Hello again! Things are starting to heat up here in Cyprus and we are seeing more sunny days. Our program took us to the beautiful coastal city of Paphos and I had to chance to spend the weekend there with friends. The beaches here are unlike anything I had ever seen before. The water is crystal clear and relatively warm compared to the beaches of Massachusetts. On the way there and back, I was able to see more of the diverse forms of media and art used in Cyprus. Because of the language barrier, I can not generalize to all advertisements, but the majority of ads I saw appeared more “organic” than ads in the United States. Although American fast-food chains exist, Cyprus does not bombard its citizens with ads every other mile like the United States. Billboards are far less prevalent which allows Cyprus’ natural beauty to shine through. There were also many outdoor produce markets along the way with a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables. A healthy lifestyle is achievable in Cyprus and encouraged. As you approach the inner parts of the city, the advertisements do become more frequent but even so, they are not as apparent as back home and I hardly notice them. One thing I have noticed, however, is that historical monuments and parks are frequently pointed out by signs and posters. While this could primarily be because of tourism, the signs help and encourage everyone, not just tourists.

I have also included a picture of the trees near my sit spot. Earlier this month I noticed that all the branches had been cut off. I wasn’t sure if the tree was going to make a recovery or not so I took a picture. I’ll include a picture of how it looked after spring break in my next post!