However, when my alarm went off and Kendra texted me, I couldn't make myself actually get out of bed. So Kendra and Chelsey watched the sunrise, which wasn't exactly over the sea since we are on the wrong side of the island, and got some pretty good pictures.
There was a Starbucks located a block over from our hotel so, naturally, I had to go (I've been having withdrawals, I think). I've discovered (between an experience in Heathrow airport and now Cyprus) that European countries don't know how to make my favorite drink! I typically get a venti, non-fat, sweetened Starbucks doubleshot.
In America, this is an iced drink with five shots of espresso (six, if the barista is feeling generous and doesn't want to throw away the extra shot). Europeans apparently haven't discovered this drink as they kept trying to sell me two shots of hot espresso. So instead, I order a venti iced Americano which has the same number of shots in it as a venti iced doubleshot. But, whereas an Americano has water added to the espresso and isn't sweetened, I asked for nonfat milk and classic sweetener (which is a sugar syrup for those who are unfamiliar).
After enjoying my American obsession, we boarded the bus for Lefkosia (Nicosia) by way of Lefkara.
The village of Lefkara is located in the Troodos Mountains and is known as the Lace-making Village in Cyprus. I was actually excited to visit Lefkara, particularly after my local pottery encounter the day before, because I love handmade things.
I thank my mother for my deep appreciation for handmade items. My mother is one of the most talented people I know. She can pick up a piece of fabric and transform it into a beautiful hand smocked, knitted, sewn, appliqued, cross-stitched, or embroidered work of art. When we were visiting the baker last week, she said it takes love to make bread. Well everything that my mother creates has her love sewn into it. The hours, days, weeks and months that she might spend on a project are evident in the quality of her work. And while most children might have been embarrassed or ashamed to wear clothes that their mother made, I am grateful that I have a mother who loved me enough to make clothes for me.
So, needless to say, I was excited to see the handmade lace in the village of Lefkara.
Sadly though, when we arrived in Lefkara, we discovered that the majority of the town was closed. Not only was it Sunday, but it was also a holiday weekend (Monday was a day of commemorating a flood that struck Cyprus years ago). Regardless, we were given two hours to wander around and get some lunch before meeting back at the bus.
Wandering the streets in Lefkara, I meandered into a lace shop that looked a lot like my mother's sewing room. There was fabric everywhere. White, cream, silk, cotton, linen of all shapes and sizes with varying amounts of lacework stitched into them. From somewhere behind a stack of tablecloths I was greeted by a small-framed elderly lady named Anthoula.
Anthoula has lived in Lefkara her whole life. She works with a small group of ladies who get together and make lace to sell. These female lace weavers are referred to as "kentitrias." These kentitrias will spend multiple days hand sewing napkins and many months hand embroidering tablecloths. This is her livelihood. This is the life of a kentitria.
While handmade lace is impressive, Anthoula took time to explain some of the different styles to me. The three most common styles that were present in Anthoula's shop were the Margarita, Rays of the Sun, and Leonardo Da Vinci designs. All Lefkara lace designs are based on nature, whether by name or by shape.
The most popular Lefkara lace design (and therefore the most expensive) is the Leonardo Da Vinci. The story goes something like this:
Leonardo Da Vinci visited the village of Lefkara and purchased a hand embroidered piece of lace that he took back to Italy, where it remains to this day as an altar cloth. To further make this particular design infamous, Da Vinci forever captured the likeness of the kentitrias' work in his depiction of The Last Supper.
The Leonardo Da Vinci design is also known as the Potamos (or River) design.
I have never seen so many hand woven works of lace in my life and I could never have gained my newfound appreciation for the hard work that goes into them if it had not been for the kindness of Anthoula and her willingness to talk with me.
If you wanna know more about Lefkara and it's lace-making history, I found this article online:
Lefkara Lace: A Brief History
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