March 26, 2008

Hi there. I can’t believe that Joel has been here a week already. Also, Stephen and Cathy, friends from Cairo are on holiday here. They are staying in the village of Peyeia on the other side of Paphos. So Dale and I are having fun playing tour guide for all of them. We are taking lots of pictures – mostly to watch and see if Joel’s tan improves, but also as a reminder of what he is seeing and doing. Mind you, we really should be taking pictures of some of the meals he is getting, both at home and at some of our very favourite restaurants.

We have done a couple of walks/hikes nearby, including up in the hills, and closer to home in the orchards – it is wonderful to eat an orange right off the tree. We are also finding some time to sit by the pool – Dale and Joel have even been in, albeit not for long (brrrrrr).

Joel really enjoyed Aphrodite's Sanctuary and the museum in Kouklia. He was very amazed by the artifacts which are all local, including the mosaic 'Leda and the Swan'.

The sea caves at Peyeia were well worth seeing, and Dale even took a picture of the ice cream cones we had afterwards. The last couple of days we have spent at Paramali Beach, where Stephen Kite-surfed one day, but the wind was far too strong for Dale both days. Apparently the Coptic Winds were in. Joel and Cathy and I had a lovely shelter behind the grassy dunes where we read and chatted – and had lovely picnic lunches. Today after watching some very skilled Kite-surfers, we went to the Roman ruins at Kourio. Cathy is teaching a segment on the Romans to her class when she gets back to Cairo, so she was very enthusiastic about the place.

The time is going very quickly though, so we will have to squeeze in a few more sights for Joel before he goes home. Tomorrow is supposed to be calm, so (unless things change) we are planning a hike up in Koili near Peter and Linda’s.

I guess that is all for now. I hope all is well with you.

Take care.

Love,

Laurel