off one by one by the market and the taxpayer forced to pick up the tab.

On that Iain Dale post there have already been comments about the English taxpayer bailing out the Scottish bank.

It must be a pity, to all those who carp, that Scotland is not already independent.

An independent Scotland with a similar oil fund like our neighbour Norway could be similarly insulated from these turbulent times.

It would also have the economic levers to maintain its economy best, not just for the South-East of England as remains the case today. Remember Eddie George, the former Governor of the Bank of England: Unemployment in the north is a price worth paying for affluence in the South!

Although the credit crunch is global, take a look back at those rankings.

Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands. All small countries lying in the top 10.

Even Ireland, who have recently guaranteed all deposits in their banks, are sitting 9th.

The argument that Scotland is too small to be financially unstable is farcical! I don't hear anyone saying that Denmark is too small and should be run from Berlin. (Not since the days of Adolf Hitler and the Second World War anyway!)

As countries large and small struggle with the credit credit crunch from the U.S. and Russia down to Iceland with its 300 000 population, this population argument of independence must be seen to be invalid. Iceland, with a population slightly smaller than North Lanarkshire, isn't exactly Miramont Gardens in Pimlico!

Passport to Pimlico

What matters now is that we take the right decisions to get out this mess.

Those decisions may be different for each country. They may even be different for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

That's why its important key economic levers are devolved away from Westminster.

Otherwise the Eddie George syndrome will hamper 'the North' recovering for years.

]]> <![CDATA[Kevrekidis on Flickr - 2008]]> http://kevrekidis.wordpress.com/?p=188 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:46:41 +0000 kevrekidis http://kevrekidis.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/kevrekidis-on-flickr-2008/     

    

    

    

    

Kevrekidis Photography at Flickr 

Kevrekidis Photography at deviantART 

©2008 Jordan Kevrekidis

]]> <![CDATA[Cyprus...]]> http://jachinternational.wordpress.com/?p=450 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:27:58 +0000 deepnimbus http://jachinternational.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/cyprus/ Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and Patron Goddess of Ladies-of-the-Night everywhere. The island itself is rife with relatively recent turmoil, with land ownership and sovereignty issues unresolved between nearby Greece and Turkey. The Greece-Cypriots dominate the Southern part, and outnumber the Turkish-Cypriots 4 to 1 million people. With the recent admittance of Cyprus into the European Union, only Turkey recognizes the Northern Turkish State of Cyprus as an independent nation. On a lighter note, I got to use Euros, and the Euro is much cheaper than it was when I was in Europe this past summer. Hot damn the greenbacks are making a comeback! Dan has been reading about the modern history of this nation, and trust me, it is twisted stuff. There is a Green Line that divides the country, and only recently have there been compromises and agreements been made between the two "governments". However, things are still very tense, with armed guards evident, and crossing borders was a pretty big hassle. For example, the northern government doesn't mark the ONE entrance to the North because they want to deter people from the South from entering. There was even an "insurance" we had to pay for our automobile to cross the border. We drove a pretty sweet Opel Zafira minivan... I got the back back seat, the trunk seat because it would only comfortably fit five. Since it was a manual, only Dan could drive, Roland was our chief Navigator in the front, and I couldn't ask a girl to sit in the trunk so... it (usually) fell upon me and my sense of gentility.

The island itself is shockingly beautiful, with terrain of all types to boast of. Great mountains, beaches, ocean views, trails, etc. They even have slopes for skis that we had to hike around! Most major towns and roads are coastal. Where ever you go, you seem to see the wide placid blue of the Mediterranean. I was here during my Eid break, from Oct. 4 til Oct. 11. I should've been here earlier, but was delayed to aforementioned technical difficulties. Six TAs, including me, stayed in the Ambrosia Gardens villa in Kato Paphos, or South Paphos, on the south western tip of the island.

We drove through the mountainous region of Troodos on the central part of Cyprus the day after I arrived at night. I slept on the 2 or so hours of driving down the mountain in the back, so I don't know how picturesque the drive down was, but I'm sure it was green and nice. We got to Lefkosia, the capitol, grabbed a bite, and headed off to the Turkish part to the Castle in the Mountain.

The Castle in the Mountain, or Hilarion Castle, was the inspiration for the Mountainous Castle from the Snow White Disney movie. With craggy peaks surrounding the few buildings partially carved from the wall, the Castle is extremely high and boasts amazing views of the sea that lies behind it. It made an amazing defensive fortification, as it was difficult to even drive up to the front door. Few of us with vertigo stayed away from the edges, but as I only have vertigo moving at high speeds, walked along edges and did pullups off of the edges.

We met an extremely friendly Palestinian guy, Amjad, who was studying at the local Near East University, and his Qatari friend, Mohammad, who studies at Qatar University. They both had Jordan passports, but grew up in Qatar. It was quite a coincidence to meet them at the very highest point of the castle. They showed us to a nice Turkish restaurant, famous among students for its delicious and cheap food. Then we went to the harbor and took a walk along the coastline. Unfortunately, by this point it was getting dark and a three hour drive awaited us to get back home and our only manual driver was getting tired. Amjad offered to take us to a dozen different places, so we got his contact information.  It was a great regret of mine that we never made it back to the Turkish side. He was so hospitable!

The drive back... I think I slept in the back.

]]> <![CDATA[Weekly Politik - 10 October 2008]]> http://weeklypolitik.wordpress.com/?p=166 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:42:54 +0000 Felix http://weeklypolitik.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/weekly-politik-10-october-2008/ [blip.tv ?posts_id=1351384&dest=-1]

DRcongo and rwanda, taliban peace, thailand riots, iaea denied, russia starts withdrawal, turkey vs pkk, cyprus, bush and economics, emo, piracy, bad editing at the end

]]> <![CDATA[Day Bed Online]]> http://beddaymp3l.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/day-bed-online/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:15:28 +0000 albertobanksl http://beddaymp3l.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/day-bed-online/
Resources on Day Bed Online :
  1. Buy Day Beds online at NationalFurnishing.com. ... BED AND BATH. Bed Room Furniture. Bookcases. Breakfast Table Sets. Bunk Beds ...

    www.nationalfurnishing.com/cat--Day-Beds--d175.html

  2. Daybeds - Sanjosefurniture.com is an online retailer of daybeds, daybed linens and comforter sets. You'll find the widest selection of trundle daybeds, wood daybeds, ...

    www.sanjosefurniture.com/netshops/daybed9.php

  3. Daybeds - Sanjosefurniture.com is an online retailer of daybeds, daybed linens and comforter sets. You'll find the ... necessary hardware for your new day bed. ...

    www.sanjosefurniture.com/daybed/all_daybeds.php

  4. Just Day Beds specializes in quality bedding solutions at ... Daybed Bedding. The Kensington Day Bed Ensemble by Southern Textiles. All ... your daybed online? ...

    www.justdaybeds.com

  5. ... white and black, a day bed is a practical choice when decorating small rooms or ... More Daybeds is your online source for day beds, sofa beds, bedding for ...

    www.moredaybeds.com

  6. Definition of daybed from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary with audio pronunciations, ... daybed. One entry found. Main Entry: daybed. Pronunciation: ...

    www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daybed

  7. bed frames. dressers + armoires. sofas + sectionals. chairs, ottomans + benches ... overlapping squares daybed. Your order requires more information. ...

    westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?...&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNBED

  8. buying your metal daybed frame or wood daybed frame online ... Metal Bed. Frames. Platform Beds. Softside. Waterbeds. Trundle Beds. Unfinished. Furniture ...

    www.furnitureesuperstore.com/furniture7.asp

  9. FREE SHIPPING!!! Buy your daybed bedding online from furnitureEsuperstore. With FREE shipping .... buying your daybed bedding, mattress bedding, or day bed bedding ...

    www.furnitureesuperstore.com/furniture_daybed_bedding.asp

  10. Night and Day Nightfall Daybed. List Price: $599.99. Our ... Bed Skirt. Bedding Accessories. Blankets. Bolster Pillows. Daybed Ensembles. Linens. Daybed Covers ...

    www.daybeds.com

  11. Find daybed frames and daybed linkspring sets in wood and metal online. ... One Way Furniture - This online store offers daybed and trundle bed furnishings. ...

    www.furniturequest.com/za_daybeds.htm

  12. Daybeds: discount day beds with mattress; bed frames in wood, metal & iron; daybed covers, bedding sets, comforters & ensembles

    www.beds-n-bedroom-sets.com/daybeds/daybeds.html

  13. FREE SHIPPING ON ALL FURNITURE!!! Visit our home furniture store for a complete selection of bedroom furniture, including daybed, platform bed, futon, air bed, ...

    www.psend.com/furniture/furniture3.php

  14. Daybeds with Free Shipping! Choose a daybed right here! We have a large selection of wood daybeds, metal ... Solitude Four Poster Day Bed. Sale Price: $1, ...

    www.bamboo-furniture-online.com/Daybed.html

  15. The Solitude Day Bed brings the look of the islands into your home! ... Bamboo-Furniture-Online.com - 2081 N. Webb Rd. - Wichita, KS 67206 ...

    www.bamboo-furniture-online.com/padmaplantation_SDB01.html

  16. Bed & Bath. Gifts & Accessories. Sale. Outdoor Furniture. Main Page. Brands. Barlow Tyrie ... Dune daybed and ottoman with cushions and throw pillows in White ...

    www.curranonline.com/dune.php

  17. Calais Daybed from The Online Furniture Store,B61623,Daybeds ... division of Leggett and Platt, by consolidating three leading bed manufacturers. Calais Daybed ...

    www.onlinestoreinc.com/4104-B61623-Calais-Daybed.html

  18. Fenton Daybed from The Online Furniture Store,B41703,Daybeds ... The daybed comes in the same two finishes as the bed and accessories, Black ...

    www.onlinestoreinc.com/6755-B41703-Fenton-Daybed.html

  19. Browse our huge daybed modern collection for stylish and trendy day beds ... We carry pop up trundles also for day bed accessories ! Fashion Day Beds ...

    www.zfurniture.com/daybeds1.html

  20. Buy Online. Kimberly Woodbridge Daybed with Trundle Unit (Daybeds) ... Starting at just $549.99 Kimberly Jefferson Bed (Beds) Starting at just $299.99 ...

    sleephappens.com/html/buy_online/product_detail.cfm?productSizeID=331

  21. IKEA products ... Day-bed frame. black-brown $99.99. Price per : Buy online. Quantity: ... A sofa in the daytime which turns into a bed at night. ...

    www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90073978

  22. Day-bed frame. white $179.00. Price per : Buy online. Quantity: ... Back/bedends for day-bed: Headboard/ Bedside: Steel, Epoxy powder coating ...

    www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99839373

  23. Online retailer of bedding including comforters, sheets, and related accessories. ... Bed in a Bag (+ 2 pillows) $159.99 Now $151.99! Seville. Comforter Set ...

    www.andoverdirect.com

  24. Online Catalog. Email Signup. Whats New. Bedding. Comforters and Sets Bed in a Bag Sets Quilts & Sets Daybed Sets Sheet Sets ...

    www.domestications.com/Dept/Search+Results/10000/10600

  25. Buy Bedding, Daybed Covers Bedspreads, Day Bed Comforters sets & cover ... Fingerhut online store, Day bed covers & comforters. Finger hut.com - Your first stop. ...

    www.wp.com.ar/fingerhut/index.htm

  26. Camelot Wood Post Daybed (Black & Gold Finish) Price: $669.00 ... steel day bed finishes are brushed, plated, or antiqued, while the hardwood day beds are ...

    www.plushinteriors.com/daybeds.html

  27. ... ONLINE! Home. Accessories. Bedding. Daybed & Futon Covers. Daybed & Futon ... Bed Frames, Rails & Accessories. Bunkie Mattresses & Boards. Crib. Televisions ...

    badcock.com/Badcock/Accessories/Bedding/DaybedFutonCovers.jsp?...

  28. Nationwide delivery and the lowest prices available on the Wesley Allen Ambiance Iron Day Bed. ... Wesley Allen Daybed Features. Click to see enlarged image ...

    www.losangelesfurnitureonline.com/products/wa_daybed_ambiance

  29. ... delivery and the lowest prices available on the Wesley Allen Montana Iron Daybed. ... Montana Daybed Complete Bed. Twin Daybed. Standard Finish - Call for Price ...

    www.losangelesfurnitureonline.com/products/wa_daybed_montana

  30. Bed Frames. Guest / Day Beds. Chests & Bedsides. Wardrobes. Dining Rooms. Sofas & Chairs ... Rambouillet Day Bed. 2,389.00. Displaying 1 to 7 (of 7 products) ...

    amazingemporium.com/shop/index.php/cPath/133

  31. Day Beds. Choose from our large selection of beds online. ... Day Bed Superstore. Buy Factory Direct and Save! Great Prices on Day Beds. www.DayBed-Store.com ...

    dictionary.reference.com/browse/day beds?r=14

  32. The Grandview daybed, again from Fashion Bed Group is yet another piece of ... come across such a huge variety of day beds online that it will be hard for you ...

    www.home-and-bedroom.com/daybedchoices.html

  33. Find rhyming words online with the FREE WriteExpress Rhyming Dictionary ... bed. bedspread. bedstead. behead. bighead. billhead. biped. blackhead. bled ...

    www.rhymer.com/RhymingDictionary/daybed.html

  34. Elita brown futon sofa bed with storage. SKU 171711813 $399. Lunar day bed. SKU 425721936 $599. There are 32 items in this section. ...

    eldoradofurniture.com/catalog/index.html?cID=70&cLabel=Sofa+Beds+++...

  35. Beds, Mattresses, Futon, and Waterbeds - Locally owned and operated... Online Catalogue. Delivery Service. Customer Service. Contact Us. Store Locator ...

    www.mtvernonsleep.com/daybeds.htm

  36. ... sofa, daybed with pull-out trundle, tempur-pedic classic mattress, ... Comfortable Day Bed. Description: Buy 'Comfortable Day Bed' online at Brookstone. ...

    www.brookstone.com/sl/home-gifts/index343.html

  37. Comparison shop for daybed sets Bedding Sets in Home & Garden. ... Zebra Day Bed Set Black White Twin ... Leopard Day Bed Set Brown Twin. Bed in a Bag, 50 ...

    www.shopzilla.com/bedding-sets/daybed-sets/370/products

  38. Daybed Sheets. Find Luxury & Traditional Bed Linens in One Easy Online Store. JCPenney.com. Day Bed Bedding. Large Selection of Daybed Bed Sets You'll Love our Prices. ...

    www.shopzilla.com/bedding/impressions-daybed-bedding/13030200/products

  39. IN STOCK ITEMS DELIVERED NEXT DAY- - WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD- - NEW ITEMS ... The Java Platform Bed combines contemporary European design with Asian elements ...

    www.lasvegasfurnitureonline.com

  40. ... best furniture store, where the convenience of online shopping is combined with the local service ... Day Bed 4809 $479.00. Daybed 4813 $552.00. DayBed 4825 $509. ...

    www.thefurnitureland.com/daybeds2.html

  41. Shop daybeds and daybed accessories from america's online complete daybed retailer. ... SLF Dunham Daybed. Reg: $629. Get it Fast! sale price: $529. ENLARGE ...

    www.namebrandbeds.com/daybeds.html

  42. Buy Daybeds cheap in our Day bed sale. With choices of metal or pine days bed for less. ... Hyder Daybed 3ft Single Bed. Cat No: 17194. Online price: 215.00 ...

    bedtrader.co.uk/Breasley-c-430.htmlhttp://www.bedtrader.co.uk/...

  43. TheDayBeds.com is an online store of daybeds, trundle beds and bedroom furniture such as Bedroom Sets, Beds, Nightstands Chest, Dressers, Armoires and more.

    www.thedaybeds.com

  44. Buy online Indian cotton bedcover, indian bedding, day bed covers, bed spread, ... 1 to 16 of total 16 Day bed covers. Price : US $ 115 (Size: 116" x 90" ...

    www.aimcraft-wholesale.com/furnishing/allbedcovers.asp

  45. Bed In A Bag. Colorado Lodge Accessories. Fountain / Bronze Statues. Lamps. Mirrors ... We are only able to offer a small sampling of Daybeds online. ...

    afwonline.com/ic498frm.asp?COMBO1=5007&SELECTEDPRODCAT=500&...

  46. FREE SHIPPING!!! Visit our online furniture store for a complete selection of daybeds, including day bed furniture and day bed accessories, metal daybeds, oak ...

    www.furnituremarkdown.com/Discount/DayBeds.html

  47. Hazel Dowds Littlepeople, Another Sleigh type day bed ... Home Our Online-Shop Furniture Sleigh Day Bed. Info: Your browser does not accept cookies. ...

    hazel-dowd.co.uk/index.php?...&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1&Itemid=26

  48. Online Catalog. The Attic. Credit. Gift Cards. Customer Service. Contact Us. Delivery. Privacy Policy ... Bedford Daybed. Price: $599.00. Betsy Daybed. Price: ...

    www.rotmans.com/s-33-daybeds.aspx

  49. Compare prices From $306.00 - $306.00 at 1 online stores " Authorized Fashion Bed Group Dealer. ... Rustic Log Pole Cedar Adirondack Day Bed ...

    www.bestbuys.com/search-daybed.html

  50. Find Day Beds in wood. White or beech. View Bedworld Beds And Mattresses Online. ... Bedworld Discount - Polo Day Bed. 249. Single 90cm. Memory Foam Mattress ...

    www.bedworld.net/Day+Beds/filter.html

]]> <![CDATA[New Golf project announced for Cyprus]]> http://mriconstruction.wordpress.com/?p=240 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:58:37 +0000 mriop http://mriconstruction.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/new-golf-project-announced-for-cyprus/ Cypriot partnership, Med Group, is expecting to receive the green light for a €300million golf resort project within the next few months, after carrying out over 18 months worth of environmental studies before proceeding.

Due to be built in the town of Tersefanou, the Larnaca Golf and Country Club, will comprise of an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, village square and purpose built function rooms and spa facilities. Health treatment will also be available on site with minor cosmetic surgery being performed in the resort’s medical centre.

The Med Group has signed an exclusive contract with the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) which will manage the golfing facilities and develop a PGA academy on site. The agreement with the PGA is exclusive and is the only one allowed on Cyprus. By signing the agreement, the golf course will be able to host Ryder Cup games in the future and is expected to be a major selling point for the resort.

Environmental concerns
Currently Cyprus has three golf courses, but only one other golfing resort, Aphrodite Hills in Paphos. George Hassapis, a major shareholder in the Med Group, said that the environmental studies carried out on the project would help it stand out from others in Cyprus and Europe.

“Water is a massive concern for us here in Cyprus so we took proactive steps to make sure that the entire resort would fit in with the area and be sustainable, before being asked to do this by the Environmental Agency (EA),” he explained.

“The construction of a desalination plant was part of the requirement to build the resort and we will also have the capacity to sell water to the government to supply the local community should it be needed. We also had to tell the EA what we would do with the excess salt from the project and spent a lot of money to make sure that the water pipeline didn’t affect the local wildlife.¨

According to Cypriot law, completion on the project must be within 24 months of receiving permission to build.

]]> <![CDATA[Nicosia, Cyprus]]> http://huntingclub.wordpress.com/?p=410 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:24:43 +0000 thehuntingclub http://thehuntingclub.net/2008/10/09/nicosia-cyprus/

William: Finally I’ve come around to post some pictures of my trip to Cyprus. What you can see on the photographs is the capital, Nicosia (locally known as Lefkosia). It’s the last and only separated capital of all Europe. One half is Cypriote-Greek while the other half is Turkish. The border’s sealed and patrolled by military. It’s definitely different from what I’ve experienced so far and somehow even a little scary when you encounter soldiers with machine guns on the street.
More pics after the jump.

]]> <![CDATA[The Ancient City of Paphos Cyprus ]]> http://needahand.wordpress.com/?p=347 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:11:14 +0000 needahand http://needahand.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/the-ancient-city-of-paphos-cyprus/ A coastal city in south-western Cyprus, Paphos is the mythical birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. In Greco-Roman times Paphos was the capital of the Cyprus and was the location of the Roman Governors Palace, now a major tourist attraction boasting some wonderful mosaics. These days Paphos is a growing tourist destination enjoying the beautiful Cyprus weather and very low rainfall, in fact rain during the summer months is very rare, so sunny weather is guaranteed during July and August. One of UNESCO’s world heritage sites, Paphos is an important and protected site with numerous places of interest to visit including Paphos Castle, the Tombs of the Kings, the ancient city walls, the Roman Agora, and a number of catacomb sites.

]]> <![CDATA[Cheap Laptops , Dell Laptops , Toshiba Laptops , Sony Laptops, HP Laptops ]]> http://toplaptops.wordpress.com/?p=4 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:58:16 +0000 toplaptops http://toplaptops.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/cheap-laptops-dell-laptops-toshiba-laptops-sony-laptops-hp-laptops/ Cheap Laptops
  • Dell Laptops
  • Toshiba Laptops
  • Sony Laptops
  • HP Laptops
  • Apple Laptops
  • Laptop Computers
  • Used Laptops

    • Best Laptops Under $500
    By Nick Mokey, Digital Trends

    Lenovo ThinkPad R61e
    $487.69

    Although ThinkPads have a reputation for being pricier premium notebooks intended for business travelers, a little smart shopping can land you this budget model on a shoestring. It's not as fast as the flagship T-series, or as light as the X-series, but the R61 has been reviewed favorably in its price range and includes many of the same features Lenovo rolls into those pricier ThinkPads. When ordering, make sure to choose the second-from-cheapest model to get an Intel Dual Core processor rather than a Celeron M (a bargain upgrade for only $32 more tacked onto the final price). Also make sure to select the cheapest Windows Vista option to sneak in under the $500 mark. The coupon code USP3PAYPAL will take an extra 15 percent off when ordering from Lenovo, lowering the notebook to $487.69.

    More from Digital Trends

    Online Video Services Compared

    Music Services Compared

    Organize Your MP3s Like a Pro

    Dell Vostro 1000
    $399.99

    Dell's bottom-of-the-line notebook won't turn any heads, or win any head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but its $399 starting price makes it impossible to ignore. Since this isn't from a sale, mark-down or coupon, you're also free to add the options you really need. For instance, laying out $25 for the Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor instead of the Sempron would be wise. But travelers beware: A starting weight of 6.26 pounds makes it heavy by modern standards, and the AMD's heat output will also make it a battery killer, so you may wish to look elsewhere if you'll be taking it anywhere besides around the home and office.

    Acer Aspire AS4315-2535
    $459.90

    Looking for something a little smaller than the 15.4-inch notebooks that normally seem to hit the bargain bin? This Acer falls one notch down on the size and weight scale, making it a little more portable for the on-the-go user. However, in exchange for the 14.1-inch screen and 5.7 pound weight, you'll sacrifice some performance by moving to a single-core Intel Celeron processor. If you're the type of person who imagines using a laptop to surf the Web in a coffee shop or tap out documents on a plane, you probably won't notice much of a difference, though, and may favor the portability.

    Gateway T-6815
    $499.99

    The priciest notebook in our roundup may be refurbished, but that's the only thing
    moving this otherwise well-equipped notebook into the sub-$500 category. It gets the fastest processor, Intel's vaunted Core 2 Duo, and the largest hard drive, 160GB. With a 14.1-inch screen and weight of only 5.55 pounds, you're also looking at the lightest machine on our list. Individual opinions on refurbished items vary, but if you're willing to trust Gateway's recertification team, you can land a laptop comparable to far pricier units for much less cash. Just remember: the manufacturer's warranty lasts 90 days, so be sure to put it through its paces before you run out of time to discover potential problems.

    Compaq C700T
    $479.99

    Compaq's cheapest notebook doesn't stand out too far from the crowd, but it makes a nice option for those who don't want to be bothered filling out rebates, using coupons, or chasing sales. You get a no-nonsense machine with a 1.73GHz Intel Dual-Core Processor, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. Spectacular? Not really, but you can snag one any time, and Compaq will allow you to round it out with whatever options you need. The only drawback would be the machine's 6.4-pound weight, which makes it even more of a desk anchor than Dell's cheaper (and slower) Vostro 1000.
    laptoplaptop computerlap-top computerlaptop-computerlaptops

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Ενημέρωση από την Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου]]> http://fileleftheros.wordpress.com/?p=732 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:57:20 +0000 fileleftheros http://fileleftheros.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%b7%ce%bc%ce%ad%cf%81%cf%89%cf%83%ce%b7-%ce%b1%cf%80%cf%8c-%cf%84%ce%b7%ce%bd-%ce%b9%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%ac-%ce%bc%ce%b5%ce%b3%ce%af%cf%83%cf%84%ce%b7-%ce%bc%ce%bf%ce%bd%ce%ae-%ce%b2%ce%b1/ Πηγή: http://www.romfea.gr/

     

    07.10.08

     

    Η Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου, συναισθανόμενη την ευθύνη της έναντι τού ελληνικού λαού, της ιστορίας της, της πνευματικής της παράδοσης και του πνευματικού και ηθικού κύρους της στην Ορθοδοξία και την ελληνική κοινωνία και λόγω της άδικης επίθεσης και του δημόσιου διασυρμού πού δέχεται από διάφορους παράγοντες, αναγκάζεται να ενημερώσει το χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα της Εκκλησίας.

    Η Εκκλησία δικαιούται να έχει περιουσία, όπως δέχθηκαν με πληθώρα αποφάσεών τους όχι μόνο ελληνικά δικαστήρια, αλλά και η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή Δικαιωμάτων του Ανθρώπου του Συμβουλίου της Ευρώπης, στην οποία προσέφυγαν Μονές της χώρας μας κατά του νόμου 1700/87.

    Κάθε Μονή με την κινητή και ακίνητη περιουσία της εξασφαλίζει τα τρέχοντα έξοδα σίτισης, φιλοξενίας, κτιριακών αναστηλώσεων, συντηρήσεων κειμηλίων, αλλά και μπορεί να επιτελεί ιεραποστολικό και φιλανθρωπικό έργο.

    Η Μονή Βατοπαιδίου όπως φαίνεται ιστορικά ήταν ευλογημένη από την θεία Πρόνοια να επιτελεί διπλό ρόλο, να βιώνει τον ησυχασμό και να προσφέρει ιεραποστολικό έργο όχι μόνο εντός της ελληνικής επικράτειας, αλλά και εκτός αυτής.

    Μέσα στο διάβα των αιώνων αναδείχθηκε σε ορθόδοξο προμαχώνα, σε κάστρο της Ορθοδοξίας, του ασκητισμού, της θεολογίας, της ιεραποστολής, της ομολογίας και του μαρτυρίου, σε λαμπρό κοινόβιο του αγιότεκνου, πολύτεκνου και καλλίτεκνου Αγίου Όρους.

    [caption id="attachment_737" align="alignleft" width="324" caption="Ο Άγιος Γρηγόριος Αρχιεπίσκοπος Θεσσαλονίκης ο Παλαμάς"][/caption]

    Στην Μονή έζησαν την ησυχαστική ζωή πολλοί άγιοι της Εκκλησίας μας, όπως ο άγιος Γρηγόριος Παλαμάς, ο όσιος Νικόδημος ο Ησυχαστής, ο άγιος Φιλόθεος ο Κόκκινος μετέπειτα πατριάρχης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, ο άγιος Σάββας ο διά Χριστόν Σαλός, αλλά και κάποιοι άλλοι πού ανέλαβαν σύμφωνα με το θέλημα του Θεού να μεταφέρουν την ακραιφνή Ορθόδοξη Παράδοση και εκτός Αγίου Όρους σε άλλα ορθόδοξα έθνη, όπως ο άγιος Σάββας Νεμάνια ο πρώτος αρχιεπίσκοπος των Σέρβων, ο άγιος Μάξιμος ο Γραικός ο φωτιστής των Ρώσων.

    Κατά την Τουρκοκρατία η Μονή ιδρύει το 1749 την Αθωνιάδα Ακαδημία, από την οποία προήλθαν άγιες προσωπικότητες, όπως ο άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός ο ιεραπόστολος, ο άγιος Αθανάσιος ο Πάριος, ο ιερομάρτυς Αγάπιος, ο νεομάρτυς Αθανάσιος Κουλακιώτης και πολλοί διδάσκαλοι του Γένους.

    Η Μονή συμβάλλει στην επανίδρυση της Μεγάλης του Γένους Σχολής (στον κατάλογο των ευεργετών-δωρητών αναγράφεται δεύτερη κατά σειρά μετά τον Πατριάρχη Ιωακείμ τον Β΄).

    [caption id="attachment_740" align="alignright" width="310" caption="Ο Όσιος Μάξιμος ο Γραικός, Φωτιστής των Ρώσων"][/caption]

    Δίνει μεγάλες χορηγίες στο Εθνικό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, στην Θεολογική Σχολή της Χάλκης, στην Εκκλησιαστική Σχολή της Λευκωσίας (το σημερινό Παγκύπριο Γυμνάσιο), στην Γεωργική Σχολή της Δράμας, αναλαμβάνει την ανέγερση στην Κωνσταντινούπολη της Σχολής των Γλωσσών, ενώ ενισχύει οικονομικά όλα τα Εκπαιδευτήρια του Ελληνικού Βασιλείου.

    Αναγκαζόμαστε κάτω από τις παρούσες συνθήκες δυσφήμισης να μιλήσουμε για την ιεραποστολική και φιλανθρωπική δραστηριότητα της νέας αδελφότητας, παρόλο πού θα έπρεπε να αποκρυβεί, διότι έτσι ταιριάζει στο μοναχικό σχήμα, και θα έπρεπε οι επόμενες γενεές να αξιολογήσουν το έργο της. Κάθε χρόνο περίπου δύο εκατομμύρια ευρώ διατίθενται για υποτροφίες, βοήθεια σε φτωχές οικογένειες, αρρώστους και φυλακισμένους, κατασκηνώσεις και Ιδρύματα, εκκλησιαστικούς οργανισμούς στην Ελλάδα, Κύπρο, Ρωσία, Ρουμανία, Σερβία, Αφρική και σε μοναστήρια και εκκλησιαστικούς οργανισμούς στην Αμερική και σε πολλές επαρχίες του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου.

    [caption id="attachment_742" align="alignleft" width="331" caption="Ο Όσιος Σάββας ο δια Χριστόν Σαλός"][/caption]

    Επίσης έναν άλλο τομέα προσφοράς της Μονής αποτελούν οι εκδόσεις ψυχωφελών κειμένων, θεολογικών και επιστημονικών συγγραμμάτων, η διοργάνωση διορθοδόξων θεολογικών Συνεδρίων για την προβολή της ορθοδόξου παραδόσεως και η έκδοση των πρακτικών τους.

    Σχετικά τώρα με την ανταλλαγή της λίμνης Βιστωνίδας και των παραλιμνίων εκτάσεών της η Μονή διά των εκπροσώπων της επιδίωξε και επιδιώκει, όπως έχει ευθύνη και καθήκον από τους κοινοβιακούς κανόνες, την προστασία των νομίμων δικαιωμάτων της, με νόμιμους τρόπους και διαφανείς διαδικασίες ενώπιον των θεσμοθετημένων οργάνων του Ελληνικού Δημοσίου.

    Η Ιερά Μονή δεν έχει συμμετοχή σε καμμία παράνομη συναλλαγή ή παράνομη πράξη.

    [caption id="attachment_734" align="alignright" width="400" caption="Οι Άγιοι Σάββας και Συμεών Νεμάνια, Φωτιστές των Σέρβων"][/caption]

    Στην συνέχεια οι Οθωμανοί κατακτητές σεβάστηκαν τα προνόμια της Εκκλησίας και των Ιερών Μονών. Με σειρά φιρμανίων των Σουλτάνων και τον «Αχτιναμέ», με τον οποίο ο Μωάμεθ ο Πορθητής χορήγησε στον Οικουμενικό Πατριάρχη Γεννάδιο Σχολάριο τα γνωστά σε όλους «Προνόμια» και διασφάλισε το αναπαλλοτρίωτο της εκκλησιαστικής περιουσίας, αναγνωρίστηκαν στις Μονές του Αγίου Όρους όλα τα προνόμια πού είχαν επί Βυζαντίου.

    Η κυριότητα της Ιεράς Μονής επί της λίμνης και της εν γένει περιοχής της, επιβεβαιώνεται και με συνοδικά έγγραφα και σιγίλλια των Πατριαρχών Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κατά τα έτη 1731, 1808, 1835, 1839, 1919. Τα ιδιοκτησιακά δικαιώματα της Μονής στην λίμνη Βιστωνίδα δεν ήταν ποτέ αντικείμενο της πολεμικής λείας πού περιήλθε στο Ελληνικό Δημόσιο.

    Αναγνωρίστηκαν και από το Οθωμανικό Δημόσιο και ουδέποτε περιήλθαν σε αυτό, όπως δεν περιήλθαν και στο Βουλγαρικό Δημόσιο. Ως εκ τούτου τα δικαιώματα αυτά παρέμειναν στην Μονή έως την απελευθέρωση του τόπου από τους κατακτητές.

    Τα δικαιώματα της Μονής επιβεβαιώνονται και από δυο γνωμοδοτήσεις των Καθηγητών της Νομικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών το 1922 πού ήταν οι επιφανέστεροι εκπρόσωποι της νομικής επιστήμης στην Ελλάδα την εποχή εκείνη.

    Οι ανωτέρω τίτλοι, οι οποίοι εφαρμόστηκαν επί του εδάφους από τις αρμόδιες Κτηματικές Υπηρεσίες Ξάνθης και Ροδόπης, οδήγησαν απολύτως νόμιμα το Γνωμοδοτικό Συμβούλιο Δημοσίων Κτημάτων και Ανταλλάξιμης Περιουσίας να γνωμοδοτήσει ομοφώνως, με τέσσερις (4) γνωμοδοτήσεις του σε διαφορετικά χρονικά σημεία από το 1998 ως το 2004, με διαφορετικές συνθέσεις και επί διαφορετικών Κυβερνήσεων, υπέρ της κυριότητος της Ιεράς Μονής.

    Θεωρούμε ότι οι δεκάδες Ανώτατοι Κρατικοί Λειτουργοί υψηλού κύρους, ήθους και γνώσεων (Υπουργοί προερχόμενοι και από τα δύο μεγάλα κόμματα, μέλη του Ανωτάτου Νομικού Συμβουλίου του Κράτους, μέλη Ειδικών Γνωμοδοτικών Συμβουλίων, ειδήμονες Καθηγητές Πανεπιστημίων, Εισαγγελείς αλλά ακόμη και απλοί Δημόσιοι Υπάλληλοι) πού υπέγραψαν Γνωμοδοτήσεις και αντίστοιχες Υπουργικές Αποφάσεις δεν παραπλανήθησαν.

    Η ανταλλαγή της λίμνης και της εν γένει περί αυτήν έκτασης με άλλα ακίνητα του Ελληνικού Δημοσίου ήταν επιλογή του Ελληνικού Δημοσίου και όχι της Ιεράς Μονής. Η εκτίμηση της αξίας των προς ανταλλαγή εκτάσεων και της λίμνης ανατέθηκε από το Ελληνικό Δημόσιο στο αρμόδιο θεσμοθετημένο όργανο, το Σώμα Ορκωτών Εκτιμητών, πού είναι ανεξάρτητο και δεν ανήκει στον ευρύτερο δημόσιο τομέα, και έγινε με βάση τα διεθνή και ευρωπαϊκά εκτιμητικά πρότυπα, χωρίς συμμετοχή, επέμβαση ή δυνατότητα επέμβασης από την Ιερά Μονή.

    Η Μονή Βατοπαιδίου, με επιστολή της στο αρμόδιο Υπουργείο έχει δηλώσει ότι, όχι μόνο δεν έχει οποιαδήποτε αντίρρηση, αλλά είναι έτοιμη, εφόσον αυτό επιθυμεί το Ελληνικό Δημόσιο, να επιστρέψει στο Δημόσιο όσα εκ των ακινήτων περιήλθαν σε αυτήν στο πλαίσιο των ανταλλαγών και δεν έχουν μεταβιβαστεί σε τρίτους, ανταλλασσόμενα με άλλα ισάξια ακίνητα πού το Ελληνικό Δημόσιο θα επιλέξει. Αν το Δημόσιο δεν επιθυμεί την ανταλλαγή, και πάλι η Ιερά Μονή δεν έχει αντίρρηση στην ανατροπή των ανωτέρω ανταλλαγών και την επιστροφή στην προτέρα, προ της ανταλλαγής κατάσταση, δηλαδή την επιστροφή στην Ιερά Μονή των ποσοστών της λιμνιαίας έκτασης Βιστωνίδας.

    Η αμφισβήτηση των τίτλων της Ιεράς Μονής πλήττει ιδιοκτησιακά δικαιώματα πού εμπίπτουν στο πεδίο της συνταγματικής προστασίας της ιδιοκτησίας και των προστατευτικών της ιδιωτικής περιουσίας ρυθμίσεων του Πρώτου Πρωτοκόλλου της ΕΣΔΑ. Επιπλέον θέτει σε επικίνδυνη αμφισβήτηση το στηριζόμενο σε τίτλους από το Βυζάντιο και την Οθωμανική Περίοδο δικαιϊκό καθεστώς, πού ισχύει για την κυριότητα και τα λοιπά εμπράγματα δικαιώματα σε αρκετές περιοχές της Ελλάδος, όπως τα Δωδεκάνησα και οι Κυκλάδες, δημιουργεί μεγάλη αναταραχή για τα ίδια δικαιώματα στις λεγόμενες «Νέες Χώρες», πού απελευθερώθηκαν με τους αγώνες του 1912 – 1913 και ύστερα, και θέτει εν αμφιβόλω την δυνατότητα διεκδίκησης της εκκλησιαστικής περιουσίας εκτός της ελληνικής επικράτειας (π.χ. διεκδικήσεις Πατριαρχείου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κ.λπ.).

    Η αναζήτηση ευθυνών κατά των οργάνων του Δημοσίου για τις διαδικασίες πού ακολουθήθηκαν πλήττει επίσης σοβαρά την αρχή της προστασίας της εμπιστοσύνης των διοικουμένων και τα συμφέροντα των καλοπίστως συναλλασσομένων με το Ελληνικό Δημόσιο, όπως είναι η Ιερά Μεγίστη Μονή Βατοπαιδίου και όσοι απέκτησαν στην συνέχεια δικαιώματα, εμπιστευόμενοι τις πράξεις του Ελληνικού Δημοσίου.

    Οι μοναχοί ούτε ίδια συμφέροντα έχουν, ούτε συμφέροντα άλλων εξυπηρετούν. Είναι αυτονόητο αλλά πρέπει συνεχώς πλέον να το επισημαίνουμε ότι τόσο οι κοινοβιάτες μοναχοί, όσο και οι ηγούμενοι καμμία ιδιωτική περιουσία δεν διαθέτουν, οπότε σχετικοί ισχυρισμοί περί προσωπικών λογαριασμών είναι παντελώς αστήρικτοι και αδικαιολόγητοι.

    Η αποστολή του μοναχού είναι πνευματική και όλες οι σχέσεις του με τους ανθρώπους διέπονται από τις ορθόδοξες πατερικές αρχές της ανιδιοτέλειας και της ειλικρινούς αγάπης. Κάθε προσκυνητής του Αγίου Όρους το αισθάνεται αυτό, γι' αυτό καί, όπως οι ίδιοι μάς ομολογούν, αισθάνονται να είναι ενωμένοι με τους μοναχούς πιο πολύ από τους εξ αίματος συγγενείς τους, αισθάνονται το μοναστήρι σαν το σπίτι τους.

    Από το μοναστήρι παίρνουν εκείνη την πνευματική ζύμη και την μεταφέρουν στις οικογένειές τους και έτσι ευλογείται και αγιάζεται η οικογένεια, η κοινωνία, ο κόσμος. Το πρότυπο του μοναχού είναι ο άγιος. Στο Άγιον Όρος βιώνεται η αγιότητα.

    Το Άγιον Όρος είναι ο κατεξοχήν τόπος αγιότητος, πού δεν διέκοψε, από την στιγμή της ιδρύσεώς του ως και σήμερα, την αποστολή του μέσα στην Εκκλησία και τον κόσμο. Η αποστολή αυτή είναι να δημιουργεί αγίους, να μεταλαμπαδεύει την ζώσα παράδοση της Ορθοδοξίας και την εμπειρία της θεώσεως στον άνθρωπο.

    Το Άγιον Όρος δίνει το πρότυπο αγιότητος για την κοινωνία, τον κόσμο, όσο και αν προσπαθούν μερικοί να υποβιβάσουν τον ρόλο του. Και είναι ποτέ δυνατόν αυτός πού έχει ως μοναδικό στόχο και σκοπό την απόκτηση του αγιασμού να βλάψει την κοινωνία; Το πρότυπο πού προσφέρει ο ορθόδοξος μοναχισμός και κατ’ επέκταση η Εκκλησία στην ανθρωπότητα είναι πολύ υψηλότερο από αυτό πού μπορεί να προσφέρει η πολιτεία.

    Δεν ομιλούμε απλά για έναν σωστό πολίτη, αλλά για έναν θεούμενο άνθρωπο, για έναν άγιο, ένα ολοκληρωμένο αιώνιο πρόσωπο κατά εικόνα του απολύτου αιωνίου προσώπου του Χριστού.

    Οι υποσχέσεις των μοναχών ενώπιον του Θεού για ακτημοσύνη δεν αναιρούνται με τις οποιεσδήποτε συναλλαγές, γιατί δεν αποβλέπουν στην προσωπική τους ανάπαυση αλλά με θυσιαστική διάθεση επιτελούν το διακόνημα πού τους έταξε η θεία Πρόνοια. Πρέπει να διαχωρίσουμε σαφώς μεταξύ της ακτημοσύνης του κοινοβιάτου μοναχού και της περιουσίας της Μονής του.

    Και φυσικά πρέπει να διακρίνουμε μεταξύ των αναγκών πού έχει ένα αγιορείτικο κελλί, ένα ησυχαστήριο και της Μονής Βατοπαιδίου πού είναι σαν ένα μικρό χωριό 300 περίπου κατοίκων με τα ανάλογα οικήματα και τις καθημερινές δαπάνες. Οι Αγιορείτες μοναχοί είναι άμισθοι φρουροί και διάκονοι των ιερών αυτών χώρων, οι οποίοι δεν είναι μόνο πανορθόδοξα προσκυνήματα αλλά και μοναδικά ταμεία πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς.

    Η προσπάθεια στέρησης της περιουσίας της Ιεράς Μονής αποβαίνει αποκλειστικά σε βάρος του κοινωφελούς, ιεραποστολικού και φιλανθρωπικού της έργου, καθώς επίσης και της προσπάθειάς της να διατηρήσει την πνευματική και πολιτιστική κληρονομιά και αυτονομία της.

    Πολλοί φιλόχριστοι προσκυνητές αναρωτιούνται αν όλος αυτός ο σάλος εναντίον της Μονής έχει επηρεάσει τους ρυθμούς της ζωής των πατέρων και έχει προκαλέσει αναστάτωση στην Μονή. Όταν επισκέπτονται το μοναστήρι όμως, διαπιστώνουν «ιδίοις όμμασιν» ότι τίποτε δεν έχει αλλάξει, δεν διακρίνουν καμμία ανησυχία στους πατέρες και στον Ηγούμενο της Μονής για τις μελλοντικές εξελίξεις της υπόθεσης των ανταλλαγών.

    Οι ακολουθίες τελούνται, όπως συνήθως, κατανυκτικά, τα διακονήματα με υπακοή και προσευχή και στο κελλί η ευχή και η ανάγνωση, όλα εν ειρήνη και με την ενότητα της πίστεως. Αυτό όμως πού ίσως κυριαρχεί είναι η προσευχή. Αυτή την περίοδο η προσευχή έχει αυξηθεί· έχει πάρει μία μορφή «κραυγής ισχυράς» (Εβρ. 5,7). Η «παθητική» αυτή αντίδραση –με προσευχή και ανάθεση των πάντων στα χέρια του Θεού– στα όσα λέγονται και γράφονται δεν κατανοείται εύκολα από αυτούς πού δεν γνωρίζουν το πνεύμα της ορθόδοξης πνευματικής ζωής και δη της μοναστικής.

    Αναπαύει όμως και ενθαρρύνει τους αγωνιζόμενους χριστιανούς, οι οποίοι καταλαβαίνουν περισσότερα από την σιωπή της Μονής σε αντίθεση με την ψευδολόγο και συκοφαντική φλυαρία πού επικρατεί.

    Ο λόγος της στάσης αυτής, η οποία αποτελεί στάση ζωής, είναι από τη μια η απόλυτη εμπιστοσύνη των πατέρων της Μονής στην πατρική Πρόνοια του Θεού και από την άλλη η ανάπαυση πού προέρχεται από την ακατάκριτη συνείδηση. Ανάπαυση πού προέρχεται από την βεβαιότητα ότι όλες οι διαδικασίες των ανταλλαγών, αλλά και οποιαδήποτε άλλη διαδικασία μέχρι σήμερα, έγιναν με διαφάνεια και πλήρη νομιμότητα.

    Ο Ηγούμενος και οι πατέρες της Μονής επιμένουν να βλέπουν το όλο θέμα υπό πνευματικό πρίσμα, παρότι εμπλέκονται στην υπόθεση πολλά και ποικίλα συμφέροντα.

    Η αδελφότητα της Ιεράς Μεγίστης Μονής Βατοπαιδίου είναι πεπεισμένη εν Χριστώ για τα δίκαιά της. Τώρα αν κάποιοι θέλουν να πλήξουν τις αξίες της Ορθοδοξίας, του μοναχισμού και του Αγίου Όρους, την αξία των πολιτικών του τόπου μας, των Ανωτάτων Κρατικών Λειτουργών, καθώς και την εμπιστοσύνη των πολιτών απέναντι στην Δημόσια Διοίκηση και στους θεσμούς της χώρας μας, αυτό θα το κρίνει η ιστορία και ο χρόνος.

     

    Εκ της Ιεράς Μεγίστης Μονής Βατοπαιδίου

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Independence Day (or 'who else is here')]]> http://kristels.wordpress.com/?p=82 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:35:29 +0000 halfdoosje http://kristels.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/independence-day-or-who-else-is-here/ 8 October will from now on be known as Kristel's Independence Day in Harry's Inn. It is not totally clear why this new memorial day will carry my name, as I am not the only one to become independent today, but I am honoured. To meet the request of giving some details about where I'm staying and who else is here, I will try to write up a small history of those chaotic days before Independence Day.

    Harry's Inn is the college accommodation. It's an old bed and breakfast in the centre of Larnaca with ten rooms. If you enter Harry's through the front door, you will see an entrance room with couches against the wall. To your right there is the door to room one, where Ruth lives. She is a twenty-year-old Canadian from a small island off the coast of Vancouver. It took Ruth a year working and saving to be able to come here. She and I share a studio space in the college together.
    In room two, next to Ruth, lives Daffyd. Daffyd is 18 and comes from Wales. At first we didn't know what to think about him. He rarely showed his face, and if he did, he'd only say 'Hi' in his Welsh accent and disappear. Ruth got him to talk however, when we came in from the beach the other day. We discovered that he's actually really nice. He has just finished high school and now wants to become an art teacher.
    Room three, opposite room 1, is the worst room in the house. Rumours go that a ghost lives in it, as its door inexplicably opens and closes itself at the strangest times. It also appears to be cursed. Nobody has ever slept longer in it than one night. People have moved on to other rooms or desperately ran away to hotels. Therefore, it has been decided room three will be unoccupied for the rest of the year.
    If you move out of the entrance room you will enter the living room. This room has a bar, a stereo and a television. But the landlady has decided none of them are to be touched. Of coarse, in a student household, there are to be touched nevertheless. And they didn't work. Most of Harry's interior remains from the fifties. So does the building itself. Very probably nothing has happened to the place for half a century. When I moved in I was told not the write or paint on the walls (another order from the landlady). I soon discovered this is impossible anyway. As soon as one of the walls is touched, parts of it start crumbling down. The next day I killed the 50-year-old vacuum cleaner. Plugging it in the socket triggered a small explosion in the device. It was back to brushing from then on. And mobbing as well, to get the burning smell of the broken vacuum cleaner away.
    In the living room is a door to the garden, which is the best part of the house. It is great to sit outside between the plants in the morning having breakfast, or read a book there. We've also got our own cat that's living in the garden. We have no idea where it comes from, what it feeds on and how it got there. But it is a friendly animal and it appears to be clean. It takes a lot of effort to keep it out of the house however (landlady's request...). It knows millions of ways to get it in, and we just know one way to get it out. Yesterday evening, we sat in the garden discussing Harry's. We thought maybe we could make some money if opened the place up to visitors: 'Visit the fifties'. For 5 euro 50 (symbolic price) people would be able to see a haunted room, lie on authentic fities-matresses, see pictures that have lost their colour, examine an old vacuum cleaner model and as a bonus be photographed with the cat.
    When you reenter the house from the garden and move to your right, you will be in the kitchen. This room has crumbling walls and an ancient toaster, but definately is the most luxurious place in the house. It has a fridge, a gas furnace, an oven and a microwace (all of which work).
    Next to the kitchen is a bathroom with cold showers, three toilets (two working) and a sink. There is also room number four. This room is occupied by Estonian Helina (23) and her French boyfriend (28) who is not on the course, but works here. Helina was in medical school for two years when she decided it was not what she wanted. She took a year out doing voluntary work in Hungary and has been travelling ever since. She now hopes to begin afresh with school doing art. This international couple have speakers and play the guitar and so make up for the non-working, forbidden stereo. They spent the first night of their stay in room three and have been hunted by problems ever since. They say to have aching backs because of bad matrasses and be bothered by the noise of the enormous amount of traffic that comes through. As an extra they are awoken in the night by the ceiling that crumbles in pieces and falls on down on their faces. Last night they found a plastic orange cone and put it on the road to block the traffic. This cunning plan only resulted in more noise however. The drivers that were passing by weren't very happy and had to yell off their tempers.
    The other rooms are upstairs, together with another sitting room and a hot-water bathroom. Room five is Ninos' (20) room. He his half English (Birmingham) and half Cypriot (Nicosia). He balances the division on the talking spectrum by compensating for Daffyd. Ninos chats away the whole day, to everyone. Once, Ruth ran into my room trying to hide, whispering 'I need a break...' He is very spontaneous and (as he knows Cyprus and speaks both English and Greek fluently) likes to show people around Larnaca. Which is very handy if you're a bloody foreigner like me. He's also made it a project to learn me Greek. I don't know any sentences yet, but my vocabulary grows every day.
    In room six were two Spanish girls who are here on work exchange. They moved out this morning, which means everybody in the house has their own room now. Sam is now in room six. He is a Jewish boy who grew up in London, but whose family recently moved here.
    Before, Sam shared room seven with Stephen. Stephen is an art therapist who has always had trouble finding a good job. He was made redundant again a few months ago, but got his work to pay for this year in Cyprus. He's quite a bit older than most of us and very friendly and funny. He's also the inventor of the term Kristel's independence day. It's a fair name. I have been sharing a room longer than anyone else (but of coarse, my roommate can say the same).
    Room eight, as of today is my room! It's now free because Spanish Carlos moved out with the girls this morning. Until now I shared room nine with a Cypriot girl name Finio (18). She is nice, but still I am glad to have my privacy back. It was a bit of a struggle to talk to her as she doesn't speak English very well (this has boosted my Greek though). When she signed up for the Cyprus College of Art she didn't realize everything was going to be in English. This was quite a shock for her. She had to cry over it last night. I felt sorry for her. She doesn't really seem to be in the right place. Art also doesn't seem to interest her much. I found out that she wants to be a jeweller and thinks this is the best way to become one. Ninos has promised this morning that he will talk to her in Greek and reassure her that everyone is willing to help her. The reason that I'm glad I'm out of room 9 is not really the difficult communication however. What bothered my more was not being able to sleep. There was the traffic, the worst mattress I've ever seen (I tried to make it better by putting it on the floor and stuffing pullovers into the holes in the surface) and  Finio waking me up at 5 in the morning coming back from partying. She, in turn, slept then until 4 in the afternoon. Which meant I could, while awake, only use the room in the evenings. But all of that has gone now. I have a much better mattress (on a bed), no partying roommate. And a way to keep the traffic out is being worked on. After having tried cones, water bombs are up next. My tactic for the moment is shutting the window and works wonders. As my room currently also stocks 9 pillows (it had four, I brought one with me from room 9 that I liked and Sam had for a joke donated the spare ones of his room to me) maybe I could start building a sound wall.
    Finally there is room 10. This Peter Bird's (53) room. He is an artist associated with the college and functions as the house warden, looking after the place. He's doing his best to make everyone feel at home, which works out very well. Although Harry's isn't the Hilton, it has everything one needs and most importantly everyone who lives there is very friendly.

    OK, I've got to go. The building is closing down now... Tomorrow is the first day with the normal timetable. I'm curious how that will go.

    P.S. Thanks heaps everyone for the lovely e-mails and comments. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to reply them all. Hopefully I will do so soon.

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Budget Wise :: Cyprus]]> http://livingspree.wordpress.com/?p=441 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:26:03 +0000 Gage Mitchell http://livingspree.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/budget-wise-cyprus/ During our Cyprus adventure we had the pleasure of staying with a friend, which brought our expenses down of course but, we made up for it with all the money we spent on food, day cruises, car rentals, etc. We were based in Nicosia, so our budget is focused mostly in that area, but we did take trips to other areas and will note any major price differences that we noticed. So, here is Cyprus, budget wise:

    Our 12 day daily average :: $50.29 USD (for two people: one couple) :: 1 USD = 0.714 Euros

    Since we didn't have to pay for accommodation, the above can't be considered an all-inclusive budget for traveling to Cyprus, however, you can use this daily average to estimate your expenses outside of the hotel/hostel while visiting this country. Also, we normally specialize in budget travel, but since we were staying with college students this time, our party budget was well above what we would call normal. So you can easily spend less than we did if you don't plan on drinking much. Good luck.

    Now with that said, here is how we managed our budget:

    CouchSurfing :: If you want to save money on accommodation and would like to meet people from the culture your visiting, then you need to look into CouchSurfing. For those not familiar with the concept, it's an organization run through the couchsurfing.com website which connects travelers with people who are willing to let travelers crash at their place. It basically saves you the cost of the hostel during your stay, plus sometimes they let you do your laundry or use their kitchen for nice home-cooked meals. The best part is that you get to meet some locals and learn about their life and culture. We stayed with a friend here who we met through CouchSurfing in Poland.

    Eating :: Meal avg 3-8 Euros/person (12-17 Euros for Meze/person) :: Cyprus isn't as clear cut in the food budget area as some other countries can be. You could get away with spending 1 Euro on a Turkish pizza, 2-4 Euros on kebab, 3-5 Euros on bakery food or you could sit down at a local cafe or restaurant for anything from 4 Euros to 20 or more.

    If you're traveling budget style, we recommend kebab stands, bakeries, and markets for quick, tasty meals. The kebab on the Turkish side was cheaper, and a different experience that you must try. It comes with a salty yogurt drink to aid in digestion and to kill some of the heat of the spicy kebab. They also usually put a small bowl of extra hot peppers on the table for those who can stand the heat. The Greek kebab seemed to come with more food, more ingredients (some places let you chose what you want), less heat and a bigger price tag. Both are a great value. The bakeries are a wonderful experience as well. My wife kept trying to get us to eat there and I was hesitant because I figured it would just be bread and baklava - but, oh how I was wrong. They have tons of food, good prices, and the best part is that they are often open longer and sometimes around the clock. (A lot of stores and restaurants close early on weekends and sometimes mid-day during the week for siesta.) Then of course there are the markets and grocery stores. You can find some good meals there for just a few Euros, like hummus and amazing pitas, some bakery foods, produce, etc.

    Now, if you do want to go out for a nicer meal, we would recommend trying the Meze. It's a traditional Cyprus meal that comes out as many smaller meals (tapas, appetizers, etc), and we mean many, they just keep coming. It includes a whole selection of local foods and must be ordered with at least two people. Many restaurants offer different styles of Meze, some with mostly meat, some include desert and drinks, so look around and find the style you prefer.

    Drinking :: Beer avg 1-2 Euro/at the Market :: We did a lot more drinking in Cyrpus than we have anywhere else so far, but we did it college style - pre-parties then bar/club. Therefore, we didn't purchase many drinks in the bar/club or at restaurants. The group we went out with did, however, often purchase bottles of Vodka at clubs which you can split 10 ways for 5 Euros a glass, The bar then provides any mixers you want for free. The rest of our drinking was done before the club at house parties or on the way to the club buying beer or wine at the markets. The beers at the market usually ran about 1-2 Euros for local brew in a big bottle.

    Day Trips/Car Rental :: Rental avg 35 Euros per day/ 2-day minimum :: There don't seem to be many traditional tourist sites like big monuments or amazing architecture that you have to see in Cyrpus but, it is a relatively small Island, so you can feasibly see a lot of the country if you rent a car. We looked around and it seems most rental companies in Cyprus charge about 30-40 Euros a day, with a two day minimum. The company we used required 100 Euro deposit on a credit card and a driver with a license that has been valid for at least 3 years. We drove a compact car around for two days and spent about 50 Euros on gas (a little over one full tank). If you plan on crossing the border into North Cyprus, the Turkish side, you have to buy car insurance for 20 Euros, good for 3 days. The insurance from your rental company is void in the North side. With a car you can find beautiful water falls in the mountains, old ruins in Pafos, and even wild donkeys on an empty beach way out on the North-East tip of Cyprus. It was worth every penny.

    Extras :: Bus avg 5-8 Euros/one way :: Buses: from the Larnaca Airport to the center of Nicosia, the bus costs 5 Euros per person; from the border crossing in the old town Nicosia to the North coast city of Kyrenia, the bus cost us 6 Euros. Art supplies were pretty easy to find at the 'Rainbow' art store - the prices were a little above average. You can take a Day Cruise up the coast from Kyrenia that lasts about 6 hours with 2 stops for swimming/diving for about 20 Euros, which includes a really nice lunch.

    We hope this helps your travels and please feel free to ask us any Cyprus budget questions and we’ll do our best to answer them.

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Geniusfunds.com is Genius HYIP]]> http://hyipisscam.wordpress.com/?p=16 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:01:32 +0000 hyipisscam http://hyipisscam.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/geniusfundscom-is-genius-hyip/ This time I will report my investigations about geniusfunds.com, another hyip that will change to scam (as usual). But this time, I said geniusfunds is more special than other scam hyip. I call it special because geniusfunds.com had an old age domain name. Check the domain detail via whois.net, I found it was created Mar 16, 2004. It's old for a HYIP. You can see more whois when you click "more" button.

    Geniusfunds.com start their HYIP on Aug 24, 2008. So it just passing 1,5 month. Even they still not yet turn into scam, but soon they will be. Please be aware that and old age domain is not a guarantee geniusfunds.com will be not a scam. In fact, I'm curious in their past maybe they are a scam. Burried geniusfunds.com domain for 4 years and this years they're back. For you who remember cobextrade.com and minvestment.com, both domains are a long year registration. Now cobextrade.com used for normal web while minvestment.com is not connected to any server. I'm afraid geniusfunds.com was a scam at 2004. Stop their service for 4 years, and back active now. And I think cobextrade and minvestment will also back to service at next 2-4 years, expecting people forget them.

    So guys, be carefull. HYIP is scam. If not scam, it must be not hyip. Trust me.

    Registrant:
 Genius Investments
 6 Karaiskakis Street
 Limassol, Cyprus 3032
 CY
 44 200 222 7598
Fax:44 207 855 0844

Domain Name: GENIUSFUNDS.COM

Administrative Contact:
 Stelvio, Mark mark.stelvio@geniusfunds.com
 6 Karaiskakis Street
 Limassol, Cyprus 3032
 CY
 44 200 222 7598
Fax:44 207 855 0844

Technical Contact:
 Stelvio, Mark mark.stelvio@geniusfunds.com
 6 Karaiskakis Street
 Limassol, Cyprus 3032
 CY
 44 200 222 7598
Fax:44 207 855 0844

Record last updated 08-20-2008 02:39:17 AM
Record expires on 03-16-2010
Record created on 03-16-2004

Domain servers in listed order:
	NS2.BLOCKDOS.NET	69.39.225.100
	NS3.BLOCKDOS.NET	72.20.40.97
	NS5.BLOCKDOS.NET	72.20.25.38
    ]]>         <![CDATA[30 YEARS OLD AND WISER I THINK!!!]]> http://noracassandra.wordpress.com/?p=422 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:08:54 +0000 noracassandra http://noracassandra.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/30-years-old-and-wiser-i-think/ So I had a big birthday party last Saturday… I’m 30!!! Yes! And I feel amazing!!!

    Now in this post I will write few good things and few bad that happened… I think I’ll start with the worse… my ex-boss… Cheryl… a woman I thought was a friend not just a boss… I realized that been trying to get my husband for the last few months… oh yes... I was pissed off, but then realized I want to keep myself calm… but for a reason (her wanting Stelios as I think)… was trying to piss me off and get me out of my mind for days… so on my b/day party day, she pulled the last strew… so told her… I have no prob you being my boss at work… but when you go out of the work trying to get my husband there I have a prob… she went so strange… scared… upset, and didn’t know what to say anymore but kept telling me I’m delusional and need therapy… hah! That was enough for me to smile and know she is trying to be so defensive that when her boyfriend (another friend’s husband she stole few months back) came she took my things and throw them out and locked the door (somehow it seemed she was worried he finds out what she was doing)… oh do I need to mention she kicked me out of work??? :P

    Good news… I HAVE AMAZING FRIENDS!!! I have few friends that flew over to my b/day party… they stood by me… changed my mood from bad to good in less than few hours… they proved to me that there is no one nor anything that should bother me!!! I’m 30… I had very long hard life… but enjoyed good times and learned a lot!!! Now at the age of 30, been married 2 times (still with my second one)… have an amazing 9 years old little sweet heart for a daughter… I have Emmi and many great friends… I have a wonderful faithful sweet husband… I have a mother that would kill for my happiness, and I have a family that loves me for just being me!!!

    I learned through the years how to forgive or just let go… it takes time every time, but I feel so much more peaceful… strange Cheryl taught me how to relax when shocked and angry and when I was able to do it she couldn’t… no I will not forgive her yet... But I will not let it eat me alive!!! I might give Maria (my psychotherapist) a call and see her few times to help me again to let go of… but I know I’m still smiling, laughing, loving, being loved, truly enjoying life and getting more good things coming towards me!!! :D

    I love life, I love my friends, I love my husband and family… and I love you all!!! :)

    So thank you Stelios… thank you Emmi… thank you Leen… thank you Aladdin! Thank you my friends and sweet people around me!!! Thank you for family and friends who are far from reach but still carry me in heart!!! Thank you life for being so amazing!!! Yes I guess I’m 30 and bit wiser than I was few years ago! :P

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Cyprus: Historical Analysis i.e. Fiction]]> http://omnologos.wordpress.com/?p=640 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:04:28 +0000 omnologos http://omnologos.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/cyprus-historical-analysis-ie-fiction/ (Addendum to "Thirty Thousand Attempts to Keep Turkey Out of the EU", Sep 24, 2008)

    Perry Anderson is not new to writing historical but relentlessy leftist pamphlets. In his 24 April 2008 article on the LRB, "The Divisions of Cyprus", the "baddies" are colonialist Brits, whilst Turks are either depicted as semi-passive bystanders going from one fabricated outrage to another, or even beastly thugs.

    Tellingly, Anderson describes Turkish Cypriots as "a community that felt itself entitled as of right to a disproportionate share of power on the island, yet continually lived on its nerves as if under imminent siege" but then spends no time dwelling on the reasons for that "siege" mentality.

    Archbishop Makarios is portrayed somewhat sympathetically (perhaps due to his willingness to defy NATO). But it's the Communist AKEL party that, as expected, is the hero of the story, always on the receiving end of violence and the only group capable to express a leader like current President Dimitris Christofias, seemingly on the verge of an historical settlement with the Northern, Turkish area of Cyprus.

    Exaggerations abound, including comparisons to the West Bank, Guantanamo, and pro-Franco Italian and German forces in the 1930's. The British intervention in the 1944-1949 Civil War in mainland Greece is depicted as bigger than the USSR's in Hungary in 1956 (never mind there was no civil war in Hungary, in 1956). Greek leaders Papandreou and Karamanlis are weaklings in the extreme, with the latter a "sentry duty in the Cold War" retreating "to his bedroom as details of the [Zurich] agreement were fastened down".

    Successive British Governments are invariably scheming and evil, and Greek-Cypriot General George Grivas "a nervi of extreme wing of counter-revolution".

    Furthermore, Anderson's essays describe eminently self-consistent stories, with little or no space for mistakes, random circumstances, and the revelation that some critical information may be missing and/or open to different, equally valid interpretations.

    All in all, one is forced to classify Anderson's historical efforts not as much as scholarly analysis, rather as documented fiction. And by trying to present it as some kind of unvarnished history, one risks cheapening both Literature, and History.

    ]]>         <![CDATA[No Gods No Masters]]> http://kevrekidis.wordpress.com/?p=184 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:56:13 +0000 kevrekidis http://kevrekidis.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/no-gods-no-masters/
    No Gods No Masters
    No Gods No Masters

     

    Nicosia - Cyprus
    Kevrekidis Photography at deviantART 
    ©2008 Jordan Kevrekidis
    ]]>         <![CDATA[October brings breeze and random news]]> http://colorabian.wordpress.com/?p=16 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:49:46 +0000 ktcolorabian http://colorabian.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/october-brings-breeze-and-random-news/ We are doing well in Saudi Arabia. The girls and I have been here for two months now and are enjoying school and friends.

    The hot and sometimes humid weather has given way to really nice breezes.  Now all of a sudden the air feels like the warm strong breeze on the dock when the tide is coming in. Some of  you will know just what I mean. We see quite a few birds here including a few green parrots  and hoopoes.  The “camp” has become over the years an artificial oasis and bird sanctuary. 

    This month we will do a group day trip to visit a real oasis called Hofuf.

    We still do not have our shipment of household stuff which was sent on its way at the end of June. Ramadan may have slowed it down once it reached the country because the Saudis have shorter work days when they are fasting.

    We are having the walls painted. The girls have chosen two or three colors for thier rooms and Dave and I have chosen some pretty strong colors (such as chili) along with some more subdued colors to balance them.

    Gotta tell you about Cyprus.

     

     

     

     

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Cyprus - travel guide with tips for your holiday]]> http://cyprustravel.wordpress.com/?p=10 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:55:15 +0000 cyprustravel http://cyprustravel.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/cyprus-travel-guide-with-tips-for-your-holiday/ Cyprus has a coastline of approximately 648 km in length and includes various natural areas. Landscaped, it will be shaped by two mountain ranges and an intermediate level. In the northeast, the island narrows to Karpasia peninsula (Karpas), the far east, toward the Syrian coast, vorspringt. Large parts of the country, the Messaria (Greek: between the mountains) a; it is a fruitful level and is the main cultivation and settlement area of the island It extends from the west to the east coast and is in the north and south of Mountain ranges limited. In the north stands the chain of the Kyrenia mountains (up to 1 019 meters high), which runs parallel to the coast and in some cases up to the sea. The Troodos Mountains takes almost the entire southwestern part of the island. This mountain chain, with the Olympos (1 951 meters) the highest peak of the island, is of volcanic origin.

    Many rivers of Cyprus is not year-round water. In the spring of guided some rivers by the winter rain water into the herrührenden Messaria level, but fall in summer and autumn dry. The Pedias is 100 kilometers the longest river. On the island there are some freshwater lakes and two large saltwater lakes. There are also some artificial reservoirs, where rainwater as drinking water is stored. To the drinking water especially in the summer to assist you in Cyprus at various points seawater desalination plants built.

    In Cyprus is a Mediterranean climate, in comparison to other islands in the Mediterranean, but more continental conditions. The temperature differences during the year are relatively high. The summers are hot and mostly dry during the winter, especially in higher elevations cold and snowy can be. The average annual temperature is 20.6 ° C. In the capital, Nicosia, the mean temperatures in January at 10 ° C in July at 28.5 ° C. During the summer the eastern direction from prevailing winds to a pronounced drought, are predominant in the winter westerly winds usually very moist. With approximately 1 000 millimeters annual rainfall, the higher mountains of the rainy richest areas of the island dar.

    About one seventh of the country's area is covered by forests; dominant trees are pines, cypresses and cedars. More trees are trees, oaks, oil and carob trees and juniper. For afforestation have been widely planted Aleppokiefern. The forests are located m