This and That

 Today was a quiet day. A bit of rain, no Superbowl, a trip to the supermarket, reading, for me, painting.

Yesterday, we did some more exploring. Starting with a boat trip out to a 1953 wreck that was sunk in 1974 because of the conflict in Cyprus. It was a trip that is no doubt more enjoyable in summer when you can snorkel and swim and see sea turtles. But we went out to the small island where the ship sank. The Mediterranean was pretty smooth so no throwing up. Successful trip!

 After a lunch that also provided dinner we did a little walking, yes, I admit I was whining but what we found was enough to stop a whiner from continual moaning. We went to the catacombs. Agai Solomoni is a chapel that is part of an underground complex of tombs from the Hellenistic period (325-50 BC). In Medieval times it was a popular pilgrimage. Agai Solomoni was one of the first to reject idolatry and accept Christianity. She took refuge in the cave to escape the Romans. They walled up the entrance, condemning her to a slow and cruel death. According to the story, the cave was opened 200 years later and the saint walked out alive.  

The walk we choose was an elevated path over the street and part of the city. Finding our way back to the street was an adventure in itself. We had some help from a very nice young woman from Russia. The main section of the chapel and shrine was closed but now that we know where it is, we can return.

The Cathedral on our walk over the street

The history here can be quite confusing because it is so long and at times complicated going back and forth between actual history of the island, archeological findings, church history, and myth. Even though this is an island we still have more to discover.

Today ended with a meal based on the shopping trip Dennis and Jerry made to the store. So a quiet relaxing day ending with quite a wonderful meal. Dennis topped it off with the unofficial drink of Cyprus, a Cyprus Brandy Sour. Another story--it was made for the Aga Khan who wanted an alcoholic drink that didn't look like alcohol, so it could be lemonade or with 4 drops of bitters, iced tea!

And Dennis says...

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day of rest, other than Jerry and I going "Hunter/Gathering at the supermarket. All of us spent time reading, napping, and checking iPhones to so what new catastrophe has befallen the USA. When people ask where we're from and reply the USA, most of them laugh and shake their heads. Enough said? 

 

The boat ride from Paphos Harbour was fun but I really enjoyed our walk to the Archaeological park and the catacombs after. We didn't have much time as it was late in the afternoon but we plan to return. There is an elevated walkway that extends over the park so we thought "Let's take it and walk back toward the center of town." Well, after walking about 1/2 miles, it ended! Do we have to walk back the same way we came? After talking with a fellow trekker, we were told that with a bit of a climb through boulders, crevices, and loose gravel, we wouldn't have to retrace our steps. So down we went. With a bit of caution and care, we made it safely down. After looking around we found we were about 100 yards from where we started, at the entrance to the walkway. When we return on another day we'll add a few more pics of the walkway and catacombs. Standing on the street, a cab honked. We got in and in 10 minutes we were back home for drinks and dinner. A well spent day! BTW, the Super Bowl was on TV here at 1:00 AM. Nobody stayed up to watch the rout...😒

The last word from Cindy: when we get home, ask Dennis about the laundry. 😃

Friends in Cyprus

It's been a bit of time since we've written. We've been busy, yes. Our friends Mariette and Jerry arrived right on time and we've gone from Larnaca to Paphos. We've also been writing a bit but not on the blog. Do emails count to our friends in Washington? Probably not.

One of the first things the four of us went to was Olepάdiko for Meze. After about ten not so small plates we had to beg for mercy. 

The music was wonderful but Jerry and Dennis couldn't be persuaded to get up and dance. I know they would have been a hit.

The next day we headed for Paphos where we are still learning our way around. One of the first places we went to was the UNESCO Archeological World Heritage Site down near the harbor. This island has been inhabited for about 9,000 years beginning in the Neolithic Period. At the UNESCO site we saw stunning remains of mosaics from the villas of four Roman Noblemen that date from the 2nd to the 5th Century AD. Cyprus has survived Alexander the Great, the Macedonians, the Romans, The Franks, the Venetians, the Ottomans, the British and the Turks. They have survived and thrived. Knowing that somehow brings me peace and the ability to focus and pay attention to now and doing what one can do. And we have been doing lots of exploring.

Paphos is larger than Larnaca and not as walkable so we have been learning about taxis and Bolt, a version of Uber. We've been off-roading and survived, barely. 

Today we had a wonderful tour with Ana into the Troodos Mountains with visits to where Aphrodite emerged from the sea, two small villages, a waterfall, a monastery, and a winery. 

Our day ended with a huge rainstorm which is desperately needed. However it made getting a taxi very difficult. Jerry saved the day with the Bolt app on his iPhone. Nicholas was picking us up two minutes later. Yay! Home, drinking wine, plenty of food, no stress. 

And now for a word from Den E. Baby--

Cindy filled you in on the history of Cyprus but I'll just concentrate on our first tour around Paphos. See the picture of the ship in the water listing precariously to the left? That was the "cruise" ship we had just disembarked from after a tour around "Aphrodite's Rock!"

The Captain asked me to take the tiller while he went below for a smoke. I told him I was unfamiliar with the controls but he said, "You'll do just fine..." (That's what I think he said cuz he only spoke Greek.) Off he went and you can see the result. He said a lot more things (in Greek) when we entered the life boats but I deleted the expletives...? I told him that I didn't know what I was doing, right?

See the photo of the Jeep?

Paco, our driver

That's a really nice picture. This must have been a before picture. The tour touted "visit small villages with some off-road excitement!" Well, our guide and driver Paco, took this seriously. Whether we were on the highway or traversing the winding mountain off road dips, ruts, gullies, and ridges high up in the mountains, his job was to 1.) see if he could bounce us out of the jeep or at least 2.) scare the shit out of us by driving off a cliff or running over some hapless hiker who happened to be on the same trail!

At one point, Jerry and I both implored him to ease up on the pedal. 😱His response? "I've been doing this for 20 years and never had an accident. What went unsaid? "Buckle up, Bucko! I'm in charge here!"

I don't know about my partners but I think I had a few squirts in my pants when Paco dropped us off at day's end at our apartment. Did he make a memory for me? Ahh--yeah! You'll have to ask my partners about this and their underwear...on to the next adventure...😎