Where do you live?
I live in Dasoupolis, in Nicosia. I’ve been living alone since my husband died in 2022.
What did you have for breakfast?
I had half a cup of mild coffee with goat’s milk, a slice of toast with butter, jam and anari and a boiled egg.
Describe your perfect day.
My perfect day is getting up in the morning, having breakfast and tidying my house, because I love a tidy house. Then I tend to my plants, come indoors and cook lunch for myself and my children and grandchildren, we eat lunch and watch something on television. I like having an hour’s rest after lunch, then I make coffee, take a walk and watch television. In the evening, I like to make some supper and read a book. This is a perfect day for me.
Best book ever read?
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. There is another one. I can’t remember the title, but it was about an atheist who travelled the world and learned about religions, before becoming a devout Christian.
Best childhood memory?
I remember when I was little going into our orchard in Karavas in the afternoon, where I used to sit under a pomegranate tree and listen to the birds. I was very happy then.
What is always in your fridge?
Milk, butter, jam and cheese. If I have these things, I don’t need anything else.
What music are you listening to in the car at the moment?
I listen to Greek music by the great composers and operas. I particularly like Andrea Bocelli and Mario Frangoulis. I also like to listen to choirs.
What’s your spirit animal?
Tiny dogs.
What are you most proud of?
My children.
What movie scene has really stayed with you?
Joan of Arc. When I was in high school, we went to a movie about Joan of Arc and it deeply moved me. I sobbed a lot.
If you could pick anyone at all (alive or dead) to go out for the evening with, who would it be?
My high school teacher Christos Gotsis. He was a theologist from Greece. I remember he was always kind and fair and I never saw him again.
If you could time travel when/where would you go?
I would go back to the time of Jesus to hear him teach.
What is your greatest fear?
I am afraid of snakes, but my greatest fear is being bed-ridden and not being able to look after myself.
What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
To be brave enough to say the things I want to say. Keeping things bottled up comes with a cost.
Name the one thing that would stop you dating someone.
If that person was dishonest and took me for granted.
If the world is ending in 24 hours, what would you do?
I would call people I love, to say our goodbyes. I would ask God for forgiveness and wait.
Androulla, 83, has been writing poetry since she was at school. She recently published her first collection of poems Fterougismata Psychis (Soul Fluttering), written “in times of great pain and longing for what has been lost.” The poetry book was presented on October 2. Part of the proceeds will be given to charity.
