15.04.2016 – BACK TO LARNAKA

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WE LEAVE ABOUT 9 a.m., HEADING TOWARDS LARNAKA WHERE WE HAVE A PLANE. THESE DAYS HAVE PASSED VERY QUICKLY. WE ASSESSED THE ENTIRE STAY AS VERY SUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER WE HAVE ANOTHER DAY AHEAD OF US.

WE GET TO KOLOSSI, A FORTIFIED CASTLE FROM THE 12TH CENTURY BUILT BY THE KNIGHTS OF THE ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM, CALLED SOMETIMES THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA.

NEXT TO THE CASTLE IS A BAR AND AT THE SAME TIME A SOUVENIR SHOP. WE ENTER WITH RUDA INSIDE, AND OTHER THAN THE FRIDGE MAGNETS, FIGURINES, SPOONS AND OTHER THINGS – WE CAN SEE THE SECOND LARGEST SPECIALITY OF CYPRUS – SWEET WINE COMMANDARIA. DESPITE THE RELATIVELY EARLY HOUR, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE MUST TRY IT. WE SIT UNDER AN UMBRELLA AND ENJOY THE DARK RED LIQUOR. HIS SWEETNESS IS PERFECT. IT IMMEDIATELY REMINDED ME OF PORT, BUT AFTER THE SECOND SIP IS TASTING DIFFERENT.

WE ARE ENTERING THE CASTLE. THE STRONGHOLD WITH THE RIGHT THICKNESS OF THE WALLS IS HIGH, READY FOR DEFENCE.

RETURNING TO THE CAR, WE SEE AN ADVERTISEMENT OF FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE. WE CAN NOT RESIST AND WE ARE ENTERING THE GARDEN, IN WHICH THE OWNER GATHERED ALL UNNECESSARY FOR NOBODY GARDEN GADGETS. THERE ARE TWO CUTE CATS IN FRONT OF THE GARDEN. THEY ARE SO PAMPERED, THEY DO NOT EVEN SIT WHEN EATING. STRETCHED OUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH, THEY ARE PUTTING LAZILY THE MUZZLES INTO FULL CUPS. EH, CAT’S LIFE!

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JUICE IS DELICIOUS AND SO SWEET THAT IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE THERE IS NO SUGAR IN IT, BUT THAT’S TRUE.

THE NEXT STOP IS AT RUDA’S AND MY WISH. KATO LEFKARA – A CITY WHERE LACES ARE BEING MANUFACTURED. THE GUIDE SAYS THAT LEFKARA HAS TWO PARTS. WE ARE GOING TO THE MORE TOURISTISH – WITH LACES. TOGETHER WITH RUDA, WE PREPARING A LIST OF LACE PURCHASES THAT WE WILL MAKE.

KATO LEFKARA IS A SMALL TOWN WITH A FEW NARROW STREETS. WE COULDN’T SEE A TOURIST BOOM AND MANY OPENED LACE SHOPS. THERE WERE ONLY THREE LACE SHOPS OPEN FOR BUSINESS, HAVING NOT VERY INTERESTING THINGS. THERE WAS NO OTHER SHOP, NOTHING.

NEXT TO THE SQUARE WHERE WE PUT THE CAR IS A TAVERN. WE SIT DOWN FOR A CUP OF COFFEE. WE ARE DISAPPOINTED. MAYBE WE SHOULD GO TO THE OTHER PART OF THIS TOWN. WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS,  BECAUSE ON THE WAY BACK WE WANT TO SEE KITI, LARNACA, EAT DINNER AND GIVE THE CAR BACK.

IN KITI WE ARE EXAMINING THE PANAGIA ANGELOKTISTOS CHURCH. THE NAME MEANS „BUILT BY ANGELS”. IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE 11^th CENTURY ON THE RUINS OF A CHURCH FROM THE 5^th CENTURY. INSIDE BEAUTIFUL MOSAICS. IT’S WORTH SEEING THEM.

ON THE WAY TO LARNAKA WE ARE STOPPING IN SULTAN TEKKE HALL. THIS IS A MUSLIM TEMPLE AND THE GRAVE OF THE AUNT OF MAHOMET’S PROPHET. THE WHOLE THING DOESN’T IMPRESS US.

WE ARE PARKING IN THE CENTER OF LARNACA AND WE GOING TO THE CHURCH OF ST. LAZARUS.

LAZARUS RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD BY CHRIST, BANISHED FROM BETHANY, CAME TO LARNACA (KITION) WHERE HE BECAME ITS FIRST BISHOP. A TEMPLE WAS ERECTED ON THE GRAVE OF LAZARUS ON THE ORDERS OF THE BYZANTINE EMPEROR LEO VI. IT WAS LATER HANDED TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND LATER TO THE MUSLIMS IN 1552. IT WAS REBUILT MANY TIMES, WHICH RESULTED IN A VARIETY OF STYLES. THE RICHNESS OF THE INTERIOR, ABOVE ALL THE FANTASTIC GOLDEN ICONOSTASIS IS STRUCKING VISITORS. IN THE CRYPT IS THE TOMB OF LAZARUS, AND AT THE NAVE THERE IS A BOX WITH THE REMAINS OF THE SAINT. THE ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN BODY THAT ARE VISIBLE IN, ARE IMPRESSIVE. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE WITH A THOUSAND DETAILS TO BE SEEN.

WE ARE GOING ALONG THE STREET LEADING TO THE SEA. SOUVENIR SHOPS, RESTAURANTS. WE SIT DOWN IN ONE OF THEM.  VERY EMOTIONALLY RELATING TO CLIENTS WAITRESS BRINGS THE ORDERED DISHES. I FIND PAPER IN MY SQUID, SO I ADVERTISE THE DISH. AFTER A WHILE I GET THE SAME DISH, BUT COMPLETELY COLD. THIS TIME I TAKE A PLATE MYSELF AND I GO TO THE KITCHEN. WAITRESS VERY KINDLY, WITHOUT A WORD OF OBJECTION, OFFERS ME A FISH WHAT I AGREE. THE FISH IS GOOD.

AFTER THE FOOD WE ARE GUIDED BY A SMALL STREET IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PIER. WE REACH THE PROMENADE AND WALK ALONG THE PIER ADMIRING THE 17^th CENTURY FORT. WE LOOK AT THE COAST, THE SETTING SUN.

CYPRUS IS BEAUTIFUL.

THERE IS NO MORE TIME FOR NOTHING MORE. WE ARE GIVING A CAR BACK TO THE RENTAL OFFICE, FROM WHERE WE ARE TAKEN TO THE AIRPORT. AND FROM THE AIRPORT THE ROAD LEADS INEVITABLY TO HOME …

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