Coming from a large city of around 12 million people, I chose to live in a small village of about 170 people located in the mountain foothills of Cyprus. It’s not far from the beach or the nearest town, and the forests are not far off either, but the peace, quiet and safety of the village are like being enveloped by a soft cashmere blanket.
I walk my dog early mornings and evenings, so we always see the village farmers as they drive to their land to do what farmers do and return with crates full of produce at sunset. They wave and shout hello and often stop to gift me a handful of nectarines or mandarins. As we walk, I pick rotund purple figs and glossy red pomegranates from trees along the road, depending on what's in season.
One of my neighbours kindly let me buy olive oil pressed from his groves. It is thick and rich, and I cook with nothing else. On a Saturday morning, the village mayor stops us on our walk, and his dog and mine have a runaround and a butt-sniff. The goat herds are shepherded through fields, their bells clanking happily.
In winter I hike mountain trails knee-deep in snow with my BFF. We leave our cares at the car and make snow angels and laugh till our sides hurt. In summer we snorkel or float in warm Mediterranean waters and catch up on life, eat good food and make plans for our next adventures.
On Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, the church bells toll at half-hour intervals, and late afternoons, the village men gather at the community centre coffee shop to play card games and enjoy a beer or a Greek coffee. When I pay my bills and taxes, they invite me to sit and have a juice (sadly I don’t drink coffee) and enquire about my life.
The village also has a healthy ex-pat population from across the globe. My vivacious friend down the road knows how to throw a kick-ass party with food fit for a king's table. She kindly lets me house an abandoned family of cats in her backyard, where they now thrive and play like kittens. When I go to town, I brunch with friends, catch up on their news and delight in the fun and competitiveness of my table tennis club.
Just as my little community envelops me, I hope you will become part of our Bulila community for many years to come. We are not going to give you gazillions of products to choose from; we want to bring you luxurious, well-made natural products that will pamper you and warm your heart with the stories of their makers.
There are so many things we want to share with you - authenticity, the stories behind our products and travels, our real concern for the preservation of artisanal products and for preserving and rewilding our planet. We would, of course, love to hear from you and how you are enjoying our products, so please feel free to reach out at hello@bulila.com
