Teddy bears and toilets

I love Cyprus! Not that you’ll find that surprising but its just SO full of charm, character and kindness…..take yesterday:

– Eve, aged 5 needed the toilet when we were shopping in our local Peyia village supermarket, Phillipos. Tony and I have shopped there for years but, being a little older and slightly more in control of our bladders than Eve , (though the coming year or so and impending “big” ages we’ll reach, may change that!). We didn’t know if there was a toilet so stopped to ask one of the many instore shelf stackers, who work 2 days per week stocking up the shop for we locals and holidaymakers. Seeing Eves beautiful though desperate face, the kindly man answered my question, “Is there a toilet please”, with, “No. Only for the public. Come with me and I’ll show you”….

Eve and I were then taken up in the staff lift to the first floor and led safely to the toilet entrance! (I think the sign, in Cypriot, said, “Only for staff”, but we could almost pass for that as we spend so much in the shop; stocking up for villas in Coral Bay and Peyia).

– later on, we were waiting for an incoming flight which had been delayed 6.5 hours from Manchester, when the taxi company rang and told us not to worry: there was no extra charge, the guests would be looked after regardless of arrival time. At 4.30 am this morning, when we greeted the taxi, the driver was courtesy itself.

This morning, I had to ring his company to tell them that their little special passenger, the daughter of the couple they’d collected, had left her precious teddy bear, aged 7, in the back of the taxi. As I write, the taxi driver, a grandfather, is hurrying back to Peyia to return his cuddly charge to its rightful owner. Completely free of charge.

Kindness is rare in a busy world but this area of Cyprus is full of it! Come and see for yourselves….