Pic of the Day - April 6

Wildflower at Latchi Harbor beach

Days and Nights in Cyprus

We have settled into a routine that involves making breakfast in our apartment and packing a picnic lunch, checking emails and blogging at a coffee shop in Coral Bay, exploring in whatever direction the day takes us, finding a dinner spot that serves good local fare, and then doing some planning (and for me, drawing) back at the apartment in the evening.  The TV/DVD player doesn't work, which is fine.  Most days we've also been able to enjoy an hour or so out on the terrace - high above the sea - enjoying the view, the sun, and the breeze.

Paphos is the western-most city on the Island of Cyprus.  It is a mixture of very modern and ancient

structures.  A massive new mall is being built near the harbor, but today we will spend some time browsing in the bazaar - an old, mostly enclosed warren of shops selling everything imaginable.  Paphos has several archaeological sites the reveal the city's history over the past 2,500 years.  One stie is known for its amazing mosaics depicting scenes from Greek mythology.  Today we will visit a location in the center of the city that has the remains of several ancient churches that were built as early as the 4th century.  The Apostle Paul visited Paphos on his first missionary journey, and there is a stone pillar locals believe Paul was tied to for 39 lashings.

Yesterday we drove to the north coast to visit the "Baths of Aphrodite," a secluded grotto where the goddess Aphrodite is said to have bathed.  The grotto itself isn't much to see, but the views of the sea from the hiking trail were spectacular.  The road north went through wine country, and we stopped for a tasting.  The route home took us through a nearby, parallel valley with an entirely different micro-climate that produces citrus fruits.  We bought a bag of juicy oranges along the road from 2 Euros from a woman and her small child.

I'm working on being entirely "here" and not dwelling on life and work back in the United States.  It's funny how I rarely dream at night about the church or my kids.  Here, I have had long, detailed dreams each night about both.   I have never been away from either for such a long time, and I guess it will take a while to adjust to the sabbatical rhythms and physical distance from those I love back home.

Pic of the Day, April 5

Paphos Coastline

New Feature - Pic of the Day!

Leroy at the Paphos Archaeological Park

An Eventful Day!

Three stories from our first full day in Cyprus:

1.  On our way to Kykkos Monastery, an ancient Eastern Orthodox compound in the mountains, we

stopped at a winery to eat our lunch.  We had packed sandwiches and fruit (Cypus is known for its oranges and bananas) and hoped to purchase two glasses of local wine and enjoy the amazing view from the winery's terrace.  The place was deserted, though we learned that a bus of tourists was expected at any moment.  The owner and wine-maker greeted us and invited us to sit on the terrace with him.  Soon two large glasses of red wine arrived at our table, along with a plate of goat cheese made at his sister's farm down the road.  He wanted to hear about our travels, and we asked him about his family and vineyards.  Soon another plate was put in front of us, this one loaded with rice-stuffed grape leaves and homemade bread.  The wine and the food was all mouth-watering delicious.  Soon the tour bus arrived, and our host had to leave us.  When we pulled out our credit card to pay, it was politely refused and we were wished a good visit on Cyprus!

Who would expect something like this on a remote mountaintop?

2.  After viewing the impressive monastery at Kykkos, with its amazing collection of icons and religious artifacts (e.g. hands and skulls of the saints, encased in gold) we took time for prayerful reflection and enjoyed the flowering trees and mountain breezes.  Then we had to figure out how to get back to Paphos on the coast.  I'm

normally good with directions, but I have been completely stymied by the twisting, narrow roads in Cyprus.  Thankfully, Leroy is doing most of the driving.  He's only forgotten to drive on the left side of the road a few times.  Anyway, it took us an hour and a half to drive the final 33 km (approx. 19 mi.) to the monastery because of all the hairpin turns.  To return to Paphos, I chose the most direct route, which began with an 18 km jaunt to a place called St. Nicolas.  Leroy expressed doubt when I pointed to the road.  It didn't look like much.  Unfortunately it became 

Turning the rental car around.

even narrower and steeper as we traveled.  The crumbling pavement turned to dirt, and there were no guardrails protecting us from the steep drop-offs.  Finally we agreed to turn around, and I gladly got out of the car to direct Leroy while he made a treacherous three-point turn.  The trip back to Paphos took four hours.  Google said it should take one hour and thirty-eight minutes.  When we finally emerged from the mountains and forests, we found ourselves in lemon and orange groves and drove through scenic villages built of stone above the Mediterranean.  A beautiful drive!

3.  For dinner, we tried to find a pizza place that was recommended by prior residents in our apartment, but it was closed for the season (it's beautiful here, but tourists don't arrive until May.)  We had Indian food at a British-owned pub, instead.  Shortly after returning to our condo, I fell asleep reading.  At midnight, we were awakened by by the sound of shutters banging against the outside walls.  A sudden, violent storm had blown in from the sea.  The metal storm shutters had been torn from their clips and were flapping wildly in the wind.  Leroy bravely (stupidly? :) ran out to the terrace and grabbed the lounge cushions before they blew away.  He could barely stand up, with the force of the wind and rain.  As he grabbed a large, hinged section of shutters to try to secure them, thesky was illuminated with lightening and he was thrown across the terrace as the wind caught the shutters again.  At the same time, the round picnic table lifted off the porch and blew away.  Together, we managed to close all the shutters.  Leroy cut his leg, and I have a scrape and buise on my arm.  This morning we did a search and rescue for the table, but unfortunately it couldn't be salvaged.  Today is a beautiful day, following the storm; breezy and cool, but clear with blue, blue skies and sea.

Adjusting to a New Reality

A shipwreck, viewed from our condo in Paphos, Cyprus

Today is the first full day of "being here."  It would be a great day to relax and enjoy the views from our condo... or just meander through the souvenir shops of Paphos.  Instead, we have gone into our usual over-achieving travel mode.  After our internet fix at the coffee shop, we will head into the mountains of central Cyrprus to visit the Kykkos monastery, meander north to the coast at Polis (hiking to the ponds where Aphrodite, the goddess of love allegedly swam millenia ago), and take in some wineries along the way.  Cypriots claim that wine-making originate here on their island.  Anyway, we'll see if we actual achieve all that today.  We'll find the right balance between touring and relaxing eventually, but for now we're just excited about all that can be seen and experienced in this part of the world.

The very recent bank crisis here in Cyprus has folks on edge, but that hasn't diminished their hospitality or sense of humor.  Last night we chatted with a gentleman who moved here from Italy two years ago and transferred all his money to a Cyprus bank two days before all accounts were

frozen.  He was going to buy a retirement home, and now it looks like he will lose as much as 60% of what he deposited.  If that happened to me, I would be pretty devastated.  He found a way to make the story entertaining, though, as he waved his hands, alternated between English and Italian, and shared his optimistic philosophy of life.

Leroy's almost finished with his coffee, so it's time to find out what adventures await us today.  Speaking of coffee (and other hot liquids I avoid), Leroy dumped a full cup of tea into my lap during the flight from NYC to London.  We were squeezed into the middle seats in the center section of the 747, and Leroy tipped the cup off the meal tray with his elbow.  He shouted apologies while collecting napkins from other passengers to clean up the mess.  For the rest of the trip, I was soaked to the skin and trapped on a soggy foam seat!

Arrived Safely!

Very quick post:  We're here in Cyprus!  Turns out that three flights and crossing seven time zones from west to east meant there was almost no chance to sleep!  Last night we had a grand total of one hour of uninterupted slumber somewhere over France or Italy.  Only four hours of sleep the night before that.  So... after arriving bleary-eyed in Larnaca Cyprus and driving two hours on the wrong side of the road (that's the law in Cyprus!), we took a brief nap and set out to buy supplies at a local market.  It looks like we will not have direct wireless access in our apartment, so blog posts will be sent from coffee shops like Arabica.  We are there now, gazing over the Mediterranean.  Unfortunately, the cord needed to download photos is back at the apartment and I don't have enough wits yet (still a bit groggy) to tell about our travel adventures so far.  Wanted to let folks back home know we're safe and warm, though, in sunny Cyprus and will do some proper blogging tomorrow.