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Bellapais Monastery / Bellapais Abbey
Bellapais and Lawrence Durrell
Bellapais village apart from the monastery that was built within its boundaries is also well-known for a writer and novelist, Lawrence Durrell ( 1912-1990), who lived here between 1953 and 1956. It was in Bellapais where he finished Justine , the first volume of the Alexandria Quartet and enjoyed the life of a travel writer marked by the east Mediterranean . His now-popular book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus describes life in Cyprus . Besides village life he also portrays renovation of a house as well as village gossiping and intrigues. On a more sombre note he sounded the alarm bell for the troubles that were to ultimately cast over Cyprus not too many years ahead.
Tree of Idleness
So-called "Tree of Idleness" did not get its name by accident. It is said that villagers liked to spend hours and hours sitting under "Tree of Idleness" and idle the days away. However, throughout the whole book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus there is no mention about what kind of a tree it was. Today there are two trees that compete for this title. One is a leafy ancient, now-sickly mulberry tree overshadowing the coffee shop next to the Bellapais Abbey ticket booth and the other contender is a Japanese pagoda tree that casts its shadow over the eponymous Huzur Agaç (Tree of Idleness) restaurant. Fairly, both trees could qualify for the role pretty well as each of them attracts a crowd of onlookers. Still it is usually the mulberry under which the men of the village sit on their rustic chairs clutching a cold beer and play a game of backgammon. The picture is very much alike to Durrell's story in which villagers would just relax and enjoy the perfect weather. Whichever tree it is does not really matter since the story brings many visitors and remains a constant source of debate.
Durrell's House
To reach his house, which is still a private residence, head inland along the street to the right of the Huzur Agaç restaurant. Walk about 200 m straight and upwards the steep village street to get to it. The house will be on your left. This kind of road is not suitable for vehicular access. Buying and conversion of Durrell's house is basically a subject matter of his Bitter Lemons . The house is an evident conversion of a village cottage, showing an ornamental glazed ceramic plaque over the door saying: "Bitter Lemons: Lawrence Durrell lived here 1953-1956." But the plate can be easily missed. The track at the rear of the house makes a pleasant return route passing on the way a small complex of studios incorporating small bistro offering refreshment and snacks. Following the path downwards you will pass many old cottages abandoned or restored, each making unique atmosphere of a mountain village.
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