IMMERSED IN POSTCARDS
Today little remains of the fortifications that encircle Girne besides a few turrets and some faint traces. Still, walking among the cubical houses in the zig-zagging streets behind the harbor, you can feel that you are in the old Girne. When the city walls came down, most of the stones were used to build houses, simply changing place! The streets are narrow to protect from the summer heat of Cyprus, and they give onto courtyards that the houses offer as sudden surprises. Walking through these streets, for a moment I imagine I am in a coastal town in Italy. As I descend a narrow staircase between buildings and emerge at Girne Harbor, I am confronted by a postcard that will never fade. Here I am at a quiet Mediterranean harbor, with cruise boats and lovely stone houses once used to store carobs, and over it all the swallows circling with their screaming cries. Looking like a ship anchored beside the harbor, Girne Castle is a sight which visitors to the city make sure not to miss. Entered via a small bridge and tunnel, the castle is as solid as if it were carved from a great monolithic rock.