One Road- Ariann Mieka

I couldn’t ask for a better way to bring in my 30 th birthday than a trip to Cyprus. I always try to celebrate another year of life by doing something special and since 30 is a landmark birthday I wanted to do something big to commemorate the milestone! I didn’t know anything about this island but I fell in love and got excited about the different landscapes, a new favorite local wine called Commandaria and the ever-present reminder of their multifaceted history. Most of the people we encountered were friendly except for the few older rude ladies who gave Verse discerning looks. (Had they never seen a Rastafarian before and more importantly did they miss the day in school when they spoke about not staring at people?) All in all it was a wonderful trip and the next time I visit I have to go over to the Turkish side of the island. I must say a huge thank you to Verse for accompanying me and making the trip extra special! Here are a few images that I took around Cy...

During our last day in Cyprus we stumbled across this charming area called Agios Georgios. The weather was overcast, which ruled out a day at the beach, so instead we were driving around the western city of Pafos. Our exploration took us down to a small fishing harbour where we wandered about enjoying the ocean breeze. From the harbour we saw a church perched on a hillside and ventured up that way. As we parked the car at the church we were greeted by an amazing view of the coast and a rocky island nearby called Geronisos. We went into the large modern Agios Georgios church, then into a small dark old chapel that was nearby. We took a trail that led down onto the cliffs that showcased some eerie tombs carved into the rocky cliffs and then walked through a small archeological site. (At this point Verse had already had his fill of archeological sites but the security guard was so persistent and it seemed like he hadn’t had many visitors that day so we felt obliged to go see th...

So this is a reminder that I am giving away one small keepsake from each of the countries I have visited! I am very excited to send another lucky person a gift! All you have to do is comment on one or more posts on that country and after I have finished blogging about it I will choose a name at random! The more you comment the better your chances are! This time the giveaway will be from Cyprus! I almost finished blogging about Cyprus so make sure to comment! Thanks to all those who have been reading the blog! Love, Peace and Joy!  

The topic of which is the best Monastery to visit was on discussion early morning in our hotel lobby.  Verse and I were checking out of our hotel in Lemesos and going to stay in another town, but before we left we were asking the lovely older couple that own the hotel, which one of the many Monasteries was their top choice. The wife told us her favorite and asked her husband his opinion. He very strongly chose another one. “Kykkos Monastery is the one to visit,” he said, “It is the most impressive.” We were only going to be visiting one Monastery during our trip so we set off for his choice, which was located in the Troodos region. Kykkos monastery , which is set among picturesque hills, is the most opulent on the island and I guess by impressive that’s what the hotel owner meant. At the entrance purple robes are available for those visitors who aren’t dressed conservatively enough to put on while walking around. As we strolled through the property, we saw brig...

The massive cross sits high on a hill and is visible from miles away. Verse and I were driving in the Troodos region , heading to the Kykkos monastery when we spotted the 25-metre cross looming above us. Intrigued, we had to veer off route and drive up the hill to find out more. Stavros Fithkias is a small modern chapel with amazing wall paintings. As is common in the majority of their churches these frescos were intricate, bright and tell the stories of the gospels. This chapel was built in the 80’s and is a common stop for pilgrims heading to the Kykkos monastery. Prior to our trip to Cyprus I had no idea what a huge role religion had in their culture and history. (I guess that’s because I knew very little about Cyprus at all, save for the fact that it was the hottest location in Europe at the time I wanted to travel). A whopping ten of their churches (found on the Greek side) are Unesco’s World Heritage sites making this island a must visit for all those interested...

Abandoned, broken down and quiet, this ancient city was once bustling with life. As we walked among the ruins where tourists now take posed pictures, I couldn’t help but imagine what life was like here and what their society’s concerns were. Ancient Kourion is a spectacular archeological site that boasts a Christian basilica, amazing mosaics and a reconstructed classical roman theatre that is still used for concerts today. The site was huge and the hillside location provided extensive views of the sea and fields nearby. Even though the signs placed near the ruins were helpful I would have liked to have a tour guide to bring the space to life. That being said, wandering around the near-deserted site was a wonderful and peaceful way to spend an afternoon as we tried to learn about another ancient Cypriot city.  Classical Roman Theatre Excellent seats at the Theatre Beautiful grounds  Roman private house that was destroyed by an earthquake in mid 4th...