Nicosia, Cyprus has a seriously cool café called The Gym…

Truth is once you leave behind the small labyrinth of markets filled with tourist tat that greet you in Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, you’ll find yourself in what could be a high street anywhere in the world. The same old chain shops and eateries line the roads, there’s even a McDonalds right next door to a Starbucks and not far from there, one of many giant branches of Costa Coffee. But before you either start to rejoice at the familiarity of the options or sigh for the lack of independent businesses, keep going towards the end of the stretch of where most people venture, to The Gym, a ‘gastro bar’ which offers a sanctuary of chicness away from the main hustle and bustle of the town. It serves up an impressive drinks menu (including mocktails and dairy-free milkshakes) and has clearly been designed with Instagramability in mind. But hey, I’m not complaining.

Spacious enough to feel comfortable, cool enough to make you feel like you’ve stumbled on somewhere special and with both indoor and outdoor seating, you won’t have a problem making yourself feel at home.

Décor
From the outside The Gym looks pretty inconspicuous, like an ordinary café but once you step inside, the L-shaped bar that you spy on entering makes you instantly realise that this is The Place to be because it really is different to anywhere else in the vicinity. To make British folk like myself feel welcome, there’s even a display of Marmite jars about the bar, whether they serve it hot in a mug, I forgot to ask.

There are a few separate seating spaces that make up The Gym but if you head all the way past the bar you’ll find the most design friendly spot. There’s modern art on the walls plus props galore, most of which can be deployed into your own Instagram set ups. No one was in the garden when I was there two weeks ago, possibly because to Cypriots it’s too chilly but for Brits like me, the early 20 degrees is our dream temperature.

Food & Drink

Portions are generous I sadly couldn’t finish my main, the fish was huge and so filling. The menus are on the website if you want to plan your eating before your trip. I was more impressed with the drinks just because it was the most choice I’d seen of non-alcoholic drinks on my whole trip and in a region where wine is the most popular tipple, it was nice to find some decent alternatives.

As well as a glass of chocolate almond milk I had a local speciality iced tea – lemon balm, rose, lavender and cardamom sweetened with agarve.

Gallery and Shop

Why hello there! The bit that makes The Gym a definite place to seek out is that it also houses a gallery and shop where you’ll find the works of local artists for sale. Craft, fashion and art along side magazines and books give the gallery a creative flair and if you simply want to pop in and have a browse or a quick drink that’s perfectly acceptable. The only fail of The Gym (maybe it’s a future investment) was the loos), the sign upstairs to them was notably hip but the toilets themselves were ordinary and crying out for some DIY TLC. But that aside The Gym is well worth visiting.

The Gym, Onasagorou, 87-89, Nicosia, Cyprus.
www.thegymconcept.com

Should you tag a street artist when you pose in front of their masterpiece?

When was the last time you stopped in front of a colourful wall and either took a selfie or asked someone to photograph you, then uploaded it straight to Instagram? It’s something I do all the time. I’m like a colourful wall magpie, I collect photos of myself in front of #Instawalls, wherever I am in the world, and though that desire in me is by no means fading, I am starting to feel a little guilty. Short of going on a street art tour and getting an understanding of the art and artists who created the street art, graffiti, mural, wall art in question, it’s nigh impossible to find out about the backdrop of where you’re standing and that’s so very sad.

I will happily pose in front of a wall and then later, though I know the location, know absolutely nothing about the art itself’…anyone else want to ‘fess up to the same ‘crime’? It does seem unfair. On social media we tag where outfits and accessories are from, events we’re at, hotels we stay in, people we meet…but street artists? It may be possible to see their tag, but how many of us take the time to look up who they are? It can happen so quickly. In galleries we buy a ticket so spend time looking a bit longer and reading the panels but street art we just spot it and share it to show we’re the cool person that found, it but we don’t stop to find out about it.

Maybe I am just writing this post about myself, maybe other people are the opposite of me and do make an effort to find out more about the ‘art on the street’, or perhaps you’ll read this and think actually I know what you mean. I’m not just referring to the artist being anonymous, but what about the story of the piece, why was it created and when?Does it matter if this information stays anonymous too?

Looking back through my photos (especially travel photos) throughout the year, so many are of me beside colourful walls. I love them, but I wish I knew more about them.

So I’m making an early new years resolution. I am no longer (from 2018!) going to see a beautiful wall and just pose in front of it. I’m going to be that person that takes time out to look up the artist’s tag, see if I can find something out about it and then share the photo. The evidence will be here on this blog and on my Instagram…and if it doesn’t happen please tell me off.

Image: Horaczko Photography