Today turned out to be
one of those nice relaxing days. Cyprus is a small island so there weren’t long
drives to anywhere and just a nice day with good company.
We met our guide Andri
and Zenon our driver and we confirmed with her what time we needed to be back
to the ship since the Captain moved it up a half hour. All aboard was now 4:00
instead of 4:30. We were originally scheduled to leave at 5:00. She said no
problem and we started the beautiful drive to Paphos. We passed farms of olive
trees, oranges, wheat and vineyards. Mountains and valleys made for stunning
vistas.
We arrived at Petra tou
Romiou, the symbol of Paphos city. Legend tells us that here, the goddess of
Cyprus, Aphrodite,
was born from the foam of the sea and was carried by the sea waves on the
coasts of Cyprus, to Paphos, which has become the sacred place where Aphrodite
was venerated. The religion of Cyprus in antiquity was that of ancient Greece.
Most of the Olympian gods were worshipped in Cyprus but the most important cult
was indisputably that of Aphrodite, the Cypriot goddess. She is the embodiment
of the fertilizing dynamism of Love, fertilizing the whole nature and spreading
happiness. Archaeological evidence and inscriptions bear witness of the
existence of numerous sanctuaries and temples dedicated to the goddess
throughout Cyprus.
The route continues to Paphos, a small harbor town and a popular
holiday resort, but in Hellenistic and Roman times it was the capital of
Cyprus. Home of the colorful Dionysos mosaics renowned throughout the
Mediterranean, picturesque churches, medieval monasteries, museums, countless
antiquities and a pretty harbor guarded by a small castle. The whole town of
Paphos is included in the official UNESCO list of culture and natural treasure
of the world heritage.
After a few failed
attempts at various ATM’s to get euros, we finally found one that worked and we
got a small amount out. Since it was a long holiday, many were empty and our
cards did not work in the others.
We stopped to visit the House
of Dionysos, to see the famous site of beautiful mosaics
unearthed during the excavation of a Roman nobleman’s villa from the third
century AD. An extensive complex of buildings fitted with beautiful mosaic
floors showing Roman legends and characters, but mostly representing scenes
from Greek mythology, are considered to be the finest mosaics in all the
Mediterranean.
They were quite beautiful
and it was a nice walk amongst the trees and beautiful flowers and the
occasional medium sized lizard. After we toured the area we had some free time
for shopping at the Limanaki area (old harbor) and a refreshment at one of the
many cafes. I had an orange float and Marianne had an iced coffee with a scoop
of ice cream. Greg had an Espresso.
We then boarded the can
for the drive through the old Town of Paphos in the direction of Limassol again
and after 45 minutes we arrived at a typical
Beach Taverna at Kourion beach next to the ruins of Kourion for
Lunch. Here we enjoyed Cypriot mezzes (small plates) served course after course
after course. We started with huge bowls of salads topped with olives and feta
cheese and various hummus and bread. Next came plates with ham and grilled
haloumi cheese. Then came plates of fried fish and fries, then fried squid,
then grilled chicken, then sausages and kebobs and finally meatballs. WOW, it
was all good! Unlimited red and white wine was on the table and we also could
have 1 soda or 1 beer. The beer was huge!
We had a lovely view of
the beach and it was a perfectly warm day. Fruit was served for dessert and
they served different types of coffees for those that wanted that.
Our last stop was at the
ancient Acropolis of Kourion which
is only a five minute drive from the beach. The ancient ruins of the city of Kourion, an
impressive Greco-Roman site of the remaining of the pavement mosaics,
preserved such as the fine four-panel design in the central room at the House
of Eustolios. Nearby, is the superb large Greco-Roman theatre built in the 2nd
century BC, which is still used today for many performances including ancient
dramas, concerts and other events. From this beautiful and unspoiled spot
perched high on a cliff, we saw dazzling views of the ruins and the sea below.
Cattle and horses were below us as well. The ruins were interesting and the
amphitheater was nice and there was a spot where you could go and clap or sing
over the spot and it amplified your sound. Of course we had to try that out. We
all were kind enough not to sing……
It was time for our return to the ship and we
had about a half hour to spare. (in case the Captain was keeping score!)
Actually, our friends Steve & Karen were last on as they lost track of time
talking to their friends even though they were just at the bottom of the
gangway and their names were being called to see if they had gotten on board
without their cards being scanned. Normally, our group is last, though we’ve
never been late. (well, Lima by a few minutes, but they were still loading
supplies on the ship and not ready to leave yet)
We finally had dinner in the dining room and
got caught up with what everyone has been doing the past few days and we went
to the show featuring Mike Doyle who was fantastic. He was vocalist,
impressionist and comedian. There was also a late show at 10:00 with David
Copperfield. No not THAT David Copperfield. He had a similar act to Mike Doyle,
but yet quite different. He was a bit like a Benny Hill that could sing. Quite
zany!
So, we get to bed after 3 long port days and
slept and slept. Well, Greg got up his usual time and exercised.
No comments:
Post a Comment