Things Cypriot People Like

KEO brand products. It started as a beer company, but since Carlsberg (made in Cyprus) is still the most popular brew on the island, KEO has ventured into all things hard: red and white wine, commanderia, ouzo, brandy. They've also made their beer more noticeable, by putting it in 630ml bottles - an absurdly large size. Their branded glasses are strangely small 10oz mugs, which only accentuate the bottle's enormity. Take that 500ml Carlsbergs! (Note: this is South Cyprus specific. In Northern Cyprus, Efes beer from Turkey was the beverage du jour).
Lunch Trucks. Especially down in Limassol, the lunch truck acted as workplace cafeteria and drive-through window. Specializing in sandwiches, burgers and sausages, they most often had a big bowl of relish and a condiment dispenser out on their counter. Some smaller trucks served only iced coffee and frappes.
This kind of lock. New and old buildings as well as countless bathroom stalls had the slide-the-pole-through-a-loop method. Probably not something that would be super noticeable to the average person, but I have a strange inability to get doors opened and closed handily. These posed a challenge.
Glyko. The Greek word 'glyko' literally translates into 'sweet,' but in Cyprus it means something altogether more specific. It's a sweet pickling of fruits and nuts which completely transforms them into a candylike treat. For example, the black glyko on the plate above is walnut - shell and all. Next to it is a clementine, complete with peel. Unique and delicious.
The Greek flag. It should go without saying that this is also a Southern Cyprus specific thing. In Northern Cyprus, you'd see the Turkish flag now and then, but mostly the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' flag flapped away in the sky. In Southern Greece, though, you rarely even saw the Republic of Cyprus flag - only the Greek one. This was surprising because the Republic of Cyprus is not and has never been part of Greece (though there have been many historic efforts on both sides to make that the case). Still, there was ole blue and white and nary a Cypriot flag in sight.
Dried gourds. We saw a few hanging from porches in Northern Cyprus, bleaching in the sun and drying. Why? We couldn't tell. Then, in Southern Cyprus, we began to see the finished product. Traditionally, they were used to serve wine, but nowadays are more decorative.

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