Watching sunsets together

It’s the moments together that change us forever. 

Our few days in Cyprus was just what the doctor ordered – sunshine to help rid of lasting effects of Mum’s recent bout with covid and travelling together for a bonding experience. 

Since I couldn’t fly in-cabin on any of the UK airlines, this time we flew Lufthansa to Paphos. With a transit in Munich the total travel time was almost seven hours. It’s not too long a journey but as soon as we exited the airport, Mum took me out of the backpack so I could have a pee. Found some bushes to cock my leg when all of a sudden I saw a GIANORMOUS ginger fluff giving me the eye. I had such a fright and barked at it with indignant. That absolutely had no effect – it stayed staring at me. That was my first feline encounter in Cyprus and in the following days, we would see lots of them roaming leisurely everywhere.  I was later told that they can be ferocious and have known to chase dogs!!! 

Our driver from the airport, Nickos had the biggest grin on his face as he welcomed me. And so the conversation ensued … we learnt he currently has a Frenchie but once had a Pekingese named Booboo. She passed away in 2014 but even today she still features on his phone wallpaper. He showed Mum the tattoo of her on his arm –

… and Mum showed him Darcy’s! Lol!!!

He dropped us off at the Almyra Hotel in Paphos – one of the few luxury dog-friendly hotels on the island.

The staff welcomed me enthusiastically, they had a treat for me and just in case I needed additional food – a can of food. They even gave me an inscribed name tag.

Our Seaview terrace room was perfect for our together time since dogs we re not allowed by the pool.

We happily sat on our terrace with a view while Mum sat in the sunshine and contemplated about life and the world.

I kept her company but every now and then a cat would walk by and disturb our serenity. Mum would grab a hold of my collar just in case a ‘Tom and Jerry’ chase scene ensued.  But I think I was more wary of them than wanting to give chase. 

In the evenings we dined at the hotel’s Cypriot seafront taverna, Ouizeri which was convivial and the staff were always delighted to see me.

This was the only restaurant at Almyra that allowed dogs, and we happily dined there every evening from 7pm so we could watch the sunset each time. 

One night when we were there we met Annely and Frankie. They moved to Cyprus a few months ago and they often come to this restaurant. 

The hotel is slowly inching it’s way to become more dog-friendly. But at the moment, Mum went for breakfast on her own. And of course when she went for her massages at the spa.

I was absolutely fine to stay in the room alone, but Mum always packed one of my toys for these situations but really treats would have been just fine. 

But it has a dog park that has some agility equipment.  There was only one that I could use – the others were too big/high for me. 

For a change of scene, we took walks along the promenade to dog-friendly places to eat. We found Antasia Beach Club – which combines extraordinary architecture, nature-inspired design, and Asian-Mediterranean flavours with an easy breezy elegance, against a backdrop of sea and sky.

The days floated by seamlessly but there was just one niggling thing we had to do that goes with every time we go abroad. A trip to the vet to prepare for my re-entry into the UK.

It is always interesting there, we get a glimpse of the local life. This time at CY Vet we met 11-year old Greg. What a fab name!

We first spotted him walking along the road going to the same vet carrying his toy. Apparently he has a mountain of toys at home. He came over to say hello. He’s an old dog and was there for a follow-up. We could feel so much love between him and his master. 

As soon we had sorted out the deworming and health check routine to ensure our return to the UK, Mum breathed a sigh of relief. Things have become a bit more complicated since we could no longer use our UK Passports and some of the vets are still getting used to the Animal Health Certificate. In this case, there was a little debate as to the validity of my rabies vaccine. In the EU, rabies vaccines are annually administered but in the UK, it lasts three years. Anyway, long story short, Mum managed to show them the paragraph in the 11-page document – and they finally signed me off. Phew!

Relieved and now ready to explore, she told the driver to take us to the Tomb of the Kings – a large necropolis in the north east of Paphos.

The underground tombs, dating back to 3BC are carved out of solid rock. Despite the name, it is not connected with the burial of kings, but rather with the impressive character of its burial monuments.

As dogs were not allowed inside, the driver happily kept me company in the car. And so we learnt that he has two dogs.  He told Mum I have a gentle nature and kind – no one has ever said that about me before. He was convinced I really liked him. Mum didn’t have the heart to tell him that I usually engage with most hoomans. Never mind. 

After a few days of our little Cyprus adventure, it was time to move on. We’re stopping over in Athens as we make our way home. More about that in our next blog post. 

What did I enjoy about being in Cyprus?

Everyone seemed delighted to meet me and they loved that I am called George!  And they all seem to love dogs! I did enjoy all the attention and loving. The staff at the hotel, the restaurants, the drivers – they knew me by name. 

Cyprus was a short but sweet trip. And I am getting the hang of travelling by plane. I know the drill. I get into the backpack, get zipped in and know we are going up high in the clouds again – and expect loud noises. Not the most comfortable of experience and they can be disturbing but as long as I am with Mum – all is good.  I can do it as long as I know she is with me. 

May’s comment: I am always in search of new boundaries to cross. And as I would much rather travel with my dog than not, the first challenge is finding a dog friendly hotel and then figure how to get there. As promised, I am working on a blog about Crossing Boundaries.

There aren’t a lot of dog friendly hotels in Cyprus. We stumbled across Almyra Hotel in Paphos when speaking to my hairdresser about going to Cyprus. Its Mario’s favourite hotel on the island. And we were delighted to learn that they are dog-friendly. And so our journey really began at Richard Ward Salon! 😊

It was just the two of us on a little adventure to a place I know little about. George delighted many we came across and started conversations as we learn from hotel staff and taxi drivers about their dogs. He sure got a lot attention and I think he said he liked Cyprus a lot! 🇨🇾😆

The weather at this time of year was perfect. The mornings and evenings were cool and the days were warm but not yet unbearable.

George is fast becoming a seasoned traveller. He knows the routine. He also knows I am there with him all the way.

There is also trust in knowing I am there for him in new environments or unfamiliar situations. It is through shared experiences that our bonds grow stronger. 

In looking back Darcy watched my every move whenever we went to new places and she read me well. In the same way I made sure she felt secure at every step. There are many ways of bonding with your dog – I chose to combine it with my love for travel.