 One of the rhythms of our lives has been to take a week’s holiday prior to the Diocesan Synod in Cyprus, using Larnaca as a springboard. Last year we went to Istanbul; and the previous two years we explored Northern Cyprus from near Kyrenia and Southern Cyprus from Paphos. This year, to celebrate Tricia’s 60th birthday milestone we met our family in Bulgaria and for the first time in our lives – only Hannah had had any previous experience on a dry ski slope in Chatham, Kent – we went ski-ing. Tricia and I had overnight stops in Larnaca and Sofia using Airbnb, staying with a journalist from Moldova in Larnaca and people involved in hospitality and traveling Sofia, both very hospitable hosts and we had time to explore a little of Larnaca and Sofia, where we joined a walking tour taken by an student of Sofia’s history and architecture. We then met Hannah and Philippa off their plane and caught a transfer minibus to Bansko.  We had a terrific week in a comfortable chalet with a roaring fire and a couple of ladies who brought a prepared evening meal with instructions for us to cook. Ski-ing was a mix of exhilaration and sheer fear and plenty of pain thrown in as well. The younger ones made great strides and were soon facing some really challenging slopes. The older ones took it more gently! |
One of the rhythms of our lives has been to take a week’s holiday prior to the Diocesan Synod in Cyprus, using Larnaca as a springboard. Last year we went to Istanbul; and the previous two years we explored Northern Cyprus from near Kyrenia and Southern Cyprus from Paphos. This year, to celebrate Tricia’s 60th birthday milestone we met our family in Bulgaria and for the first time in our lives – only Hannah had had any previous experience on a dry ski slope in Chatham, Kent – we went ski-ing. Tricia and I had overnight stops in Larnaca and Sofia using Airbnb, staying with a journalist from Moldova in Larnaca and people involved in hospitality and traveling Sofia, both very hospitable hosts and we had time to explore a little of Larnaca and Sofia, where we joined a walking tour taken by an student of Sofia’s history and architecture. We then met Hannah and Philippa off their plane and caught a transfer minibus to Bansko. 
We had a terrific week in a comfortable chalet with a roaring fire and a couple of ladies who brought a prepared evening meal with instructions for us to cook. Ski-ing was a mix of exhilaration and sheer fear and plenty of pain thrown in as well. The younger ones made great strides and were soon facing some really challenging slopes. The older ones took it more gently!