Cyprus Options free issue magazine December 2008 / January 2009

Reach for Your Walking Boots! by Chrissie Flint

During the winter months the weather is cool enough to prevent lethargy - particularly after the festive season when a hop on the scales can trigger a renewed attempt at fitness.  And what better way than getting out and about exploring the Cyprus countryside, which over the next few months is at its best with many species of birds that are migratory visitors and the first few flowers of spring.  With wonderful timing there is a great new walking book that will make a perfect present under the Christmas tree or offer it as the ultimate New Year’s resolution.

Rambling Around in Historic Cyprus is a fun pocket guide: 30 great walks in Western Cyprus.  It's author, Geoff Fryatt and his wife Doris, have clocked up more than 10,000 kilometres of rambling in the past ten years or so and have really enjoyed discovering some of the lesser known areas of Cyprus.  This prompted Geoff to get writing! He wanted something easy to follow so for each walk there is essential information about the distance, grade of difficulty and how many hours it takes to complete the walk comfortably.  A page of informative text (including history, culture and folklore) about the area is followed by a relief map and then the route description with clear directions and information on local landmarks.  An innovation is that all the maps in the book were prepared using GPS tracking techniques.  It is a fun book that will definitely get you reaching for your boots.  Enjoy!

 

Get those walking boots on!  By Chrissie Flint

A great new pocket-sized book of walks has recently been published and is certainly going to be on many people's Christmas lists! It has been written by Geoff Fryatt who lives near Limassol and who has clocked up more than 10,000 kilometres of rambling in the past ten years or so with his wife Doris. Geoff has long felt that he should put pen to paper and record some of the many walks they enjoyed with friends but explains that he is indebted to someone for inspiration for the book who told him - "You come to Cyprus to do some walking and you rent a car to get into the hills, but you don't want to hire a taxi to get back to it!" - what better, thought Geoff, than a book of CIRCULAR WALKS!

In the book there are descriptions for 30 walks in the western part of Cyprus - including both the eastern Troodos and the Akamas peninsula. The routes can be enjoyed at any time of the year (with an eye on the weather during the winter months in the mountains) and there is information on each walk showing the distance, grade of difficulty and how many hours it takes to complete them comfortably.

The design of the book clearly shows the author's background experience because it is well presented, concise and easy to follow! There is page of text on each particular area, followed by a relief map and then the route description with clear directions, GPS waypoints and plenty of landmarks for guidance. As well as enjoying the walk, the author is keen that readers learn plenty of interesting tit-bits about the island's history, culture and folklore and being safety-conscious there are pages at the back of the book about how to guard against heat stress and how to treat it effectively. The book has plenty of photographic illustrations and Geoff's light and entertaining banter makes it a thoroughly good read... and his enjoyment of walking in Cyprus is certainly infectious!

 

Winter 2008 Book Reviews.

Time to get walking! By Sue Gratton

This time of year is perfect for those who enjoy being active rather than resting in the shade of a sun umbrella and what better incentive to get walking than a copy of 'Rambling Around in Historic Cyprus'. Geoff Fryatt and his wife have enjoyed more than ten years and 10,000 kilometres of walking in Cyprus and strongly recommend it as the best way to get to know Cyprus - not only for its beauty and charm, but also for the chance to meet many hospitable and interesting people. The details of 30 walks are given in the pocket book, which covers the western part of Cyprus from the tip of the Akamas peninsular to the eastern flanks of the Troodos range.  All the routes are circular and can be enjoyed at any time of the year, although those in the mountains should only be attempted with a keen eye on the weather. Information is also given of several other routes that have been designed by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO).

There are two pages with details about each route including its distance, grade of difficulty and how many hours it takes to complete it comfortably. The book is well laid out with an opening page of text about a particular area, followed by a relief map and then a detailed description of the route with clear directions, GPS waypoints and plenty of landmarks to ensure that walkers are on the correct path! The author is keen that readers not only enjoy the walk but also the general area that they are exploring and there are plenty of interesting historical facts as well as local folklore and traditions presented in an entertaining way. There is information too about geocaching, which Geoff Fryatt describes as 'high tech hide and seek' and advice on how to reduce the risk of heat stress, and how to recognise and treat it effectively. With plenty of interesting photographs throughout, this 84 page spiral-bound book is the ideal walking companion for those who enjoy discovering Cyprus on foot as much as the author obviously does!

 

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