Nov 30, 2018 - We'll Be Back Cyprus!

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Here’s some of what the Lonely Planet – Cyprus chapter Larnaca & The South has to say about the Salt Lake outside of Larnaca: “During winter this protected reserve fills with rainwater, creating an important migratory habitat for flamingos, wild ducks and waterfowl. As summer approaches the waters slowly dry up and the birds leave. They are replaced by a crusty layer of salt, and heat waves bounce and shimmer off its white surface. A nature trail that threads along the eastern bank is great for bird watching in spring....

Nov 29, 2018 - The Second Tomb of Saint Lazarus

In the New Testament gospel of St. John, Jesus raised from the dead a man known as Lazarus of Bethany. This man moved to and lived for 30 years in Cyprus, in part as the island’s bishop. He was canonized as St. Lazarus. Around 890 AD Emperor Leo VI built Agios Lazaros Church. over the (second) tomb of Lazarus of Bethany. The stone church is considered the best example of Byzantine (aka the Eastern Roman Empire) architecture and baroque woodwork. The ornate carved and painted wooden alter was warmly lit by candles reflecting on gold...

Nov 28, 2018 - I ♥ Larnaca

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Here’s some of what the Lonely Planet – Cyprus chapter Larnaca & The Southhas to say about Larnaka: “Larnaka revolves around its seaside position. The coastal promenade – known universally as the Finikoudes – is where locals and visitors alike come for a morning coffee or an evening beer, to flop out on the beach during the day and to stroll at sunset. It’s the hub of the scene, with restaurants, cafes and bars galore, and during summer it fully revs up for the annual flood of holidaymakers. Take a few steps inland,...

Nov 27, 2018 - ABC - Art in a Byzantine Church

After checking out of our great apartment in Paphos we had about five hours before checking in to our Larnaka Air BnB. We made sure to see sights we had skipped on our way there Nov.21. The first stop was just a couple of kms away, in the village of Geroskipou. Geroskipou means “sacred garden. As with almost everything in Cyprus one can infer “...of Aphrodite” and Here we visited a lovely little church. Although the bell tower on Agia Paraskevi, a five-domed barrel-vaulted Byzantine church, is dated 1886, the pre-extension chapel itself is...

Nov 26, 2018 - Kolossi Castle

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Here’s some of what the Lonely Planet – Cyprus chapter Lemesos & The South has to say about the Kolossi Castle on the Akrotiri Peninsula: “Kolossi Castle This doll’s house of a castle (more like a fortified tower) perches on the edge of Kolossi village. It’s an interesting reminder of the rule of the Knights of St John in the 13th century, who started producing wine and processing sugar cane at a commandery that stood on this land. The current structure dates from 1454 and was probably built over the older fortified...

Nov 26, 2018 - St. Nicholas of the Cats

The Agios Nikolaos Ton Gaton Convent monastery is likely the oldest monastery on the island of Cyprus, as it is believed to have been founded in AD 327. However, it has not been in “operation” continuously. We visited a chapel built in the 14th century, abandoned in the 16th century and then reestablished in the 20th century - the early 1980s to be more specific. There was little to see other than a large courtyard, as the elderly nun who came out to sell the jams, pickles, religious icons and cat-themed trinkets on offer was not inclined...

Nov 26, 2018 - Kolossi Medieval Castle

Heading out to the Akrotiri Peninsula on a primary route took us past Akrotiri salt lake, another important habitat for migratory birds on their annual Europe-Africa return trips. The route continued through pale dry hills dotted with scrub and olive trees, valleys of cultivated farms and past villages of whitewashed houses with red clay thigh-tile roofs. Once we left the main highway, we drove along roads that were variously aside vineyards, cut through orange plantations, or lined with bright pink bougainvillea. Our first stop was the...

Nov 26, 2018 - Mosaics of Ancient Kourion

A settlement dating back to Neolithic times, Kourian is thought to have been more formally established in about the 13th century BC, when Mycenaean colonizers arrived. Through the ages, Kourian became an important city-kingdom and its ruins are considered the most impressive on the island. This despite disastrous earthquakes not uncommon in the region. Representing the Greco-Roman period from 2nd c BC through 2nd c AD is a completely restored theater, which was destroyed by earth-quakes in the 4th century. The other main attractions are...

Nov 24, 2018 - From Aphrodite’s Bath up the Aphrodite Trail

Legend has it that the Goddess Aphrodite was born in the sea off Cyprus and later spent time on the island with her lover Adonis. So much here is named for the goddess that if the phone book were like my home town’s there are surely even listings that spell it as AAAphrodite’s (pizza, hair salon, car repair) just to be in the front pages. Our drive from Paphos out to the Akamas Peninsula ascended through dry, hilly terrain that reminded me very much of the Kamloops area in British Columbia. It only flattens out again very near the seaside...

Nov 23, 2018 - Pafos Archeological Park

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Here’s some of what the Lonely Planet – Cyprus chapter Pafos & The West has to say about the Pafos Archaeological Site: Nea Pafos (New Pafos) is, ironically, the name given to the sprawling Pafos Archaeological Site, to the west of Kato Pafos. Nea Pafos was the ancient city of Pafos, founded in the late 4th century BC and originally encircled by massive walls. Despite being ceded to the Romans in 58 BC, it remained the centre of all political and administrative life in Cyprus. It is most famed today for its mesmerizing...

Nov 22, 2018 - Cypriot Crafts - Beer, Textiles and Wine Roadtrip

To get out of town once more we followed a day-trip route out of Paphos as suggested by Lonely Planet. Our first stop was Aphrodite’s Rock Brewery. Here we enjoyed a “paddle” of five beer samples. The four of us agreed we liked the variation named Octoberfest best and that, of course, is what was taken back to the apartment to enjoy later. Next we stopped in the little village of Fyti which is recognized for its variety and colours of weaving since medieval times. It was underwhelming. My sister Vicki tried her hand on a spinning wheel....

Nov 21, 2018 - Modern Sculptures in Limassol

On the way back to Larnaka from our short hike to Cyclops’ Cave we stopped to check out an attraction that caught our eye from the highway on the drive out. The only information about it in the Agia Napa International Sculpture Park in the Cyprus tourism booklet is that 16 sculptures were created by local and foreign artists during sculpture symposiums held 1999-2001. That information is way out of date - there are now over 50 artworks on site now. We even saw one sculptor in the process of creating another.. This free open-air museum on a...