Contemporary life is filled with complications and distractions, such as rapid technological change, constant news alerts, an unending stream of texts, calls, and emails, and a need to multitask, leaving many of us overwhelmed, stressed, and unable to focus. One way to overcome this situation is to cultivate mindfulness—the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing—instead of simply reacting to the latest stimulus. In coordination with Travelgems, the experiential travel agency, Almyra is now offering a Mindfulness Week to help you develop the capacity to live in the moment. The seven-day retreat (27 September through 3 October) offers instruction in nutrition, holistic exercise, yoga, and meditation. We have assembled an internationally recognised team of experts to lead the sessions. Nutritionist Christina Kostara, head of the IASO Hospital Clinical Nutrition Support and Dietetics Department in Athens, will lead eating sessions focusing on mindful approaches to Mediterranean cuisine. Marianne Chrysikakou, who completed degrees in physical education in both Greece and France, will guide you through the holistic workout sessions. Sharon Hill is our yoga master. Her practice takes her regularly from New York to Tel Aviv to India. Accredited by the International Yoga Alliance, she will teach you yoga techniques and meditative practices. The entire week takes place on the lushly landscaped seaside grounds of Almyra, where you will be immersed in nature. For bookings, please contact Almyra by email (almyra@thanoshotels.com) or by phone (25 888700).

Ceramic art has long played a role in the culture of Cyprus, as is amply attested by archaeological finds of ancient terracotta amphoras, bowls, cups, and votive figurines. In ceramic art, one often senses a tension between functionality and artistic expression, between handicraft and fine art. This tension is highlighted and explored in the ‘Ceramic Waves’ exhibition currently on display in the Lobby of Almyra. Proposed by Savvas Christodoulides and introduced by former Minister of Culture George Demosthenous, the exhibition brings together recent work by ten ceramic artists from the Pafos region. Each artist explores the tension between functionality and aesthetic expression, with some clearly leaning toward utility and others striving for pure art. The exploration of the tension creates a lively dialogue as a diverse array of objects—figures, pottery, simple objects—ask us to oscillate between evaluations of each one’s utility and beauty. The emergence of Pafos as a centre for contemporary ceramic art goes back to the 1974 Turkish invasion: potter Savvas Georgiades relocated from Kyrenia to Pafos in its aftermath, setting up an atelier here. After he passed away, his sons Giorgos and Panicos continued his work; both are represented in the show. Around the same time, brothers Giannis and Avgoustinos Kontos set up shop in their native village of Yeroskipou; Avgoustinos’s work is likewise included. The other artists showing are Elysia Athanatou, Vasos Demetriou, Eleftheria Fili, Nina Iacovou, Melita Kouta, Giorgos Kypris, and Panayiotis Pasandas. The exhibition continues through 13 August 2019.

The rembetiko music played in the tavernas of Cyprus can be enjoyed for its intriguing instrumentation and soulful vocals—but it can be difficult to fully appreciate it if you cannot follow the Greek lyrics. Some familiarity with common themes can help you understand the genre. Though rembetiko developed in the multicultural port cities of the Ottoman empire, it became an important expression of Greek working-class identity after the 1922 destruction of Smyrna forced mass migration. Perhaps the best-known singer-songwriter of rembetiko in this era was Markos Vamvakaris. His 1938 song ‘Oloi Oi Rebetes Tou Ntounia’ / ‘To All the Singers of Rembetiko around the World’ presents him as a poor, wandering martyr who lives in exile and is filled with longing; he also celebrates the audacious man who rebels against his fate. Another popular theme is a man’s desire for a woman of another culture, perhaps best expressed in ‘Misirlou’ by Nikos Roubani. The title character is an Egyptian woman who beguiles the singer with her beauty; versions of this song exist in many Middle Eastern languages and cultures, and a fast-paced rendition features memorably in the movie ‘Pulp Fiction’. Another well-known, brooding song in the genre is ‘Eimai Aitos Horis Ftera’ / ‘I Am an Eagle without Wings’ by Grigoris Bithikotsis; in it the singer is an eagle who had soared in the sky before a ‘beloved hand’ clipped his wings, yet he forgives the beloved hand and vows to ‘love it forever’. These and other rembetiko songs can be heard regularly in Almyra’s seaside taverna, Ouzeri.