By James Stone

When I decided to go on a cheap package holiday to Ayia Napa, Cyrus a few years ago, I'll admit it, ancient Greek culture and Byzantine architecture were not foremost on my mind.

Don't get me wrong, I do love history and culture and all that – I am a bit a culture vulture but lets face it, after exams, the last thing you want to do is to delve in the old texts books. But on the other hand, drinking, partying and stumbling back to your hotel room after one too many pints does take it toll on the system.

So I was in that predicament – do I spend a week clubbing and pubbing with the boys, or do I check out a bit of the local history, culture and scenery with my girlfriend? A question with infinite possibilities.

Looking back, maybe I was a bit foolish to allow my girlfriend to come on the trip. After all, it was a bit of a lads' holiday and I knew my girlfriend wouldn't be happy about partying the night away 24/7.

But she is so sweet and has a way of making me feel incredibly guilty. I suppose that can be attributed to the feminine wiles which are inbuilt in all members of the opposite sex. So needless to say, I was powerless against her charms and agreed.

From day one, my loyalties were divided. The boys wanted to play some footie on the beach and then watch the England match at a local pub where incredibly, after three pints, the rest were on the house. I was supremely tempted. My girlfriend on the other had, wanted us to have a romantic evening watching the sun set by the spot where according to Greek legend, Aphrodite, the goddess of love appeared from the sea.

Both sounded quite tempting, but ultimately, to my girlfriend's utter disdain, I opted for a day of footie playing and watching with the lads. She was not pleased at all.

So the next day, I thought I'd devote the entire time to do what she wanted to do. And if I'm honest, it was the best time during the whole trip. We explored an old Greek monastery from the 16th century and pored over ancient religious texts. Then we took a boat ride into these ancient grottos which, according to legend were the sites of battles between mortals and the gods and goddesses of ancient Greek myths and legends.

Then we took a tour of the island, soaking up the culture and appreciating how the landscape had evolved over the centuries and gained a greater appreciation of the symbiotic relationship between the people and the land. We learnt how the people have adapted to the changing nature of their environment and how it is crucial to their livelihoods and their national identity.

Overall, the trip was a fair balance between clubbing and culture, but if I had to pick between the two, strangely, I think I would go with culture. But don't tell the boys that!