Vivian Ploumbis remembers Cyprus in a villa in Prague
He writes his personal experiences in his first, partly autobiographical book Zaváto v písku. Mrs. Vivian grew up in Cyprus. However, during the impending Turkish bombing, he had to leave his hometown of Famagusta in 1974.
They escaped the house with only a few personal belongings, dressed just as they were, and drove in front of the emerging Turkish army.
“I have always enjoyed writing and still enjoy it today. I take care of him after work, on the weekends. When we started living in Greece, everyone asked us about our story, and I felt a need to be made known through the book. I was all the happier when I won the State Prize for the novel of the Republic of Cyprus for it. It encouraged me to continue writing, “says Mrs. Vivian, who already has ten books at the end. They are translated into Czech, Romanian and Turkish.
The last one (Větrnice and other stories from Prague house signs) is a confession and a tribute to Prague through seven short stories inspired by house signs.
Despite his beautiful Czech (“We’ve been here so long that I’m angry at how bad I speak,”) he writes in Greek. When a multinational company sent her from Athens to Prague in 1997, everyone around her here spoke English from the beginning.
Villa over the river
The generous house, already bravely built on a steep slope, will take you in the hallway of the interior and make you surprise you.
We like it here and in Prague in general. So much so that we can imagine how we will grow old here
The living room is below the threshold levels and the bedroom and other rooms meet another floor below. The windows in the whole house are mostly on the front side, the back is a wall copying the terrain. Only the roof of the house can be seen from the street.
“The architect, our friend (also from Cyprus) had to deal with the strict conditions of the building office during the project – the windows had to be divided as well as the entire facade of the house, which can be seen from afar. My husband – Greek – is a civil engineer (I am an economics engineer and I work for his company), but at the disposal of the house, I consulted mainly with the architect. I knew exactly what I wanted, “admits our hostess with a smile.
There is a “men’s club” on the next floor.
Photo: Petr Hloušek, Právo
The garden on a steep plot is replaced by terraces, where there is space for greenery and sitting by a year-round, built-in fireplace with a summer kitchen. Although the two live alone in the generous space, everything is adapted to frequent and numerous visits, including guest rooms.
They resemble objects
“We like it here and in Prague in general. So much so that we can imagine how we will grow old here. We have relatives in Athens, but there’s really nowhere to go. I’m over sixty and we don’t know how long we’ll work, we’re happy here. Prague is a beautiful and safe city to its history. And it’s close to everywhere. “
Before the couple built this house, they first lived nearby – closer to the zoo. (“At the Prague Zoo, we like that animals have large enclosures.”)
“I discovered this place while walking and I really liked it. It’s like a village and a beautiful view of the city. To my surprise, in a few days I also discovered an advertisement for the sale of this plot, on which stood a dilapidated house. Everything fits together. “
The spacious interior – the main room has an unprecedented high ceiling – is complemented by modern and antique references to Greek culture. However, one of the solitaires at the library is a retired Swedish box. She reads and practices well.
“We definitely love art. However, we do not specialize for a specific time. We have objects that talk to me and remind us of something. “
Famagusta remains deserted
For forty years, Mrs. Vivian could not make her former home go to see. Only two years ago.
“I managed to get right to our house, where there is nothing today.” We will even see the apocalyptic image in the video. The wind taps with the shutters, and the driveways to the arid gardens are overgrown with wild vegetation. Nobody anywhere. A deserted city. For whom? Cyprus remains divided …
The terraces increase the usable area of the garden on a steep slope.
Photo: Petr Hloušek, Právo
“I often remember my hometown, from which we had to flee. I have a few details from home – my father’s watch, the keys to the door, “adds a graduate of the Faculty of Economics at the University of Athens, who has expanded the chapters of her life novel to study statistics at the University of Washington in Seattle.
“I guess we’ll stay here. From Prague it is close to all over Europe and we like to travel. we live here – he decided, as Franz Kafka wrote years ago – Prague will not let you go, “adds the writer, who dedicated her latest book so far to” the citizens of this beautiful country, which teaches me the happiness to be an attraction “.
He adds that Prague is a happy city that has not suffered from natural disasters or human irrationality.