It's late and Liz and George have gone out for dinner and enjoy some time to sit in the evening air at the Paphos Harbour. We are in our vacation flat about a block from the harbour. It is a 3-bedroom flat with living room, 1.5 bathrooms and kitchen. A very nice place for a short or longer vacation. The facility has a dining room/bar for meals if you don't wish to cook and a lovely pool which we don't think we will have time to use. We will go to the seaside the last few days in Cyprus, and plan to spend a lot of time in the Mediterranean then.
We ran into a small problem as we checked in - our original reservation was for a 2-bedroom flat and we discovered we were booked on the 3rd floor - 4th floor from an American point-of-view because the Cypriots use the British way of counting floors. Ground level is just that, and the 1st floor is the one above ground level. Liz knew I would never make it up four floors with my leg still hurting when I go up, so she and the lady at the the front desk talked quite a while with them both pointing at me from time to time. Apparently, George also told her that he had a heart condition and could not climb that many steps. So we were put into this lovely flat. Anita and I have separate bedrooms now, which is nice as well.
We were invited to join Liz and George for a late dinner - too late for us and we weren't really hungry as we had eaten only a couple of hours before arriving in Paphos. Actually we had already eaten about 5 meals today. Cypriots eat many times each day, some large meals and some snacks. That was enough for both Anita and me, although Liz insisted on coming back with a bag of food from McDonald's. Imagine that!
Our day began around 10 am as has become our habit. I was finishing my entries into the blog for the 6th and 7th of September. Anita had hoped I would finish sooner so she might have had some computer time. She lost this morning and we are finding that she has more time in the evening after we return from our day's adventures. She was on the computer until almost 11 last evening before she returned to our rooftop apartment. I was already asleep.
Our first stop was outside Limmasol - on the south coast and a town where George and Liz were married about 10 years ago. They go to Limmasol often for the weekend staying in the same hotel where they were married. Outside the city is the Kolossi Castle dating from the 11th century, I think. We did not pay to go inside the castle as there is virtually nothing left of the inside except more steps up to the ramparts where you can have an excellent view of the countryside. It is an interesting, although small castle from the outside. One big square building with ramparts (crennalated?, I think this means open with spaces) where they poured boiling oil on any attackers. A bus full of tourists arrived so we left for Korium, hoping they had just come from there.
Korium (sometimes spelled Curium) is a very large archaeological site, still active today, which Jim and I visited with my Dad during our 1993 visit with Liz and Pericles, her first husband. More areas have been uncovered and stabilized. One large area is under roof now, which I don't remember from our first visit. The amphitheater has been recreated more completely so concerts and plays are performed there regularly. There is a 'sweet spot' at the bottom of the seating levels where sound is amplified by the design. Both Anita and Liz stood on the spot - Liz sang a Greek song and Anita recited some lines from Hamlet. I was at the very top - perhaps 20 rows up and could hear both of them clearly, even without my hearing aid. Anita's experience was as if there was an amplification system which bounced her voice back to her, louder than it seemed she was speaking. The theater is situated so each seat looks over the countryside to the sea.
Next to the theater are the excavated remains of the home of Eustolios. Original clay piping for water and sewers have been discovered as have walls to rooms whose their use can be be determined by trained archaeologists. There are mosaic floors, some in limited view and some almost complete. We left George at a tavern at the edge of the Korium grounds as he had no interest to visit the site.
When we completed our tour, we joined George at the tavern for lunch. Much discussion was needed before he was convinced that the three women wanted lunch now, not in two hours as he suggested. I enjoyed hallumi cheese with onion and tomato in a warm and fresh pita. Salad and chips (french fries) completed the meal. Anita had moussaka which she had wanted since Cairo airport. She had been told that the small airport restaurant there had none, although as we left she found several pieces in a cooler by the register. Liz had a sandwich similar to mine without the onions, as did George.
We talked about stopping to see Apollo's temple next (a site I had enticed Anita with during our plans). George wanted to back track tomorrow, but I insisted today. When we got to the site, both he and Liz waited in the car. The day had turned hot and humid due to the proximity of the sea and the prevailing winds, and they found a shady spot to park. The temple was on the same grounds as the basilica which I remembered and Liz did not. She simply could not remember it until we actually arrived. What she then remembered was my Dad's comment - "Do we really need to see any more old things because I am done!"
Anita and I spent quite a bit of time in this location - the weight of history was very apparent - perhaps even more than when we were at the Pyramids. Although they were older by several thousand years, the cities of Giza and Cairo look much closer, older and dirtier. Here the ruins date from Roman time (a few years BC and a few years 
AD). 
At the foot of Apollo's Temple, there is little to remind you of the present, if you can ignore the telecommunication towers on the land around the site that continues to be a British army post. Most could be hidden by trees when taking photographs. Those photos where my fancy footwork and point-of-view would not hide the telephone poles or towers will probably be cropped a bit to remove them.
Between the remains of the basilica and the small corner of the temple that remains is a sacred road that dates from 1 AD. Worshipers walked the road to make gifts to Apollo and if they touched the altar or did some other forbidden act were thrown from the near by cliffs into the sea.As we left the site, Anita and I just sat for a moment before we could returned our minds to 2008. George and Liz were ready to go on to Paphos where near the city are three large stones at the edge of the sea cliffs and which mark the spot where Aphrodite is said to have been born from the sea foam. According to legend, the stones themselves were thrown by a giant from the mountains on the northern side of the island, the mountains that ring Kyrenia where we visited the Turkish side of Cyprus. The rocks are similar to those found along the coast of Oregon. We stopped to take photos from along the roadway. There were paths down to the beach area, but George was anxious to reach a restaurant on the higher hill where we were promised a better view of the stones. Better, yes, but not as close. We sat watching the sun set over the Mediterranean and ate ice cream and baklava.
Finally, we drove the final 23 kilometers. Liz only knew our hotel was close to the harbour and Paphos castle. We drove through the city, turned around and came back through, asked directions several times, and finally parked the car in a public lot near the harbour. Liz asked more questions and then we walked with our luggage for about 5 minutes to the hotel.My leg may be healed by tomorrow morning. There was a small church on the grounds by the restaurant where we had lunch after visiting Korium. Liz told us that at one time the church (no more than 10x15 feet) had an icon to St. Elizabeth, her namesake. When we went into the church, we found the painting was gone. However, the tomb of St. Ermogenis is said to heal parts of bodies when the injured part is placed against the tomb.
Liz asked me to sit on a small ledge at the bottom of the tomb with my left leg straight on the ledge. She believes and prayed to the saint. Who can say if my leg will feel better because of the intervention of Liz's prayers, the extra Tylenol I have taken or the time that has passed since I fell. Whatever works is fine with me.September 9, 2008 - Paphos - Limmasol - Nicosia
We learned that Liz and George returned around 11:30 last evening after a late dinner of pizza and beer for George and a diet Coke for Liz. We had heard popping and saw light flashes from the direction of the harbour. There was a small fireworks display, but apparently no arial shots.
Breakfast was part of the room rental - an English breakfast buffet - eggs, bacon, sausage (more like hot dogs), baked beans and toasted bread, cold cereals, fruit, cheeses, yogurt, jams and jellies and hot tea and coffee. Very tasty! George did not join us for breakfast until just before we left for our tours. He was not interested in antiquities nor did he want to go shopping with us, and intended to remain in the apartment and watch television.
After looking for an ATM and discovering that I had not brought the correct card, we joined Liz for some shopping in the local bazaar. I found a few items for my brother and his family and something for me. I generally purchase one piece of jewelry on each major vacation I take. Today I found a lovely pair of earrings.
(Incidentally, a note to my brother if he is reading the blog. Jim is a VP of marketing for Sherwin Williams Paint Company in Cleveland. Yesterday I saw a billboard advertisement for Sherwin Williams Paint. I think he should visit this customer in Cyprus and spend some time with Liz. She says she would certainly enjoy seeing him and his family.)We stayed a bit longer at the bazaar than we planned and were therefore later than expected at the ancient mosaics. The area is designated a World Heritage Site and so is highly protected with continuous exploration, excavation, and stabilization.
We were surprised that the first house with mosaics was open to the elements and sun. Therefore the floors, while beautiful were sun-faded by the hot and bright Mediterranean sunshine. The house excavation continues around the mosaics already uncovered. Elevated walkways take you as possible to the mosaics that remain and over the walls and other house structures. I had remembered mosaics with quite vivid colors and was disappointed with those in this first house. Those we saw yesterday at Korium were far superior, although there were not as many.
When we went to the House of Dionysus, I found the mosaics of my memory. Again the elevated walkways took you from room to room over the remaining walls of less than 3 feet. While most of the mosaics were almost complete, some were missing large areas. Both Anita and I took many photos of all the mosaics we have seen in the past couple of days.
Walking above them and understanding that real people not only walked on these floors, but lived very normal lives in the complete house was almost difficult to comprehend. These ruins dates to the roman times before the birth of Jesus.
We ran into some difficulty because busloads of tourists joined us in clusters - each with their own guides and interpreters. As individuals we were squeezed out of the viewing areas in the various rooms regularly. Consequently, by the time we made it back to where Liz was waiting for us near the entrance, she was worried about us and we were late to pick up George.Anita decided not to talk to the castle on the harbor - dating from the Crusades. It was very hot and humid by 3 pm in Paphos and her feet wanted to sit, not walk more steps to the ramparts of this castle, no matter how wonderful the view might be.
I had planned to stay with the car while luggage and George was collected. Don't know what I would have done if someone like a policeman perhaps wanted the car moved. It's a stick shift which I don't drive and Liz had the keys. Everything was still quiet when the 3 of them returned with all luggage.
We drove back to the same restaurant above Aphrodite's birthplace and had a lunch of meat mezze. Anita took photos of each course. I convinced George and Liz to let me pay for this meal, the first time I had succeeded in this type of discussion, and found that for some reason, the credit machine would not accept my cards, evening though I had used them at the bazaar in the morning. So today, I will find an ATM and withdraw money to repay Liz. The meal was not as good as the mezze we have had the other 2 times.
Bot Anita and I napped on the way to Limmasol where Liz was to pick up rental checks for a shop that George manages for his family. That was accomplished before we awakened. We stopped at a fish taverna wehre Liz and George frequent when they visit Limmasol. Their outermost room sits right at the edge of the Mediterranean, so close that with the winter storms it is not usable. The owner believes he looks like the American actor John Wayne. Perhaps when John Wayne was really young and this man was much younger as well - not now, but I took a photo of him anyway.
We had iced tea and an assortment of candied orange peel and watermelon rind, another fruit that could not be identified in English and the wonderful black walnuts soaked in honey. These are the sweets I am hoping to bring home with me.The drive from Limmasol to Nicosia took a bit longer than expected because we ran into traffic later than Liz says is normal for a workday. We got to our little apartment, collected dirty clothes for Liz to take with her. She is planning to do laundry for us today. We are expecting her around 10:30 when we go to visit Anita's new friend or almost new friend. Anita is anxiously waiting for me to finish so she can check her email before we leave. I think I will make it in time.
After the visit we hope to shop a bit in the old bazaar in the oldest part of Nicosia.
Last evening, Anita went down to work on her blog, and soon after Panos knocked at our door to invite me down for juice and conversation. We sat and talked about his life in the war and army, their travels, and the bible. I enjoyed the hour that I spent with them and have enjoyed their hospitality to us. There was a lovely refreshing breeze on their back porch and it was a great way to end the day.
I'm tired now, back up in our room, and will be going to sleep. Anita is not back yet, so I'll leave a light on for her.
Birthday greetings to...
Johnny Rowland (my oldest godson) on September 5th
Fritzi Newton on September 7th
Contobia Adams on September 8th
Wedding anniversary congratulations to..
My brother Jim and his wife Becky on September 2nd
Dustin and Barbara Aldridge on September 7th
An wishes of an excellent recovery to...
Herm Trabbic
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