Trip through Fantasy Land

On Friday evening, I went to the port city of Limassol, where the Cyprus Institute was showing off its archaeological scanning technology to children and families. They played a series of videos in 3D that showed famous archaeological finds in Cyprus from all angles.

The following morning, we toured the medieval tower of Limassol. The Venetians and the Ottomans fortified the tour over what used to be a gothic church built by the Lusignan’s (who ruled Cyprus from 1192-1489). This tower has become the Medieval Museum of Cyprus, which features monuments from other churches and fortifications on the island.

To escape the afternoon heat, which has been in the mid-90’s since I arrived, we sought refuge in the clear water of the Mediterranean Sea. We stayed at an uninhabited beach, only accessible by gravel road, until the sun had fallen below the sandstone cliffs behind us.

We left the pebble-strewn beach for the winding roads and forested peaks of the Troodos Mountains, which lead us to the village of Arakapas.  We arrived to the Byzantine church we had set out for, but had to find the towns key-keeper. Nikos was directed to an old women in the church across the street, who unlocked the door for us with a solid key that is about 9 inches long. Inside the church the original stone floor tile and painted arcade of pointed arches remained. The beautiful church was unusual for the time period because of the Gothic detailing in its wall paintings and the pointed arches.

Finally, we stopped at a village festival in Kornos. A festival was in full swing when we arrived that had a traditional dance performance, ceramic artists (see above), and free village sweets such as Loukoumades (honey soaked doughnut holes).