My Wonderland

Photograph by Alice Karayianni

I am currently relaxing on the chaise-longue by the pool with my book in hand, but I cannot focus on my book because the view in front of me captivates me, as it always does. The essence of all this nature at my feet is too overwhelming to express, yet I have this need to put it down in words. Perhaps, if I do so, I’ll have a better understanding of why I feel this way when I’m here and I’ll be able to focus on my book, once again. So here goes an attempt to convey these feelings… 

When I am in Drousha, a small village right at the outskirts of the Akamas peninsula in Paphos (Cyprus), I feel as if time stops. It kind of feels like those nostalgic, slow piano tunes you get in movies when the characters are remembering happy moments from the past. Our holiday house is situated upon a hill – 650m above sea level – and has an amazing view of the sea and villages in the distance. At night, this view transforms into a series of bright, flickering dots in the distance, which always somehow mesmerises me. I think it is this contrast of the absolute stillness one gets up here in comparison with the ‘life’ one can imagine down there, when looking from afar. It is always a bit cooler here - hence the name of the village which is said to come from the greek word ‘drosia’ which means ‘cool and fresh’ - because it is situated quite high up. We are thus benefited with the fact that we have a better climate in the summer (Cyprus can get VERY hot) while simultaneously being an 8-minute drive away from the wonderful beaches of Latchi. In the winter, the house is usually immersed within some low-lying cloud so one cannot but guess what lies beyond the pool… Needless to say that the wood we stock up for the fireplace for the duration of our stay only lasts a day. So, as you can see, we’ve got both the mountains and the sea here, what more could one ask for?

As I was saying, everything slows down when I’m here, and I cannot help but enjoy every moment away from the chaos of the city. It is as if I become one with nature, perhaps because where we are, I can hardly hear any external sounds apart from those of birds singing, insects buzzing away and the occasional wind blowing on the trees; I love the rattling sound of leaves. Quoting Eckhart Tolle, ‘we need nature to show us the way home, the way out of the prison of our own minds’ and, in such a setting, one can’t help but transform along with their surroundings. In Drousha it is always the present moment, the here and now. No past, no future. Well, most of the time, but it's so much easier to live in the moment, to just be happy. There is this stillness in nature which fills you up, it calms you down. Negative thoughts are carried away by the occasional breeze, you cannot help but be optimistic. There is something magical in the atmosphere and it's definitely contagious. We are never alone up here. My memories of Drousha are filled with blissful moments of family and friends; old ones and new ones. There is always good company around; people who have grown to share our love for our little Wonderland and the surrounding areas. 

It's amazing what a place can do to you...