Coffee Lab a Greek coffee chain. New to Paralimni. Located in the main square, opposite the bus station, overlooking the church.
Pleasant design, which immediately ruined with wide-screen TVs. Yes, sadly Cyprus, village mentality.
Allegedly specialty coffee, but would not know this from the mediocre cappuccino served.
Shameful comments by Paralimni mayor Theodoros Pirillis, refugees from Ukraine are not welcome in Paralimni.
Countries bordering Ukraine are welcoming refugees and their pets with open arms, no ID no papers, free health care, free to work, stay of three years.
Who would the Mayor of Paralimni rather welcome, Russian oligarchs to launder their dirty money, drunk tourists?
War criminal Mafiosi thug Vladimir Putin has lost the war in Ukraine. He is now razing residential areas to the ground, leaving nothing but rubble and burning apartment blocks. Targeting schools, hospitals, kindergartens, a theatre clearly marked where children had sought shelter.
Are memories so short, were refugees fleeing occupied northern Cyprus in 1974 told they were not welcome because they may damage the tourist industry? Many of who now live in Paralimni and form the backbone of the local economy.
The Mayor demonstrates Cyprus village mentality, cannot see further than the end of his nose.
Refugees will one day return to Ukraine, rebuild their country, then maybe one day return for a holiday to thank the people of Cyprus who showed them kindness, gave them refuge and hospitality. On the other hand, treat them badly, treat as garbage to be dumped elsewhere, someone else problem, the word will quickly spread, never visit Cyprus, look how we were treated.
This evening on BBC Radio Four PM programme, a refugee from Ukraine saying she hoped one day she could welcome to Ukraine to thank people for their kindness.
Paralimni Mayor Theodoros Pirillis should retract his vile comments, issue an unreserved apology, then resign. He is a disgrace to his office, an embarrassment for Cyprus.
Note: It has been drawn to my attention Paralimni Mayor Theodoros Pirillis is not referring to refugees from Ukraine. But then we enter an odious discussion of good refugees v bad refugees, and it still does not bode well for refugees from Ukraine, at what point do they change from good to bad, especially if the criteria is the impact on tourism?
One of the islands in the Mediterranean impacted by refugees is Lampedusa 173 miles off the coast of Sicily. And yet refugees are made welcome, helped. Stanley Tucci makes the valid point, refugees make a positive contribution to the countries in which they land. [see Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy]
I, as have many others, been moved by the reception refugees have been given, as they cross the border from Ukraine, people opening up their homes, some have already found work, their children a school place.
In the near future we are going to see many more refugees due to global warming and crop failure. Already we are seeing food riots in Sri Lanka as the price of wheat shoots up due to the war in Ukraine.
Mass tourism is a factor contributing to global warming. Cyprus will be hit badly, rising sea levels and storms will wash away the beaches, Larnaca will be flooded, high temperatures will make it impossible to exist out doors in the summer during the day. The last few years September and October has seen temperatures in the upper thirties.
Afternoon and early evening Friday 4 October 2019 very poor bus service Intercity Buses to and from Larnaca. Local bus service also leaves much to be desired, too few buses leading to overcrowded buses.
At Ayia Napa I almost missed the InterCity Bus to Larnaca, it looked like a tourist bus. But appearances deceptive, a clapped out tourist bus, broken seats.
Bad driving, driver drives off before passengers had the opportunity to sit down.
Return bus at 1800, peak time, many waiting for bus which turns up late, not everyone able to get on the bus. The bus not much larger than a mini-bus.
I decide to wait for next bus, an hour later.
Annoying, had I known, I would have gone for a walk and caught the next bus an hour later.
The local bus, from Ayia Napa little better. Russians park their buggies in the aisle, sit on the folding seats in the allocated bays for buggies. When asked to move, park their buggies in the bays they refuse. Driver failed to intervene.
Traditional Greek-Cypriot restaurant in Sotira.
Generous portion size. My moussaka sufficient for three people.
With the closure of Nicolas Tavern, a sad loss, now have to go further afield than Protaras to find somewhere worth eating. The remaining restaurants in Protaras are in a race to the bottom, a race no one can win, as they try to compete against all-inclusive and each other on price.
Worth trying, Ttapis and Kamasias, both in Paralimni. Demetrion fish restaurant at Liopetri River for fresh caught fish.
The place to not eat, Ocean Basket, the McDonald’s or KFC of seafood, the fish not fresh.
Blue Spice is acknowledged as one of the premier restaurants in Cyprus, dining in our restaurant is a gastronomic experience. – Blue Spice
Pernera is one of those places best avoided, all-inclusive hotels, which in turn attracts bottom end of tourist market. As with Protaras, bars and restaurants competing with all-inclusive, competing with each other in a race to the bottom.
But as I was passing through Pernera, decided to eat at Blue Spice, or at least a friend decided for me when she dropped me off saying it had good reviews
A big mistake.
A strange set up, a very large restaurant surrounding a swimming pool. Also as I discovered later, an art gallery. It also appeared to be part of a larger complex including accommodation.
Souvlaki, or as they insisted on calling it it kebab, was not good. Far worse than No 1 or Vangelis in Protaras and that was not good either.
Very poor quality compared with Plaka in Athens.
As I was thinking of leaving, musicians started to arrive.
It could only get worse I thought, live music.
I could not have been more wrong. Far better than the so-called entertainment in the bars and hotels in Protaras
A guy on electric violin, a guy on keyboards and a female vocalist.
They did not play, they improvised, at one point the violinist was looping.
I asked and learnt they play every Tuesday night.
No way would I recommend Blue Spice to eat, but worth turning up around 2130 for a drink and settling down for the music.
They played a solid two hour set if not longer until around midnight.
A premier restaurant it is not, a gastronomic experience it is not, not unless count gastronomic disaster as an experience, but worth a visit for the trio who play Tuesday night.
Two places worth trying. Demetrion fish restaurant at Liopetri River and Kamasias in Paralimni.
Cyprus is like a victim with many assailants, only the assailants are corporate coffee chains. All the usual suspects, tax-dodging Starbucks and Caffe Nero, Coco-Cola owned Costa, followed by many may not have heard of, Greek versions of Starbucks Coffee Island and Coffee Berry, the Canadian equivalent of Starbucks Second Cup. The lastest to join in the affray, Mikel Coffee, yet another Greek Starbucks clone.
Though Cypriots have only themselves to blame. Open a chain coffee shop, no matter how bad, and Cypriots flock to it like flies around rotting meat.
Walk into Mikel Coffee in Paralimni and it screams corporate, it is like walking into a McDonald’s without the stomach gut churning stench.
A long wait to be served. Yes busy, though not many waiting to be served.
A cappuccino served in a 16 oz cup, a takeaway cup, a plastic-lined non-recyclable takeaway cup. This is the regular size. Asked if want sugar. A battle to obtain 8 oz. At least no chocolate dumped on top.
Even those sitting in, actually sat outside not running down the street with takeaway cup in hand, served in a takeaway cup.
Questioned on this, they admitted bad for the environment, but so far have been unsuccessful in obtaining ceramic or glass.
On sale ceramic mugs, but only on sale, not for serving coffee.
A plastic stirrer popped through the plastic lid. Not asked for.
All the utensils plastic.
The coffee was undrinkable. Too hot, milky, insipid, a strange smell, not of coffee. I took one sip, and that was enough to make me feel sick.
What looked liked factory cakes. When asked did not know where the cakes supplied from.
No cold water brought to the table as the norm in Athens. When questioned on this, hope to provide in the future ice cold water, help yourself.
Χιλιάδες άνθρωποι ήδη κρατούν στα χέρια τους το νέο ποτήρι Mikel. Εσύ;
Έλα σήμερα σ’ ένα κατάστημα Mikel και ανακάλυψε το νέο, συναρπαστικό, πολύχρωμο κόσμο του!
Join The Coffee Community now!
Thousands of people already hold their new glass of Mikel. You;
Come today at a Mikel store and discover its new, exciting, colorful world!
Join The Coffee Community now!
The Mikel Coffee website is all about selling a franchise, nothing about the coffee. And one of the dumbest videos I have ever seen, on youtube a series of follow up videos.
The video promoting their cup, their takeaway cup, their plastic-lined, non-recyclable disposable throwaway takeaway cup.
Why does any company with to be associated with trash, why paint your logo on trash, unless of course trash is your business?
Join our club, celebrate joining our club. Why would anyone wish to join a club to trash the planet, let alone celebrate joining a club to celebrate trashing the planet?
There is though a reason for the large size cups. The punters think they are getting a great deal, the supersize phenomena, they are not, they are getting lousy coffee.
But it is to make the coffee shop use more milk. Milk that is bought from Mikel Coffee and shipped out from Greece.
The same milk scam by Tim Horton in Canada. Ludicrous size coffee cups, far too large, undrinkable coffee, coffee shop forced to buy more milk, not from the local shop or dairy, but from Tim Horton at inflated price.
At least they were not using long-life milk which they had been using.
The same scam with the takeaway cups, coffee shops forced to buy from Mikel Coffee.
They did offer a 25% discount if brought in own refillable cup, but only if Mikel Coffee cup.
This is like the pubco tied pub scam in England. Pay extortionate rent to pubco, and on top of that, have to buy all drinks through the pubco at double the market rate.
As with Second Cup, Mikel Coffee is a franchise scam and they will do all they can to milk the franchisee.
Starbucks was due to open in Protaras at the beginning of the season but has yet to open, and does not look like opening any time soon. On the road leading to Fig Tree Bay Miyu Coffee, in the centre of Protaras Café Amárena.
Why open a franchise, serve bad coffee, why not work in a coffee shop, learn about coffee, then open a coffee shop?
If you wish for coffee worth drinking, cross the road, at the traffic lights head into the centre of Paralimni and a couple of minutes walk away, Robustos.
Why are Cypriots attracted to these corporate chains? It clearly cannot be for the coffee. No, not the coffee, it is to be seen, even worse to take pathetic selfies to be seen. To be seen in a ghastly chain where the cool, those with style, would not wish to be seen dead.
The darker side is, not only draining money out of the local economy, as these are all foreign owned chains, draining money out of the Cypriot economy.
Plastic is killing our seas. Cyprus is an island, dependent on the sea. It is not only corporate chains serving hot drinks in plastic-lined papers cups that cannot be recycled, cold drinks in plastic cups, so to are too many cafes, though not the specialty coffee shops.
If Cyprus is serious about reducing use of plastic, it must bring in a 25 cent levy on all non-recyclable takeaway cups, discourage takeaway, encourage relax with specialty coffee in an indie coffee shop served in ceramic or glass.
Individual Cypriots must do there bit and encourage their friends to do the same, boycott any coffee shop serving in takeaway cups.
The only exception, compostable coffee cups, with special bins for their collection.
Indie coffee shops must do there bit to discourage waste, not only by discouraging takeaway, but also putting out the used coffee grounds for customers to take for their gardens.
Second Cup is a franchise scam, a specialty coffee franchise scam.
Why open a franchise, why not open an indie coffee shop?
I sort of get it. Well actually I do not, I cannot see why anyone wants to serve rubbish coffee, employ people who do not care about coffee. I sort of get it if open Starbucks or Costa, fools who do not like coffee will walk through the door. But an unknown name?
Franchise speciality coffee is an oxymoron.
The corporate website pushes the franchise, no mention of the coffee.
If opening a specialty coffee shop would open an indie coffee shop, would have gained experience. Or would employ experienced professional baristas.
Second Cup Paralimni is like walking into a McDonald’s of coffee. Ok if I am fair, Pret a Manger.
Despite the corporate feel, a reasonable ambience. Jazz playing, not the loud moronic noise blasting out elsewhere.
And the coffee?
The beans dark and overroasted.
The Q grade? After all this is supposed to be speciality coffee.
I am met by blank expressions.
I draw a Q. Q grade, Q for quality.
I explain all coffee is graded, explain cofee over 80 is speciality coffee.
I could be talking a foreign language. The guys try to be helpful but have not a clue what I am talking about.
They tell me the coffee is 100% arabica, but that is the extent of their knowledge.
The coffee cups are far too large, even the smallest is too large for a cappuccino.
I order a cappuccino. It is undrinkable. Too hot, bitter, mainly froth and foam. A long way down I find actual coffee.
When I place my order I am given an electronic device. What is this, they track me to my table? No, self service, it beeps and I collect my coffee. Completely and utterly pointless gimmick
I ask of V60. They understand, but no. A machine grinds and delivers filter coffee. Would I like? Er no thanks.
On a board, dark, medium roast, a few other options. No mention of origin.
On the back shelf rows of syrups which says it all.
The staff and service excellent, did their best but as a coffee shop Second Cup is a joke.
For speciality coffee, only one coffee shop in Paralimni, Robustos.
Following my visit to Robustos yesterday, I decided to revisit late afternoon today.
Today bearing gifts, copies of Caffeine, Cold Brew Coffee and guest coffees from Alchemy and The Barn.
George kindly brewed me a capuucino, one for him too, we then sat outside in conversation.
He surprised me when he said the espresso blend from Cup 10 contined a small percentage of Robusta, nevertheless the cappuccino was excellent.
I missed a bus to Paralimni. Which meant I missed a bus to Liopetri.
Then along came another bus. Maybe, but no.
An hour and fifteen minutes until the next bus.
In one of his books, Paulo Coelho is crossing a desert in search of The Valkeries. Accompanied by his wife they have a guide. The guide forgets something and goes back to retrieve it. Wondering what is keeping him, Paulo searches out his guide, to find he is sat meditating.
When challenged,the guide explains, he was delayed for a reason, so rather than be impatient, pause and reflect.
That was me. What to do for an hour.
On past previous visit to Paralimni, I had beeen told of a coffee shop. I could not find. But, on a bus to Liopetri I had passed by.
I had also been told no good good coffee shops in Paralimini, or at least what to expect when I could find none. Though as I was to learn, maybe not in the centre but at least one on the road leading out of the town centre.
I decided to to and find this coffee shop.
I asked in a coffee shop. Where else? Only one problem, I had no idea of its name. Where was it?. I did not know. Oh, but the bus passed it by.
Helpful coffee shop pointed me in the right direction.
And that was how I happened upon Robustos aka Cava Robustos. A rather nondescript coffee shop cum wine bar cum deli.
I spoke with a helpful girl. Yes they had quality coffee. They did not roast as I thought or had been led to believe, but did have Cup 10 imported from Athens, not only espresso blend but also several different single origins, also different brew methods, V60, Chemex, Japanese syphon, cold brew tower. I also noticed tucked away, member of SpecialityCoffee Association.
I was inroduced to the owner George.
He told me he had helped found Speciality Coffee Assocation Cyprus and was their coirdinator.
He kindly offered to brew me an Ethiopian using a V60.
As a hot day, I asked Japanese iced filter, which he kindly obliged when I explained how.
We brewed half the usual volume of water, half as ice into which the coffee drips to be istantly chilled.
The ratio could have been 2/1 rather than 1/1.
Correction: V60 notot from Ethiopia, from Costa Rica.
I explained I would be back, and mabye a coffee cupping session in Nicosia.
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