By Heidi Trautmann
Already in 2010 I have met with cyclists from the same organisation
doing a tour on bike across the island, led by Aydin Mehmet Ali; they had just
arrived in Girne in the harbour where I took a series of pictures. The article was published in ZOOM Magazine
issue 10. So, obviously I was interested when I heard that the group would be
doing another tour in April 2015 and I went to meet them at the GROL
permaculture garden close to the Anadolou Hotel at the Girne-Lefkosa Highway. It
was their 6th day on April 21.
Some of them were doing some weeding together with the GROL people,
on a piece of land untouched by any wild construction going on all around; they
were planting young melon seedlings which had been cultivated from seeds. An
alotment with simple sheds, an eating place, shower and toilet, and all over
the place vegetable beds and pots with young plants. Quite a quaint place. I
was introduced by Aydin my friend who had been with the groups every year, now for the fourth time, together
with the British organisers.
About 18 cyclists went on the 10-day tour this year, among
them London-based Cypriots including members of the Hackney Cypriot Association
the work of which you can look up under www.facebook.com/HackneyCypriotAssociation.
They all arrived under their own steam via Tasucu/Turkey and started the tour
in Karpaz; The bikes were loaned by the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia and
transport of bagage, camping equipment, spare parts and food was guaranteed by
support vehicles which would also serve to collect exhausted cyclists or
through military zones, for example the road up to St. Hillarion.
They were mostly young people who loved camping throughout the
tour and the elderly British organisers did occasionally make a nice break in a
hotel nearby.
Cycling together, cook and camp together, talk through the
evenings, might help to overcome any barriers of mind, which is the basic idea
of the tour. They all enjoyed to meet people and travel through the unique
Mediterranean landscape with its smells and colours.
Attached are the article and photos of 2010 and the 2015
programme plus my photos of this year’s photos.