Reflecting and Relaxing

Monday will be our last day in Paphos. Today, Saturday we are thinking about leaving, packing, and our last days in Cyprus which will be in Larnaca. We had one last light load of laundry and now are writing, painting, and just plain relaxing. Dennis is a bit chagrined that we are thousands of miles away from home and he's watching TV, something he never does during the day.

Who can resist Robert De Niro?

I'm doing a little of this (writing) and a little of that (mixed media). I took a sketch book to the Archaeological Museum and got quite a few ideas for adding to my travel journal. Two of them are for cutting blocks for printing and a few are for stencils as well as for painting. I need to practice patience as these will need to be worked on at home. But here, I've made a start. There are so many stories, legends, and archeological excavations to draw from. 

Right this minute, I'm waiting for zinc white to dry and then I'll add a couple of more details. After that, I'll pack up and try to remember to put the scissors in checked bags or they'll be taken. Once home, I'll get into the studio and add to the journal. I'll be anxious and happy to see what turns out and what was a huge mistake. The good thing about mixed media or any painting is that you can paint over it, collage over it, print over it, add a stencil, a little gold leaf, etc. etc. Yay!

Sunday finds us packing. I added a bit more to this one but once dry, it will get packed. I've added to the economy here so I have a bit of organizing to do. 😏 Better get to it.

Dennis just told me, all he did was check Facebook, watch TV, and had a few glasses of wine. He asked, "Does anybody really want to read about that?" That's it! But he went on to write, that Cindy mentioned that I was a bit chagrined because while she was "arting" and doing her stuff, all I did was watch TV. That was true. I thought, "Here I am, half way around the world and I'm sitting in our apartment watching TV? I don't even do that at home." I guess I felt ...useless. Well, after I considered that for about three minutes, I went back to watching "Zero Day" with Robert De Niro on Netflix, all 6 episodes! How useless was that? (It was really good though.) Ya know? It really did feel good--just sitting around and doing "nuttin." I got over it. 😉  

Our time in Paphos is ending

 Our time in Paphos and in all of Cyprus is coming to a close. We spent a quiet day in the Old Town Market. I had some last minute shopping to do at a small gallery that carries the work of local artists and jewelers. The owner told me about an American friend who lives near Paphos and her decision to keep family there and not return to the USA at this time. It wasn't a very reassuring conversation. But the beautiful things in the shop were a fantastic distraction. 

There was a toy store nearby so I had to visit it as well. On the checkout counter was a Santa with a try me button. It played Greek music and danced. I loved it. The clerk reached up and shut it off. 😣 Not very good for business. Dennis was patiently waiting on a chair in the sun. We walked back though the shops and found a small bar/cafe. Perfect, a table in the sun where we sat and had a glass of wine looking out at the Mediterranean Sea.

By the time we finished the very generous pour of wine, it was getting late. We decided to go next door to Cristo's Seafood Grill. We had been wanting to try a seafood platter. For me it was another adventure. 

The platter contained four very large prawns (shrimp) which had to have the heads removed and peeled. Not my favorite thing to do. I've watched the YouTube videos and I can't do it neatly or in 30 seconds. Dennis brilliantly suggested that afterward I use the lemon for my fingers. I did. That helped.

Mussels, prawns, calamari, large filet, small filets, chips (fries), salad

Success!

Dennis in the meantime, was fileting the fish--one large and several quite small, not sardine size but small. I'm not sure of the types but the meat was white and very tasty.

It was an excellent choice, even if the shrimp needed a bit of work. We added a carafe of red wine. Yes we know white is a more traditional choice, but the white was a bit acidic. And after all of this we shared a chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream. To be honest, share is a bit of a stretch, as I think Dennis had two bites. We then wobbled out to the Bolt (think Uber) and headed home. I sat down, did FaceTime, and promptly fell asleep for quite a long time. Thus, bedtime was 2 AM. 😖

Today is writing and painting and a getting organized day for returning home. Dennis keeps saying we have time but it always takes me more time than I have. And now for a word from the man himself...

I'll make this short. I hope I've made it clear by now that shopping isn't something I enjoy. Given a choice between shopping or getting a colonoscopy? I'll take the colonoscopy. I lay down on the gurney, the anesthesiologist administers a great drug and I sleep like a baby. I usually don't even remember the ride back home and I drive...just kidding, Cindy drives. For me, it's a very relaxing experience. In fact, the last time I had one, the doctor told me after, that he removed a tick from back there and he wasn't going to charge me, it was gratis! Such a bonus. 

Shopping? Not so much. Shopping is like going to the dentist. I know I have to do it occasionally but I don't like it. But after she contributed to the economy---the food was great and likewise the vino. Enuf said? 😁

If we enjoy visiting monasteries, does that mean we're spiritual?

 When we are not off taking day trips some of us are walking in the neighborhood or reading or painting or writing. Oh yes, and this too--

But then we get prepared for yet another day of exploring Cyprus. Our trip to the monasteries was on a very cold but sunny day. 

Chrysorriatissa Monastery

From here we drove farther up into the Troodos Mountains to the Kykkos Monastery. After being in the cold of the richest monastery on the island which is Kykkos, I could only hope the monks have heat in their rooms. The art work, much of it mosaics, is astonishing and the rooms, altars, side chapels have almost all of the carvings covered in gold. The halos around the heads of the saints are all gold leaf. It really is dazzling!

From here we drove to a wonderful restaurant near a very large and famous cross for an excellent buffet lunch. Our guide was once again, the wonderful Sophia. We were so busy eating, I forgot to take any photos. But after lunch...

And there is snow in the mountains:

From there we continued down the mountain to Omodos and the Church of the Holy Cross which we had visited earlier with Ana. Instead of spending too much time there we went to a lovely coffee shop for a warm drink. The tables were covered with handmade lace and topped with glass. It was a very eclectic and charming look with mismatched chairs, tables and sofas. Again I was too busy sipping tea to take photos 😢.

Let's see what Denny E. Baby has to say--

As you can see from the pictures, Jerry and Marietta arrived in Cyprus and have joined us on this adventure. It's great to have them here but Cindy and I had to try to limit our "bickering." Unfortunately, more than once we failed and exposed them to the other side of our otherwise "blissful" relationship. They were real troopers and ignored it. Thanks guys.

Now on to my comments about the churches, monasteries and other religious buildings we visited. I'm not a religious person but some of the buildings we saw that were 1,000 years or older were remarkable. Inside, the structures were very ornate and the artwork was outstanding and I appreciated them. Some, on other trips were also unforgettable: the Sistine Chapel in Rome; Churches carved in solid rock in Lalibela, Ethiopia; Buddhist temples in Asia. But I'm churched out. Forgive me this example: I don't like shopping but when I have to, I visit the store that has what I need, buy it, and go home. I don't browse. I think on future trips, that's how I'll approach churches. I'll pick out one or maybe two and call it a day. Maybe if I agreed with what's going on inside a church, I'd change my mind. What do you think? 

Who cut the cheese?

 What's left to see after you've explored a very long history, think 9,000 years at least!? There's more. More ruins, more nature walks, more food, more churches and monasteries. And we got busy and got going. We took a walk through the Tombs of the Kings on a beautiful sunny day. 

There were no kings (or queens) buried here but there were very wealthy people whose final resting place was here. They were entombed from the 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD. Some of the tombs were quite simple and some quite elaborate.

The park is well-laid out so that you can stroll along the paths, go down into the tombs, take in the many flowers, and also have a beautiful view of the Mediterranean.

Okay, so there's dandelion in there, just another sign of spring! What a beautiful day for a walk among the ghosts of the past. Imagine taking this walk at dusk when you just might see a filmy shadowy figure slip past you.

Is he wishing my head was on top of this pedestal?

They're always with us...

The next day, we headed off to the bus stop where we were being picked up by Sophia for the trip I had been looking forward to for months--making fresh halloumi cheese and a Cypriot breakfast. We started at a church with five domes in a small village not far from Paphos. The Agia Paraskevi Church is located in the center of Geroskipou and is a 9th century byzantine church.

From here we walked across the street to the family owned and run candy factory where we were able to taste many kinds of candy. And we could also purchase those we especially liked. 😋 Yum!

We liked the candies with nuts and honey the best and they somehow found their way into our backpacks. From here we drove further up the mountain to the village where Sofia has her kitchen and a delicious breakfast waited for us. Sofia had been up since 5:00 preparing for us.

Making Halloumi

And the bread goes into the oven

The result of all this work is a very satisfying and delicious breakfast. We enjoyed every bit of the wonderful food Sofia made for us. The halloumi was a special treat, warm and soft and fresh. BTW Sofia cut the cheese and put it in little pans which are later removed.

After breakfast we were able to have a brief walk around the village before heading back to Paphos for a look at an artisans cooperative near the old town market.

Who are those guys??

Once back in Paphos we spent a bit of time in the coop but then walked around a bit before returning to our villa. I think I overuse the phrase "a bit" as well as calling our apartment a villa but that's what it's called here. Oh well, I'm sure Denny E. Baby will enlighten you further.  

Word of wisdom from the man...

Cindy did a great job with he the pics of the Tomb of the Kings as well as the history behind it. It really was something to see and experience. Now I'll let you in on a little secret...thank goodness she made the decision a number of years ago to start a blog as we traveled. Wanna know why? Cuz I've got that old guy disease "CRS" (can't remember shit!!). Example, when she asks me if I remember the apartment we stayed at in Lagos, Portugal in 2020, I reply, "Sure I do." And change the subject to something I do remember about Lagos. Later, to cover my tracks I go back to the blog when I'm alone and look at the pictures of that trip. When we're together again, I bring up the subject of the apartment and "amaze" her with my memory. Pretty smart, huh? When you see her, don't mention this, okay? It's just between you and me. Clara, doesn't hafta know...er, I mean Cindy...(snicker, snicker). 😏