#but 1983 looks like it's filmed with a baked potato

[ofyorkshire]

me: hey, bj, we have a tiny bit of writing energy after work. we should write.

bj: i would like to talk about men i think are cute.

me: ...ok, but that... doesn't help us.

bj:

[maryflowerw]

Spencer and Hepburn

Find yourself the parallels.

Each and every great love story is unique. Though the message of true, passionate, undying love is constant, the tale of how this is reached is undoubtedly individual, and there is most certainly no ‘right or wrong’. Some love stories, perhaps, at the time, do not conform to what society describes as a ‘proper’ relationship — but years later, while looking back at the details and circumstance, it is discovered to be an undeniably great love story . . .

The romance of Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn is one such story. Never confirmed publicly until years after Spencer’s death, their romance was an affair — but what makes it truly special is the fact that is spanned 27 years.

Spencer Tracy was the man of the moment — a top paid, much sought-after Hollywood actor. He was a terrifically hard worker — throughout his entire career making 75 films — and also a terrifically hard ‘player’. He enjoyed frequent nights out on the town and would never turn down a dry martini. It was during the filming of Woman of the Year that he met, who would ultimately be his soul mate, Katharine Hepburn.

Perhaps it was this amicable beginning which lead them to immediately become so fond of each other — within one week they were calling each other ‘Spence’ & ‘Kate’, and would eat their lunch exclusively together in the parking lot of the studio, holding hands and talking and laughing. Though never discussed, the cast and crew knew to let them be — this was their private time together.

Although their bond was instantly recognizable, Spencer, however, was married to actress Louise Treadwell, and despite a public and mutual ‘trial separation’, he refused to confirm the affair, and as a devout Catholic, did not officially divorce Louise, despite their long estrangement.

Though their relationship was never confirmed, they were announced as a ‘couple’ by the media, and the public adored them. Careful never to be photographed together, except for promotional film photographs, they always stood steadfast by their statement that they were not romantically linked — but the sheer fact that they made nine films together, and the very obvious chemistry between them in each and every one, kept the world in doubt of their claims.

A decade into their marriage (Spencer and Louise’s) , gossip began to swirl that the Tracys had separated. Confirming a trial parting, and attributing it to growing incompatibility and nothing more, Spencer told reporters: ‘If there is any blame to be attached, it is mine. Mrs Tracy and I are still excellent friends, and perhaps living apart for a while will lead to a reunion.’   But, Spencer told his friend Humphrey Bogart, he didn’t think he could go through with it. ‘What could I say to Johnny?’ he said. ‘How could I make a nine-year-old little boy understand that I’m leaving his mother?’

In 1963, after years of partying, drinking and smoking, Spencer was hospitalized following a ‘severe attack of breathlessness’. After his release from hospital, Katharine moved into his house and cared for him around the clock. Over the next few years, his health improved and declined like a rollercoaster, but during a notably ‘better’ time in 1967, he was able to make his last film with Katharine, Guess Who’s Coming For Dinner.

Out of respect for Spencer & Louise’s two children, and for the fact that the two were legally still married, despite the many years of separation, and also, in an effort to not draw any negative media attention at a time of such sorrow, Katharine did not attend Spencer’s funeral service. However, she would later mention that she did follow the hearse on a six-mile journey through the streets of Los Angles, pulling away just as it arrived at the church.

“I loved Spencer Tracy. I would have done anything for him.” –Katharine Hepburn

In 1993 she appeared in an autobiographical television documentary, "Katharine Hepburn: All About Me," made for the TNT cable network. She began: "So this is about Katharine Hepburn, public, private. Can you tell which is which?" She added, laughing, "Sometimes I wonder myself."

For most of her life, the public thought she had never married. In fact, in 1928 she married Ludlow Ogden Smith, a member of a wealthy Pennsylvania family. She immediately made him change his name to S. Ogden Ludlow, partly because she didn't want to be known as Kate Smith. They led separate lives long before their divorce in 1934.

It was in "Pat and Mike" that Tracy spoke the often-quoted line about Miss Hepburn's figure, "Not much meat on her, but what's there is `cherce.' "

Miss Hepburn often said Tracy was the best actor she had ever known and compared him in complimentary terms to a baked potato: solid, substantial stuff. "He's meat and potatoes, meat and potatoes," she would say. "I'm more like a fancy French dessert, I'm a little bit fancy, aren't I? But I wish I were meat and potatoes."

Her most striking television appearance was not in a dramatic role, but in a 1986 tribute to Spencer Tracy. Speaking openly about their relationship at last, she read a letter she had written to him, which she later included in her autobiography. She recalled their last years together, when he was ill and had trouble sleeping, and she would sit on the floor by his side and talk. 

“Enemies are so stimulating.“  KH

“If you’re given a choice between money and sex appeal, take the money. As you get older, the money will become your sex appeal.“ KH

A few days after Tracy’s funeral, the phone rang at Louise’s home. It was Katharine Hepburn, who had nursed her lover through his final months and been with him at her home when he died.

‘You know, Louise, you and I can be friends,’ said Hepburn. ‘You knew him at the beginning, I at the end. I might be a help with the kids.’ (John and Susie were at that point 42 and 34 respectively.)

‘Well, yes,’ Louise said, pausing for emphasis. ‘But you see, I thought you were only a rumour …’

The shot hit its mark with deadly accuracy. Hepburn raged later: ‘After nearly 30 years, a rumour?’

‘What could be the answer to that?’

‘It was,’ she later wrote, ‘a deep and fundamental wound, deeply set, never to be budged. ‘Almost 30 years Spence and I had known each other, through good and bad times. Some rumour.

‘And by never admitting I existed, she remained the wife. She sent out the Christmas cards.

‘Spencer, the guilty one. She, the sufferer. I had not broken up their marriage. That happened long before I arrived on the scene.’

And when Louise died in 1983, the recipient of numerous awards for her tireless charity work, she had been, and forever remained, the one and only Mrs Spencer Tracy.

[thesausagequest]

Everything’s Just Sausages Now, Anyway

When things aren’t going so well on a personal or national scale - say, when Brian Harvey ran over his own head in a car he himself was driving after eating several baked potatoes, or whenever anyone failed to successfully complete the challenges they set themselves on You Bet (honestly you didn’t have to bet, it’s truly fine if you can’t beat a lift to the top of Blackpool Tower and really you should have known that would be the outcome, and this is a real thing that happened and I’m still annoyed about it 22 years later) - there are two places into which I retreat. 

One of them is the 1983 smash hit Holiday Road, by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, which was written for the National Lampoon Vacation series of films charting the ill-fated and often comedic attempts at holidays made by the Griswold family.  

And the other is sausages. Buckingham actually played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion drum programming and sang the vocals for Holiday Road so, you know. I hope that makes you appreciate it more.

Look, here’s loosely-termed ska band Limp covering it in 1997, I think you’ll agree that nothing is added to the original, such is Buckingham’s talent.

Now, to sausages. I have not sausaged as frequently as I would have liked of late, and so required a return to form akin to that of Lindsey Buckingham recording Holiday Road after leaving Fleetwood Mac. So that is what I did. I Holiday Roaded. For those unfamiliar with London, there is a very, very good daily food market on a street called Leather Lane. So I sausaged on Leather Lane, and there is nothing I can do about that sentence or the images currently befouling your imagination.

The Leather Lane sausage slinger - nope, I don’t like it either - I chose for my return to tubes was Highlander Games, a pipe-pusher - I know, I know I keep doing it - of some renown, mainly for selling a sausage that’s a metre long.

Stop it. I shouldn’t be able to hold an entire buffet in my hands. I don’t even...am I meant to tackle that alone or with a friend, and if with a friend, do we like...Lady and The Tramp it and meet in the middle? I don’t like that at all, I wouldn’t know where to...would the middle not just get all soggy and then what does that do to the structural integrity of the thing? Do I get scaffolding? I’m not qualified to build scaffolding.

Anyway, sausage-construction aside, this is the menu.

And these are the sausages.

And this is Lindsey Buckingham’s 1983 smash hit, Holiday Road. 

I opted for the hot dog. This is a kielbasa type affair, something to which I’m relatively unaccustomed. Normally I’m a bratwurst or Lindsey Buckingham’s 1983 smash hit Holiday Road kind of person, so I had high hopes for this one.

Firstly, the gentleman serving the sausages was a genuinely pleasant, engaging person who brightened the gloomy day as he prepared my hot dog. Normally, I’m used to toppings going...on top...I thought that was why they...anyway but this time he put them underneath the sausage. So I got red cabbage, sauerkraut, pickles and onions underneath the sausage, and mustard and sriracha on top, resulting in this delicious culinary maelstrom.

Things went disastrously wrong immediately after this. Since it was raining, this was eaten huddled in an archway. The under...ings immediately leached all of their fluid into the bread, so that just fell apart like...wet bread - I am a copywriter available for freelance work - and so that meant I had to employ the fork, then the fork snapped, then I only had one napkin so my face was covered in wet cabbage and rain and bits of torn napkin and a LEGO and puzzlement, it was not very Holiday Road at all. Individually, each component was fantastic. The bread was very good, the sausage had a perfect snap and was probably one of the best sausages I’ve had since I started this vital research project, the cabbage, kraut etc. all came together to create a genuinely excellent sausage experience. 

Avenge me. 

If I were to go again, which I will, so I don’t know why I’m being so vague, but if I were to go again I’d get the sausage box with bread, which is my affectionate nickname for my local baker but he doesn’t know it. Or me. He doesn’t know I exist, no matter how many nicknames I give him. I’d heartily recommend visiting Highlander Game, and I recommend also that you Google that, because I didn’t know they almost made a Highlander video game, and now I do, because I needed that photo of the metre-long sausage from above and had to find it somewhere, so Googled it and delved into all the super-relevant information I needed about a cancelled computer game from 2011 that I probably would have played if it existed, which it doesn’t, and it should, but it doesn’t. 

Anyway, go to Highlander Game for sausages and tell them I sent you, because they don’t know who I am and that would make me and everyone else laugh. 

CURRENT LENGTH - PRIOR TO THIS WET SAUSAGE CAPER WE WERE ON 606CM AND I DIDN’T MEASURE THIS BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING AND THAT MADE MORE SENSE BEFORE I TYPED IT. I’M GOING TO PUT IT AT A COMFORTABLE 15CM AND AN UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE SO 621CM WHICH IS THE LENGTH OF THREE RONALD REAGANS AND A BIT. 

SAUSAGE RATING - SAUSAGE ITSELF 9/10 ABILITY TO EAT 3/10 BUT THAT MIGHT BE USER ERROR

HOLIDAY - ROOOAAAAOOOOOAAAAAOOOOAAAOOOOAD

[higherfeed]

What's Coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu in November

This month all eyes are on The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster drama. But until you can see it on November 27, there’s plenty of other highly-anticipated releases in TV and movies coming to Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Hulu, including shows like Jack Ryan, The Crown, and Silicon Valley October Streaming Guide: The ‘Breaking Bad’ Movie, ‘Glass’, and More to Watch This Month Along with those new options, movies like Creed II, Step Brothers, The Matrix Series, the James Bond collection, and Rounders will be streaming on various sites. The Best Adventure Movies, TV Shows, and Documentaries You Can Stream Right Now Here’s everything new you can stream in November 2019:

What’s Streaming on Netflix

the King / The Irishman / NetflixNov. 1 Apache Warrior American Son Atypical: Season 3 Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Go Team Roberts: Season 1 Billy on the Street Christmas Break-In The Christmas Candle Christmas in the Heartlands Christmas Survival The Deep: Season 3 Drive Elliot the Littlest Reindeer Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Fire in Paradise The Game Grease Hache Hello Ninja Holiday in the Wild Holly Star How to Be a Latin Lover The King Love Jones The Man Without Gravity Mars: Season 2 The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: Seasons 1-2 Paid in Full Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! Rosemary’s Baby Rounders Santa Girl Sling Blade Spitfire: The Plane That Saved the World Step Brothers True: Grabbleapple Harvest Up North We Are the Wave Wild Child Zombieland Nov. 4 A Holiday Engagement Christmas Crush Dear Santa The Devil Next Door District 9 Nov. 5 The End of the F***ing World: Season 2 Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 4 Tune in for Love Undercover Brother 2 Nov. 6 Phillip Youmans Burning Cane SCAMS Shadow Nov. 7 The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open Nov. 8 Busted!: Season 2 The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2 Greatest Events of WWII in HD Colour Green Eggs and Ham Let It Snow Paradise Beach Wild District: Season 2 Nov. 9 Little Things: Season 3 Nov. 10 Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj: Volume 5 Nov. 11 A Single Man Chief of Staff: Season 2 Nov. 12 Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 3 Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago Nov. 13 Maradona in Mexico Nov. 14 The Stranded Nov. 15 Avlu: Part 2 The Club Earthquake Bird GO!: The Unforgettable Party House Arrest I’m With the Band: Nasty Cherry Klaus Llama Llama: Season 2 The Toys That Made Us: Season 3 Nov. 16 Suffragette Nov. 17 The Crown: Season 3 Nov. 19 Iliza: Unveiled No hay tiempo para la verguenza Nov. 20 Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator Dream/Killer Lorena, la de pies ligeros Nov. 21 The Knight Before Christmas Mortel Nov. 22 Dino Girl Gauko Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings The Dragon Prince: Season 3 High Seas: Season 2 Meet the Adebanjos: Season 1-3 Mon frere Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2 Narcoworld: Dope Stories Nobody’s Looking Singapore Social Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 8 Nov. 23 End of Watch Nov. 24 Courtesy of Bold Films Shot Caller Nov. 25 Dirty John: Season 1 Nov. 26 Mike Birbiglia: The New One Super Monsters Save Christmas True: Winter Wishes Nov. 27 Broken The Irishman Nov. 28 Holiday Rush John Crist: I Ain’t Praying For That Merry Happy Whatever Mytho Nov. 29 ‘Atlantics’ Courtesy of TIFF Atlantics Chip and Potato: Season 2 I Lost My Body La Reina del Sur: Season 2 The Movies That Made Us Sugar Rush Christmas

What’s Streaming on Amazon Prime

Jack Ryan Season 2 / Amazon Prime Video / Paramount TelevisionNov. 1: A View To A Kill (1985) Bad Santa (2003) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Die Another Day (2002) Double Jeopardy (1999) Dr. No (1962) Escape From Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask (1972) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fire with Fire (2012) Flashdance (1983) For Your Eyes Only (1981) Freelancers (2012) From Russia With Love (1963) Gloria (English Subtitled) (2014) Goldeneye (1995) Goldfinger (1964) Kingpin (1996) LicenceTo Kill (1989) Light Sleeper (1992) Live And Let Die (1973) Moonraker (1979) Never Say Never Again (1983) Octopussy (1983) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) Overlord (2018) Reds (1981) Save the Last Dance 2 (2006) Soapdish (1991) Summer’s Moon (2009) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) The Firm (1993) The Living Daylights (1987) The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) The Ring (2002) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) The World Is Not Enough (1999) Thunderball (1965) Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Training Day (2001) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Jack Ryan Nov. 6 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 8 One Child Nation (2019) Nov. 12 Angel Has Fallen (2019) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Romans (2017) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) The Souvenir (2019) Nov. 15 Creed 2 (2018) The Man in the High Castle: Season 4 (Amazon Original) Nov. 19 Bottom of the 9th (2019) Nov. 20 The Fanatic (2019) Nov. 22 Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) (Amazon Original) Costume Quest: Christmas Special (Amazon Original) Nov. 29 The Report (2019) Nov. 30 Low Tide (2019) The Feed: Season 1 (Amazon Original)

What’s Streaming on Hulu

Nov. 1 America’s Cutest: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) Giada’s Holiday Handbook: Complete Seasons 1-3 (Food Network) Holiday Baking Championship: Complete Seasons 1-4 (Food Network) Into The Dark: Pilgrim: Episode Premiere (Hulu Original) Kids Baking Championship: Complete Season 4 (Food Network) Love Island: Australia: Complete Season 1 (ITV) Sex Sent Me to the ER: Complete Seasons 1&2 (TLC) Too Cute!: Complete Seasons 2&3 (Animal Planet) A Fairly Odd Christmas (2012) A Simple Plan (1998) Albert (2016) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) Chinatown (1974) The Counterfeit Traitor (1962) Dinner for Schmucks (2010) Double Jeopardy (1999) The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain (1995) Escape from Alcatraz (1979) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, but were Afraid to Ask (1972) Fantastic Four (2005) Fatal Attraction (1987) Fever Pitch (2005) Fire with Fire (2012) The Firm (1993) Flashdance (1983) Freddy Vs Jason (2003) Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Freelancers (2012) Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) Gloria (2014) Head of State (2003) Home for the Holidays (1995) I Heart Huckabees (2004) In Enemy Hands (2003) Interview with a Vampire (1994) Kingpin (1996) Light Sleeper (1992) Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011) Madea’s Witness Protection (2012) Magic Mike (2012) The Mexican (2001) The Nightingale (2019) Overlord (2018) The Pink Panther 2 (2009) Reds (1981) The Ring (2002) Santa Hunters (2014) Shall We Dance? (2004) Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2002) Soapdish (1991) Spy Next Door (2010) Summers Moon (2009) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) Terminator Salvation (2009) Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) Tiny Christmas (2017) The Two Jakes (1990) Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) Undisputed (2002) Waiting… (2005) You Laugh but It’s True (2011) Available Nov. 4 Denial (2016) Nov. 5 Framing John Delorean (2019) Available Nov. 6 Long Time Coming: A 1955 Baseball Story (2017) The Biggest Little Farm (2019) Nov. 7 Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) Nov. 9 You’re the Worst: Complete Season 5 (FX) Nov. 13 Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) Ugly Dolls (2018) Nov. 14 Instant Family (2018) Veronica Mars (2014) Nov. 15 Dollface: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Creed II (2018) Wings of the Dove (1997) Nov. 18 Booksmart (2019) The Tomorrow Man (2019) Nov. 19 Apple Tree Yard: Complete Season 1 (Fremantle) Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word is Power (2019) The Quiet One (2019) Nov. 20 Some Kind of Beautiful (2015) Nov. 22 The Accident: Complete Season 1 Premiere (Hulu Original) Holly Hobbie: Complete Season 2 Premiere (Hulu Original) Vita & Virginia (2019) Nov. 24 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2010) Nov. 25 Love & Mercy (2015) Nov. 26 NOS4A2: Complete Season 1 (AMC) Astronaut (2019) Nov. 27 Meeting Gorbachev (2019) Nov. 28 Mike Wallace is Here (2019)

What’s Streaming on HBO/HBO Now

Movies Big (11/1) Blindspotting (11/1) Bruce Almighty (11/1) Chocolat (11/1) Crazy, Stupid, Love (11/1) Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops (11/19) Flawless (11/1) For Love of the Game (11/1) Forget Paris (11/1) Head Full of Honey (11/2) Hope Floats (11/1) Indignation (11/1) Jingle All the Way (Director’s Cut) (11/1) King Arthur (Director’s Cut) (11/1) Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season (11/26) Little (11/16) Look Away (11/4) Mr. Bean’s Holiday (11/1) Nine Months (11/1) Pan (11/1) Reversal of Fortune (11/1) Shazam! (11/30) The Apollo (11/6) The Condemned (11/1) The Condemned 2 (11/1) The Darjeeling Limited (11/1) The Darkness (11/1) The Day After Tomorrow (11/1) The Kid Who Would Be King (11/9) The Town (11/1) True Lies (11/1) Us (11/23) Very Ralph (11/12) Wes Craven Presents Wishmaster (11/1) TV Daniel Sloss: X (11/2) Entre Nos: Erik Rivera: Super White (11/1) Halfway — HBO Access pilot (11/1) His Dark Materials (11/4) Message Erased (11/1) Pajaros de Verano (aka Birds of Passage) (11/8) Papi Chulo (11/15) Santos Dumont (11/11) Sesame Street (11/16) Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration (11/9) Sobredosis de amor (aka Roommates) (11/1) Sterling — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Unimundo 45 — HBO Access pilot (11/1) Expiring 11/30 Blackkklansman Breakin’ All the Rules Captivity Crazy Rich Asians Darkman Darkman II: The Return of Durant Darkman III: Die Darkman Die The Darkest Minds Deja Vu The Diary of Anne Frank Disclosure Hop Insidious: The Last Key Legend Lions For Lambs The Lost Boys Macgruber (Extended Version) Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Manhattan Night My Friend Dahmer Paper Heart Paycheck Peter Pan Pride Ramona and Beezus Robin Hood Steve Jobs Stratton Read the full article

[zillowcondo]

Best Things to Do in Nicosia, Cyprus

Nicosia is famous as the capital of Cyprus, yet it deserves to be better known for its huge array of cultural treasures. Cyprus itself is the third largest island in the Mediterranean and Nicosia is located inland. It’s the last divided city in the world but it’s remarkably peaceful and safe. From world class museums to great local restaurants, we’re sharing the top things to do in Nicosia, Cyprus and hope to inspire you to visit.

Things to Do in Nicosia – Old Town

The Venetian Walls are a fascinating testimonial of when Nicosia was ruled by the Republic of Venice in the 16th century. Their circular shape was topped by 11 pentagons, named after Italian aristocratic families. Today, you can walk around many sections of the Venetian Walls, considered to be amongst the best surviving Renaissance fortifications in the world.

For an in depth look at the city, Nicosia Tourism Board offers free guided tours in English of old Nicosia and its walls every Thursday from 10 am to 1 pm.  Our tour started at the CTO Information Office at Aristokyprou 11 in the picturesque area of Laiki Geitonia. The knowledgeable guide showed us around many of the best Nicosia attractions including The Archbishop’s Palace, Famagusta Gate and a local market.

A few days later, we went back to the Old Town and stumbled upon a colourful yellow mural, which appears to be a random pattern from a distance. However, look closer and you’ll discover that its actually a map of the historic city. Designed by Farhad Nargal O’Neill, the ‘Constructing the Past” mural was made with the help of young Cypriot artists.

Nicosia municipality also offers a free guided tour outside the Venetian walls every Wednesday from 10 am to 1 pm. Also departing from the CTO in the Laiki Geitonia area, it offers a fascinating insight into the history of the city. There are some impressive old houses on quiet leafy avenues and the walk will also take you through one of the main parks and to St Paul’s Cathedral

Another interesting place within the old Nicosia city walls is Hamam Omerye on Tyllirias Square. This historic building is a great place to get a massage in Nicosia, with stylish decor and two lovely courtyard gardens. We had a relaxing body and head massage before relaxing in the hamam, or steam bath itself.

Nicosia Museums

Visitors to Nicosia will find excellent museums, from archeaological treasures to contemporary artworks. Shacolas Tower Museum & Observatory on Ledra Street is a good place to get an overview of the city before you start your exploration in earnest. From the 11th floor of the tower there are far-ranging views of the city and a documentary film explains key moments in its history.

The A.G. Leventis Foundation has an outstanding collection of European art, which is displayed in the A.G. Leventis Gallery on Anastasios G Leventis Street. The Cyprus Collection includes artworks created between 1884 and 1930, such as The World of Cyprus by Adamantios Diamantis. The Greek Collection showcases paintings such as Harmony by Nikolaos Gyzis, on the top left below. Finally, the Paris Collection displays Old Masters by El Greco and Murillo, 17th century still lifes and masterpieces by Renoir, Monet and Chagall. There’s an interesting temporary exhibition until mid January 2018: The Venus Paradox. The building itself is a contemporary work of art, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. A.G. Leventis Gallery is open daily except Tuesdays and public holidays from 10 am to 5 pm and until 10 pm on Wednesdays.

The Leventis Municipal Museum on Ippokratous Street is also well worth a visit. It presents an overview of the city’s history, with some artefacts being over 4,000 years old. There’s an interesting collection of traditional Cypriot costumes, jewellery and furniture. It’s open from 10 am to 4.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

One of the highlights of our Nicosia trip was a visit to The Cyprus Museum, which is the oldest and largest archaeological museum on the island. It houses some incredible treasures in 14 galleries, ranging from 8000 BC to the end of Antiquity. The early Bronze Age pottery is very impressive, whilst the terracotta army unearthed in Agia Irini deserves to be better known. There’s also a beautiful marble statue of Aphrodite – according to legend, the goddess of love was born on the island. There are free guided tours which place every Tuesday and Friday from 11 am to 12.30, with the museum entrance as the starting point.

The Loukia and Michael Zampelas Art Museum is known for its collection of modern Cyprus art. With over 1,000 works from 1877 to the present day, it also hosts regular lectures and cultural events. The large painting that you see below is by Vangelis Rinas, entitled Spring Dream in the Garden of the Butterflies. The building itself was designed by Athos Dikaios and is light and spacious, with a bridge connecting the different sections. The gallery, café and gift shop are open from 10 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Friday. It’s located in Kaimakli district which has a nice church, St Barbaras that’s also worth a visit.

The Centre of Visual Arts and Research, known as CVAR, on Ermou Street is another great place to learn more about Cypriot art. It is home to the Costas and Rita Severis collections, which include antique costumes as well as over a 1000 paintings. In fact it’s the largest collection of paintings of Cyprus by foreign artists, giving an interesting perspective on the island. There’s a library and research centre and CVAR regularly screen films and hold workshops. Take a break in Balthazar courtyard cafe or head to the roof for great views over the surrounding area. The Centre is open from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm in Winter and closed on Mondays, and 10 am to 6 pm in Summer and closed on Sundays.

We have one final suggestion for you – the Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum on Granikou Street. Whether you’re a fan of motorbikes or not, this is a fascinating place. The owner, Andreas Nicolaou, started his collection over 20 years ago and has amassed over one hundred models dating from 1914 to 1983. There are famous names like Norton, Triumph and BMW and many more lesser known models. Andreas is often at the museum himself and personally shows visitors around. He’ll explain how he finds the motorbikes and restores them to their former glory.

Restaurants in Nicosia

When is a gym not a gym? When it’s a restaurant, late night bar and shop! The owner of The Gym on Onasagorou Street prefers this kind of gym, and frankly so do we! They serve up delicious cocktails, homemade burgers, linguine and other tasty dishes. There’s a large outdoor terrace at the front and a charming courtyard to the rear.

Valtou Rigani on Prevezis is popular with locals for its very reasonably priced food. We tried their village salad, as well as their charcoal-grilled platter for two. It was a succulent mix of sausage, pork and chicken burger, potato salad, halloumi, fried potatoes, hummus, yoghurt beetroot dip and pitta bread. Desserts are also excellent – try the warm chocolate pie as well as the kateifi with cream served in a jar.

Matheos Restaurant on Onasagorou Street is a good option for a light lunch overlooking an elegant college. We particularly enjoyed the kleftiko aka oven-baked lamb with rice and potatoes – double carb alert!

Head to Pantopolion Kali Orexi on Vasileos Pavlou Street for contemporary Mediterranean cooking. The sautéed mushrooms were a triumph, as was the grilled squid with ouzo, onion and tomato. Leave room for their chocolate dessert topped with cherries, it would be rude not to!

Piatsa Gourounaki on Ledra Street was one of our favourite Nicosia restaurants. The waiters are friendly and the portions are huge so come hungry. We loved the graviera cheese in pastry, manouri cheese with honey and balsamic glaze and the meat platter with chicken and pork souvlaki, chicken and pork kebab, salad and fried potatoes. Dessert is on the house and they may well offer you some liqueur too! No wonder this place came so highly recommended by several people that we met during our stay.

For a healthy lunch in an airy decor, Zest Coffee + Kitchen on Vasilisis Frideriks Street fits the bill perfectly. We tucked into homemade lasagne, salmon pie and fresh salad with chocolate cake to finish.

Kokouvayia Bistro and Bar on Sastiscratous Street is another hidden gem that’s popular with locals. It’s open until 1 pm every day and serves a luscious menu of Italian specialties. They do fantastic pizza, salads and fish dishes, washed down with some excellent cocktails.

Vino Cultura is one of the best restaurants in Nicosia. Located on Kyriakou Matsi, they focus on tapas and small plates accompanied by an amazing selection of wine. We were lucky to be there for their Burgundy wine tasting. They also have a Happy Hour from Monday to Friday from 6 to 8 pm, giving you a 30% discount on all wine, beer and cocktails. We were impressed with all the dishes we tried, such as the local sautéed mushrooms with a toffee caramel sauce, tuna steak with sesame seed and herb crust, prawn tacos and halloumi croquettes. A friendly sommelier recommended wine to go with our meal, making it even more pleasurable.

Nicosia Nightlife

Most of the restaurants that we mentioned above stay open until late – for example, Vino Cultura has regular jazz nights. There are two other great options that we recommend, the first of which is Skinny Fox on Menandrou. This atmospheric cocktail bar has an extensive list to choose from.

Finally, Coffee House TasteHabitat at Πάργας 9 is a very stylish spot in which to enjoy specialty coffee cocktails as well as sandwiches, salads and sweets such as acorn cookies. If you’re not a coffee drinker, they also do great hot chocolate, teas and fresh juices. There’s a huge outdoor terrace with comfortable seating and a modular space inside with eco-friendly design. Since opening their first coffee shop in Athens in 2012, the brand has gone from strength to strength and their flagship store in Nicosia is very popular. They also have a cosy store in the Old Town on Onasagorou Street.

Nicosia Weather

The temperature in Nicosia varies throughout the year, with there being quite a difference between day and night temperatures. It can get as hot as 37°C in July and August, dropping to 22°C at night. The coldest months are January and February when temperatures average 16°C in the day and 6°C at night.

Nicosia Hotels

There are quite a few good places to stay in Nicosia. We chose the Classic Hotel on Rigenis Street, which is very conveniently located close to the old town, museums and restaurants. It has a lovely indoor courtyard, large bar and separate restaurant and some quirky artworks dotted around the ground floor. There was complimentary high speed broadband, a safe and mini bar.

Getting Around Nicosia

It’s best to get around on foot if you can, although Nicosia buses are also a good option. If you have a hire car, as we did, you can pay to leave it all day in a car park for a reasonable cost.

Getting To Nicosia

From Larnaca International Airport it’s a quick 50 minute transfer by bus or car. Car rental in Cyprus is quick and easy – we chose Manos Car, who delivered the car directly to us at the airport.

Visit Nicosia!

The capital of Cyprus is a fascinating place and it’s easy to combine with a Cyprus agrotourism or beach stay. It feels very safe, the local people are extremely friendly and there are so many cultural attractions! We hope that this list of the best things to do in Nicosia makes you want to visit. Have you ever been to Nicosia or Cyprus?

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