Friday, April 26th, Paphos, Cyprus

Greetings!

After breakfast in the hotel, we drove to the Paphos Archeological Museum,  Another in the many local treasures which showcase the materials produced and placed in burial caves in the area over the past 3.,000 years.  The main story gained from these ruin and museum visits is how many and how advanced the civilizations were which occupied this island long before Greece or Rome or anyone in the last 2,000 years lived here.  We've lately begun to ignore the work which represents the last thousand years in the museums or on the ground.  As beautiful and important as it is, it just doesn't compare.

In a few days, we'll be in the capital city of Cyprus, and we'll visit the national archeology museum.  I'm sure it will be the super-dazzle old world visit, but these local museums do a great job of helping tell the story of the history of the Cyprus.  Families whose merchant and political lives carved huge impacts on each city have donated their collections to private homes turned into museums.  Free entrance to residents and visitors, hosted by patient and informed guides, complete the experience.  

Not wanting to limit our Cyprus experience to ruins, museums, and coastal walks, we drove north up into the hill above Paphos to Polis to see the northern edge of the island.  Nearby is the Baths of Aphrodite, with a botanical garden leading up to it.  Thankfully not a long uphill walk, we joined a few others imagining the greek goddess spending a quiet time in the cool waterfall grotto hideaway.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Friday, April 26th, Paphos, Cyprus.

Thursday, April 25th, Paphos, Cyprus

Greetings!

After breakfast, we drove for about an hour from Limassol to our next two-night stay in Paphos.  We're still tackling our use of Pat's IPhone and my Google Pixel for directions, but we had the advantage of having driven part of the route yesterday on our way to Kourion.  Still, getting from our hotel to the main country circular highway through one-way streets was challenging.  Sure felt good to get to the open road between the two cities.  After checking into the Princess Vera Apartments on the Tombs of the Kings Row, we hiked from there, around the large coastal point to the Pathos Harbor.  

On our 3.3 km walk, we passed a family building a sandcastle near the tidepools (took a photo for Hollis Bewley (Director of the Stewards Tidepool Program) before finishing at the Pathos Castle.  It was a fortress built and rebuilt by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, Lusignans, Ottomans, and the British.as a result of invasions and earthquakes from 1080 to 1974.  

Lunching on forest and tropical smoothies at the harbor, we hailed a cab at 2pm back to the hotel.  We'll go out later for dinner at one of the neighborhood restaurants.

Before we went to dinner, we drove a few miles north to the Tomb of the Kings.  It was a great decision, and we almost let our exhaustion from the morning walk cause us to pass on it.  So glad we went.  These are burial grounds carved out of solid rock, between the 4th century BC and the 3rd century AD.  

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, April 25th, Paphos, Cyprus.  

Wednesday, April 24th, Limassol, Cyprus

Greetings!

On the second day in Limassol, we drove west to the Kourion Archeological Site (Ancient Kourion), and to the Sanctuary of Apollo (a little farther west).  We keep thinking that every place we se is the biggest, most well-preserved and presented set of ruins we've seen.  It's the same with museums.  The next one tops the previous in size or quality.  

And we're very impressed with how the country has protected the sites, and the signage.  It's like what we saw in Australia.  If you don't spend government funds on war, you can spend it on infrastructure.  

The Amphitheater here is particularly well-preserved, and acoustically designed.  From a single spot on the stage floor, the actors can be heard in all of the seats.  The site sits on the top of a hill overlooking the coast, making sure the city leaders could spot ships approaching from the west.

And just so you'll appreciate the importance of Kourion and its surrounding area, all that we saw was built after 325 BC (when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians empire,  A series of earthquakes over the next 300 years destroyed most of what he found, and the Romans subsequently re-built what we see now, only to have it also destroyed by subsequent invaders.

The really important value of Kourion is that it was founded a thousand years earlier by the Mycenaeans, who eventually gave us the Greek language (Linear B).

After we get back from our drive west, we're going to the Limassol Archeological Museum to see what was found here.  It may take a while to upload the photos, so do come back to see what was photographed inside the museum.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, April 13th, Limassol, Cyprus.

Tuesday, April 23rd, Limassol, Cyprus

Greetings!

After breakfast at Hobo's Cafe, we retrieved luggage from the room, and walked over to the Church of St Lazuras parking lot, and retrieved our car.   Google Maps got us out of the City, and west to the little mountain town of Lefkaras.  

Lefkaras has been called (by the Tourist Bureau of Japan) one of the top 30 little beautiful cities in the world.  It's known for its lace and silver craft shops.  Atop a hill about 10 miles west of Limassol, we enjoyed its small streets and friendly shopkeepers very much.  I'd probably pass on the Museum of embroidery, however.  Not a lot there, and too many steps to get upstairs to it.  Better spend the time in the shops.  

Later, we stopped by Choirokotia.  And stop by is all we did.  After spending 30 minutes trying to find it, we took one look at the hill we'd have to climb on foot to get there, and decided to pass.  The site is clearly one of the great treasures of the Neolithic period, and we have seen many of the pieces of early art which were found there.   

We're now confortably snuggled into Limassol, the second largest city in Cyprus, in a large, beachfront hotel (Odysseia), and are too well-fed.  Tomorrow, we day-trip to Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, April 23rd, Limassol, Cyprus

Monday, April 22nd, Larnaca, Cyprus

Greetings!

Larnaca is like any southern California beach town, without the waves, surfers, and skimpy swimsuits.  While there's a huge Virgin Cruise ship a few hundred yards off the coast, and lots of umbrellas on the sand, most of the action is driving up the street in front of the hotels or sitting at the bars and restaurants.  

Today, we just went out for breakfast at a cafe recommended by our landlord (Hobo Cafe), and got the discount they negotiated with it.  Afterward, we walked the beach front until we got to a local prize museum.

I'm have difficulty uploading the many photos taken in the Pierides Family Museum, whose collection of pottery and glass from the period from 3900 BC to 300AD on Cyprus is one of the finest in the world.  Next to one in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, this family has acquired it all, and displays it so well. 

After walking through the town until about 2pm, we returned to our apartment for a late lunch of the leftovers from last night's dinner.  While Pat read, I then walked to where our car is parked, in order to avoid additional 2-Euro penalty charges (beyond 24-hrs).  I drove it out of the lot, around the long one-way streets, and back to the lot.  The charge is for 24-hours (2 Euros), but any hour beyond 24 is another 2 Euros.  That will cover us until tomorrow, when we drive west along the south coast to Limassol for another two-day stay.

Please stay tuned for the many additional photos from the Museum.  They are spectacular, and I'll find a means of overcoming this very slow internet.  

Got it.  To see some of the photos taken today, click on Monday, April 22nd, Larnaca, Cyprus.

Sunday, April 21st, Larnaca, Cyprus

Greetings!

We made it.  Still uploading two more photos, but the flight over was surprisingly accommodating.  Hardly any  delay or difficulty with either customs, check-in, or delay.  One of the most personalized lunch deliveries ever.  Flight crew turned into personalized chefs, and can't believe anyone else got served before we landed.

Staying right on the beach, surrounded by restaurants and bars of every stripe.  Had dinner last night at a great Greek out-of-the-way place, which provided more than we could eat for so cheap.  Took some of it home to have for lunch today.  Today is completely on our own time, and may just be relaxing.

Stay tuned to see if I can get the other two photos up.  Click on Sunday, April 21st, Larnaca, Cyprus.

Saturday, April 20th, Milan, Italy

Greetings!

What do you think would be the worst day to try to get into the Civic Archeology Museum in Milan, situated on the second floor of the City Hall?  Answer: the day in which the world famous, week-long "Design Milan" concludes with presentations inside the main hall of the building.   The line started three blocks away. 

Instead, we got very familiar with the M2 line of the Metro Subway, climbed up and down many stairs (and a few elevators and escalators), and walked to the Canal district.  Pat left her walking stick in the place we stayed in Verona.  She's been making due yesterday and today, as we keep an eye out for a hikig store.  Did you know that the canals were constructed to transport the stones which buit the Duomo?

We stopped at a market we found last night, and restocked breakfast items again.  

Tomorrow morning, we take the subway to a train to the airport to fly to Cyprus.  I doubt there will be a post until Monday in Lanarca.

To see the two other photos we took today, click on Saturday, April 20th, Milan, Italy.