Cyprus Mail
Life & Style

Life’s a bench

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Xyliatos dam

Sit back and enjoy the view… ALIX NORMAN speaks to the founder of runaway Instagram success @to_pagkaki_cy about why the benches of Cyprus are the ideal cure for the corona blues

 “There is a bench in Korakou on which is written ‘Happiness is not based on the view in front of you but with whom you share it’,” says Marios Christodoulou. “I think it’s an important sentiment,” he adds, “because at the moment, when we can’t always be with those we love, we can still share an experience.”

33-year-old Marios, a part-time primary teacher and dance instructor, is the founder of runaway Instagram account @to_pagkaki_cy, or ‘The Bench Cyprus’. It’s a strange theme for an account but, over the last few months, it’s proved a huge success, with more than 3,000 followers signing up to see photos of benches all over Cyprus.

korakou (@gs.travel)
Korakou (@gs.travel)

“I think the idea resonates,” says Marios, “because benches are generally placed in front of a view – and we have amazing views all over the island. So you’re getting this incredible scenery with – depending on the time of day – a beautiful sunset or a clear blue sky, and at the same time you’re sharing an experience with the hundreds of people who have sat there before you. You may not be there at the same time of day or year, but you’re sharing a moment.”

Launched during the first lockdown, @to_pagkaki_cy began as a joke, Marios recalls. “Long before the measures, maybe two years ago, I was hiking with my friends and taking photos of the benches at Xyliatos Dam. I remember telling them I would make an Instagram page full of photos just of benches; it was kind of a joke,” he recalls, “and I didn’t pursue it. But then, last year during lockdown when we couldn’t get out to all the beautiful places in Cyprus, when we couldn’t enjoy the nature that means so much to us, I revisited the idea…”

Starting with his own photos, Marios tentatively began an Insta account dedicated to the benches of Cyprus. “The first picture I posted was of my favourite bench at the Xyliatos Dam. It’s a perfectly normal wooden bench on a regular nature trail, though the view from it is stunning: very peaceful, with endless green shading into the sky. But what makes the bench unique,” he adds, “is its message. On the back of it, in Greek, is written ‘ΑΓΑΠΗΘΕΙΤΕ’. It means ‘BE LOVED’. And I thought that was a crucial sentiment for these times.”

ledras, nicosia (koulla andreou)small
Ledra street, Nicosia (Koulla Andreou)

As Marios added more of his former bench photos to the account, people all over the world began to engage. “There we were, stuck in our homes and unable to see the wonderful Cyprus scenery. So I think it made us appreciate nature more; appreciate the importance of enjoying a moment and the value of sharing our experiences…”

Surprised by the response to his first few posts – “there’s a whole bunch of pages about Cyprus photography; but perhaps a collection of benches was unique?” he suggests – Marios soon began to receive photos from those who shared his passion.

“Many people embraced the idea from the very start,” he says, “and some became more than fans of the page – sending me their own bench pictures. Today, I receive photos of Cyprus benches from people on a daily basis, both professional photographers and those who, like me, are amateur enthusiasts. It’s turned into a sort of group effort,” he smiles, “and I am endlessly grateful to everyone who has engaged in the page by following, liking, commenting, or sending through their own photos.

pano lefkara (elena constantinou)
Pano Lefkara (Elena Constantinou)

“I seem to have become a collector,” he adds with a laugh. “Now, @to_pagkaki_cy is a place where I collect beautiful bench photos from people who share my passion. Many of us have becomes good friends online, and I’m hoping – once the difficult circumstances of Covid are over – to meet up in person.”

While Marios remains the administrator of the account, he welcomes any and all pictures of benches around Cyprus, posting five to seven photographs each week and featuring the remainder in his Instagram story.

“I choose those pictures which have something to say,” he explains, “something remarkable. And nearly every photo that’s sent to me or hashtagged #topagkaki has a story. It also depends on my mood though: where I would mentally like to travel at that particular time – whether I’m feeling it’s a mountain day or a beach day, a sunset or noon day. I think about what makes me happy…”

“And for some reason,” he muses, “benches seem to be a facilitator for happiness: either you’ve been there and you remember the view, the day you had, the experience you enjoyed, or you haven’t, but you’re captivated by the view, the peace and the tranquillity of that moment, that view, that bench…

“It’s a theme that resonates,” he continues. “Especially over the last year, during a particularly difficult phase of our lives. Firstly, from every bench there’s always a remarkable view to enjoy – even if you’re just seeing it in a photograph. Benches also allow you the time to sit, to rest, and to reflect on the simple things in life; the things which are free but we often don’t appreciate. They teach us to look around, to enjoy the moment; they help our inner peace and clear our minds and souls. And, like the bench at Korakou, they remind us to share our happinesses…”

 

For more information, visit the Instagram account @to_pagkaki_cy. Send in your photos of Cyprus benches using the hashtag #topagkaki

 

 

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