Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is the southernmost of all EU member states and has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century. It also remains the last divided capital in Europe. Northern Cyprus (the Turkish side) and the Republic of Cyprus (the Greek side) are divided by the United Nations Buffer Zone, or Green Line; the zone under the control of Cyprus but policed by the United Nations. In April of 2003, the Ledra Palace crossing was opened allowing the first crossing of inhabitants of both zones in 1974.

Nicosia has been continuously inhabited since 2500 BC, at the beginning of the Bronze Age. The ancient city-state of Ledra is connected to the area of Nicosia, hence the famous Ledra Street in town, where the center of Nicosia resides. Ledra was one of the 12 kingdoms of ancient Cyprus built by the Achaeans after the end of the Trojan War, shortly after the kingdom was destroyed.

It is easy to cross the border on foot; often easier than by car, as lengthy queues can form through the various checkpoints. Just make sure you bring your passport for crossing into Northern Cyprus (Turkish side).

Our apartment was a lovely, spacious two bedroom apartment in a quiet neighborhood 15 minutes from the city center. We had an amazing green grocer, asian supermarket and Zorbas bakery a few blocks down the street. Ratata coffee shop was on the corner and had such friendly service and great coffee; also a special olive loaf that they made in house daily. Our favorite neighborhood hang out was Rock City; a metal bar that played a variety of old hair metal, mixed in with 90s classics as well. The beers were cheap and the bartenders attentive, there was also pool and darts if you wanted to play with friends. Rock City makes amazing popcorn, which they would keep refilling even if you said no in true Cypriot fashion.

The food is good here, although coming from Istanbul it is difficult to compare. My favorite meal was probably the mezze we had from Fanous Lebanese Restaurant; although Sawa, the Syrian place we dined at during our stay was also noteworthy. I am realizing now how few pictures I took during our stay; the longer I dive into my travels the more local I become. One of the greatest things about our recent stretch is you don’t see many people on their phones. It is a breath of fresh air seeing the young people in particular not glued to their screens and really enjoying the company of their loved ones. The local cats will come to visit you for pets and treats, sometimes even sitting in your lap if they deem you worthy enough. One of the greatest nights we had was listening to live music from The Old House Pub, an awesome duo of musicians sang American rock songs and Greek folk music to a mix of electric and acoustic guitar. We sat and chatted with the owner before the show and was blown away when she took the stage later that night singing some soulful songs through the encouragement of her staff. She apparently had just started preforming live, the band overheard her singing from the kitchen one day and insisted she join them during their next set. This evening I was befriended by their bar cat Iggy, who spent the early part of the evening sleeping in my lap; it was a wonderful and memorable night.

The older part of town has winding narrow streets specked with thoughtful murals intermixed in the rustic walls of the city. Our favorite coffee shop, Misharoz, was plastered with flyers from local happenings in town. Located across the street from the comic shop, so the tables were filled with busty anime girls and tags from local street artists. Cypriot coffee is quite possibly the best I have consumed in our travels thus far, being a fan of Turkish coffee I had to try the local Cyprus offering and am so happy I did. It is similar to Turkish coffee but has a much finer grind, so you are less likely to have a mouthful of grounds at the end of your cup. It is rich, deep in flavor and served scalding hot.

Panagia Faneromini Church can be seen from The Good Times Cafe. The Greek Orthodox church was built in 1872, at the site of the old convent from 1715. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whose 14th century icon was found in the original temple convent. The exterior is a combination of Byzantine and Neoclassical style; the interior filled with frescoes from the early 1900s, along with some 16th century and modern day paintings too.

The greatest part of Nicosia is the relaxed vibe. Cypriots are friendly, generous and curious people. Everyone takes their time to enjoy life and the company of friends and family. At the neighborhood spots locals would stop to have a chat with us, sometimes sharing conversation over a coffee or cold beer. It is a great place to shop as well, I bought a beautiful leather messenger bag from a local merchant, Nicolaou. The owner made sure to find me exactly what I was looking for… his shop was filled with a wide array of leather goods from belts, bags, trinkets and jackets. He even made leather jackets to order, only taking a week. If it weren’t the tail end of winter I may have taken him up on it.

Nicosia may be a small city, but the people have huge hearts and an overwhelming sense of community. It fills me with gratitude and joy having the pleasure of being around such lovely people. It is a truly intoxicating experience (especially when hanging with the locals). I will miss this charming place, along with all of my furry friends we met along the way.