February 22, 2008

And here it is, Friday already.
We were up bright and early to go hiking with Geoff (the one writing the book on walks in Cyprus), his wife Doris, and Linda, a friend in Kouklia. We drove up the Polis road, past Latsi, to the Baths of Aphrodite; about an hours drive. We started on the Adonis trail, and an hour and a half later, stopped for a quick snack. We continued along the Aphrodite trail, and another hour later had to make a tactical decision. We had friends coming for dinner (one of which was Linda), and Geoff pointed out a hill that looked miles away, as our final destination. Thank goodness Dale has a better sense of time (plus he was still exhausted by his mountain bike ride on Wednesday), and he suggested we forgo the hill and make our way down. So, Geoff and Doris continued on, while Dale, Linda and I took the homeward loop. What a great decision. It was still a marvelous hike (only five hours) and we managed to be home in time to prepare for dinner. We even had time to stop along the way and finish our lunch, and visit the Baths of Aphrodite at the end of the trail (see photos). Geoff and Doris ended up being another two hours. So, next time, we will not plan anything in the evening, and will stay the course. Mind you it was a good excuse, as we were getting just a wee bit tired!
Dinner with friends and neighbours was lovely, and we weren't toooooo sleepy. We have been trying to adjust our inner clocks for our trip to Delaware tomorrow for Dale's course. So, time for a nap now, and we are leaving the house at midnight for a 3am departure via Frankfurt. Lots of fun. Hopefully we will have internet in Delaware and so far, are planning on being in Comox around the 5th or 6th of March.
Love,
Laurel

February 21, 2008

Thursday was our ‘culture’ day. We didn’t have lots of time, so we stuck close to home. Paphos is the closest town to our little village of Kouklia, where we do all the regular stuff like banking, groceries, etc. It is 18km away, which takes about 15 minutes to get to. The airport is only 6km away; the one to use if possible. The Tombs of the Kings lies to the northwest of ancient Paphos; along the coast and literally surrounded by present day Paphos. The site was the cemetery with hundreds of underground rock-hewn tombs. Though there is no relation with kings, it is thought that Ptolemies, living in Cyprus, might have been buried in the tombs. They were also used as a refuge for the Christians in the early times. They date back to the 3^rd century BC. They are accessible by steps and have open peristyle courts surrounded by burial chambers. We thought we would be done in an hour or two, but three hours later we staggered out of there, and they aren’t even all excavated yet. Definitely worth seeing.

Good thing we still had time to get home for a shower and change for dinner. We had tickets to see a Cypriot speaker, J. John, who is also a minister and a Canon. He had marvelous sense of humour and we were so pleased that we were not falling asleep after the huge buffet and our busy afternoon.

I will post this now, so I can get a few of the photos in, and will cover Friday next.

Love,
Laurel

http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/blptolemies.htm

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cyprus/paphos-tombs-of-the-kings.htm

Another picture from 3/4 way up Sagrada Familia.

February 15, 2008

Hi again. I am back in Cyprus. It’s hard to keep up with myself these days. We had a lovely time in Spain. I didn’t get to finish my list of things to do in Barcelona since we stayed in the lovely little town of Gerona/Girona which is about an hour and a half away (two hours by train). But of course, even in the countryside there is so much to see.

The first day we took a little road trip to see some local sights, most of which were medieval castles and churches. In the small village of Calonge we weren't able to go inside the church, as everything was closed up for the local Fiesta. They had many large floats, and all manner of costumes. It was very colourful.

The next day in Barcelona we went to the Temple de la Sagrada Familia which was designed and started by Antoni Gaudi. They are still using his plans and the work continues to this day, as it must be completed by donations only (probably not in my lifetime). It is a massive undertaking. We also went to Guell Park, which was again designed by Gaudi, but paid for by his very rich friend and admirer, Eusebi Guell. It was later donated to the city, so all may visit. Fascinating, although not to my taste.

Back to the area around Gerona, we found some caves that have been unearthed with many artifacts dating back to the Neanderthals in Serinya. We also went in search of volcanoes, but they are so old they are overgrown and have been made into lovely nature hikes – nothing to see of the volcano.

We spent our last day walking around Gerona. It is very quaint, and fun to visit the shops and sights. We did have a problem with meals though. Lunch is from 2:00pm until 4:00pm, while dinner starts at 9:00pm. We had to search high and low to find something that was open and even then had to hold off until 7:00pm (and it was just OK). The one place we went to and made dinner out of Tapas (appetizers) was called Lizarran. There was one in Barcelona too, so I can recommend it as a tasty alternative to waiting until bedtime to find dinner.

My flights home went fine, although a ticket agent in Barcelona was insisting that I needed a visa to go to Cyprus, until he finally phoned a supervisor to check. The Canadian passport is truly worth its weight in gold. It was a weird routing though - from Cyprus to Amsterdam then on to Barcelona, and again in reverse. A long day, 14 hours travelling – and only an hour time difference so nothing to blame the jet lag on!

So now we have about ten days in Cyprus (Dale will have seven) before we leave for his annual recurrent training in Delaware. We are still planning on being in Comox around March 5^th. I am hoping we can get another day or two of touring here before we head off, so I will fill you in if that happens.

Take care.
Love,
Laurel

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/sagrada/sagrada.html

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gaudi/park-guell.html

http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/guides-spain/guide-to-girona.htm

February 8, 2008

I had to write about this. I was invited on a walk today by a friend from our village who often goes with these other folks, and Geoff is writing a book on Cyprus walks. Anyway, you will see Geoff, his wife Doris and Linda from Kouklia in these photos of a spectacular walk we did in the Akamas Gorge. It is about a forty-five minute drive from our place, and then we covered about six kilometers in five hours. A bit grueling at times, but the views were well worth the effort. Near the end of the walk we also tried to find a Geo-cache but were unsuccessful. The weather was perfect, around 16C and sunny. All in all, a terrific day. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Love,

Laurel

February 7, 2008

About that dinner - we started with guacamole, hummus and a dish of melted Camembert served with toasted pitas and homemade croutons. Then we had a choice of prawns and avocados on a bed of shredded lettuce with a lovely sauce (my pick) or some thinly sliced mozarella layered with an Italian meat with a specially reduced vinaigrette. Even the cherry tomatoes were cut especially beautifully. The main course was a choice of chicken breast or lamb chops (again my pick) with a brandy sauce, special red peppers (I can't remember the kind) stuffed with caramelized onions and cheese, glazed carrots, broccoli, green beans and roasted potatoes. Everything was very tasty and the seasonings (including the garlic) were delicious, all accompanied by a local wine that is wonderful. Dessert was flambeed, brandied bananas and strawberries with ice cream. Top that off with coffee and brandy and chocolates - what more do you need? Its a good thing I don't eat like that every day (I was so stuffed), but it was a lovely treat. Thanks James (and Peter and Linda of course). I do believe James lived up to his reputation. And just to let you know - since I don't cook like that - we have some truly fabulous restaurants here!
Love,
Laurel

(the last storm - a bit hard to see)

February 6, 2008

Hello everyone. I was thinking I didn’t have much to say, but decided it was enough to keep you in the loop. I’ve had a wicked sinus cold that apparently is going around. Yes, even here, winter is the season for colds and flu. Anyway, I am feeling much better, and therefore everything seems brighter and more interesting. So I’ve made a nice cup of cappuccino, squeezed my fresh orange juice (my neighbours Mike and Roz gave me a huge bag of oranges from their tree), and will try and fill you in.

(The view from the Paradise Restaurant)

Dale has had a rough couple of weeks at work as one of the pilots has left, so they are scrambling to fill the slot. Because of that, I had to cancel a trip to Cairo (but it ended up being just as well, since I spent the week recovering). He also got to fly with Adam again, so they are having a great time.

We finally did get the fireplace in, and as you see by the pictures, it needs a bit of paint and maybe some mosaics to spruce it up. It is very cozy, and has really helped take the chill off. Cement, brick and stone are lovely in the summer, but they sure seem to soak in the cold in the winter. It has only been about 5C warmer than Comox, which I am sure you would trade, but it feels colder than I had anticipated. Apparently we are still desperate for rain, but I am enjoying the warmth of the sun on the house (not to mention sitting outside on the deck reading). We have had a couple of huge storms, but when the sun comes out, all is forgiven and forgotten.

Our regular young lady Brigitte at Curves has been sick too for the last two weeks, so they brought in Tatania, who is a real task master. She has been correcting us and working us much harder, and although it is tough going, it really is better. I am hoping when we hit the slopes in March that maybe it won’t be too tough (wishful thinking I know). The ski hill here is apparently open now – it would be nice if we could get a day up there to warm up our muscles – but we’ll have to wait on Dale’s schedule to see.

I have been out for lunch and dinner a few times this week and playing bridge with anyone who needs a partner – I even won a bottle of wine last night. I am really looking forward to dinner tonight at Linda and Peter’s as they have a friend over from the UK who is a real gourmet cook. They live in a little village called Koili – pronounced Keelee – which is up in the mountains north of Paphos. It takes about half an hour to get there from Kouklia, so we often meet in Paphos. They have had a much colder winter than us, and even snow. But it will be better for them in the summer.

Next on the agenda is a trip to Spain – Insha’Allah. I have a ticket, but again, will not hold my breath as things could change. If it goes, I will have something to write about next week. In the meantime, hope you are all well and happy. Take care and bye for now.

Love,
Laurel

(Flamingos on the salt lake)