Brandy Sours: Seven Years in Cyprus

Will appeal to all who have wished to head for a sun-drenched island life in the Mediterranean.  Includes the fascinating history and politics of the divided Island of Cyprus.   A real life modern day experience similar to the popular Durrells TV program.  With retirement fast approaching Bryan Hill was searching for at least one more big adventure. In late 2004 he, and his wife Irene, sold their home in Devon and moved to Northern Cyprus. They thought it would be life changing experience. And so it proved, with an abundant share of mind-numbing, frustrating, downright hilarious and sometimes scary brushes with the law, the military and, above all, the bureaucracy of this small island stuck in the middle of the Eastern Mediterranean.  Also included are some of the legends and folk law of the country which are equally fascinating and sometimes more believable than the reality of life there. To give a better understanding of the absurdities of life there, Bryan has sketched a brief history of Cyprus and the political events that have overtaken the island, particularly in the last 100 years. This is done with a tongue-in-cheek approach but this is not intended to trivialise the pain that many Cypriots suffer from the division of the island and its people.  Bryan kept a journal in the form of a blog to keep in touch with friends and family while living in Cyprus. This proved extremely popular and he has used it as the basis for this memoir. As he says:  ‘Looking back, if we knew then what we know now, I don’t suppose we would have had the courage to do it... but we are so glad that we did. We had the time of our lives!’