Flying Away festival - Nicosia

I admit this post comes a week late, but it has been a very hectic week which included moving into a room without internet connection or heating (it's not as if we live in the 21st century after all) and having intense conversations with an uncooperative and unprofessional delivery guy.

Anyway, back to topic, the Flying Away festival: it first started in 2009 and aims in showcasing the work and talent of Cypriot artists, be it musicians, jewellery designers, painters, you name it. It was easily one of the best festivals I've ever been to - and I don't even like festivals that much. 

This was the view from above - picture taken when we accidentally ended up on the wrong side of Orfeas Stadium.

Buzzy with live music and bouncy castles! We quickly made our way in and then straight to the food stalls (you should have known!).

...and then it was time for some shots. My humble opinion is that Cyprus talent is severely underrated. Nevertheless, in a true Cypriot manner, and even though I always ask before I shoot, some artists actually assumed I was trying to steal their ideas by taking pictures of their work. Not a good policy to attract potential costumers. Or people trying to promote your work. 

Needless to say, most of them were quite passionate about their work and eager to talk about it - and I was happy to listen. A picture is worth a thousand words so here you go:

The following beauties are handmade from papier-mâché, painted very patiently and labouriously by hand. Quite possibly an once-in-a-lifetime possession.

The Boy's favourite:

There was even a stall selling vintage (or not) clothes, where I found these fabulous Litas:

However, probably my favourite stall was the one with these beautiful handmade recycled crafts by Maria Neophytou (unfortunately I can't find a link, but I can provide you with her telephone number upon request). The crafts were stylish and witty and Maria was a pleasure to talk to.

Also, I was glad to see the new line be jewellery designer Tonia K, 'Κάνε την Κύπρο μόδα' - make Cyprus fashionable. Indeed, the line comprised of  a number of pieces promoting Cyprus, some more sarcastic than others:

If funky, fluorescent necklaces are not your thing, you can still promote the Homeland with a more discreet little bracelet, priced at a mere 10Euros:

Last but not least, PAWS were there, finding loving homes for dogs who had a rough start in their lives. I was happy to see that by the end of the festival they had found homes for almost all the dogs.

Hello you.

Me and my family also got our dog from a dog shelter, and the gratitude these dogs show is immense. 

However, if for some unforeseen reason your home doesn't have room for a lifelong four-legged friend, you can still help out financially by buying some of the dog-related things they sell:

Last thing - if you already have a dog, please, please neuter him/her. There are simply not enough homes for all the homeless dogs, with only the lucky ones ending up in a shelter such as PAWS. You really don't need to make this problem even worse by having even more puppies.

That was FAF 2013. I already look forward to the 2014 one, and I think you should too.