TRIPS AT 2016
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IT WAS NECESSARY TO GET UP EARLY AGAIN. WE EAT A GOODBYE BREAKFAST IN OUR HOTEL AND WE ARE ON THE WAY TO LARNACA ABOUT 9 a.m. WITH MINUTES. DURING THE RIDE, THE GIRLS STUDYING THE GUIDES, LOOKING FOR SOME EASY TO REACH PLACES. WE ARE DECIDING TO GO TO THE KOLOSSI CASTLE NEAR LIMASSOL. (more…)
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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. (more…)
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WE EAT MORNING BREKKIE AND WE GO TO THE ROYAL TOMBS CALLED SO, ALTHOUGH ONLY THE RULERS AND ARISTOCRATS – NOT THE KINGS – WERE BURIED HERE. (more…)
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GETTING UP WITH CHICKENS AT COCKCROW HAS ENTERED MY BLOOD. (more…)
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WE MEETING IN THE MORNING FOR BREAKFAST.
THE RESTAURANT IN THE HOTEL HAS A FRONT TOTALLY OPENED FACING THE MAIN STREET. THIS CREATES A FEELING OF SPACE IN THIS AREA, WHICH INCLUDES A BUFFET BREAKFAST COUNTER AS WELL AS A BAR WITH HIGH STOOLS. A FEW TABLES ARE ALSO PLACED OUTSIDE.
THE BREAKFAST SELECTION INCLUDES MUESLI, TWO TYPES OF CHEESE, MEATS, SLICED TOMATOES AND CUCUMBERS AND OLIVES. THERE IS ALSO JUICE, TEA AND COFFEE AND SOME PASTRIES FOR DESERT. (more…)
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WAKE UP 8:20. WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH RUDE FOR BREAKFAST AT 9:00 IN THE HOTEL BAR. (more…)
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IN THE MORNING, STILL VERY FULL AFTER LAST NIGHT TOO BIG MEAL, WE HAD ONLY A QUICK CUP OF TEA AND OFF WE WENT. (more…)
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AS PER OUR EVENING PLANS WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO PAPHOS EARLY, AT 8.30AM. AFTER SEVERAL DOZEN KILOMETRES WE LEFT THE MAIN ROAD TO VISIT KHIROKITIA.
A FEW KILOMETRES DOWN THE ROAD AMONGST THE FIELDS WAS A BEAUTIFUL, SMALL CHURCH – PANAGIA TOU KAMPOU (OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS). KHIROKITIA AN OPEN AIR MUSEUM INCLUDED ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES LIST IS INTERESTING.
ENTRY IS € 2.5 p.p. IT WOULD TAKE UP TO 60 min MAXIMUM TO VISIT THE SITE.
UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANOTHER SMALL CHURCH – AGIOS GEORGIOS, SITUATED NEARBY. I FORGOT TO PUT OUR TRIP’S MAP ON MY MOBILE, AND NOBODY WAS ABLE TO HELP US FIND IT. WE GIVE IT A MISS … (more…)
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THE IDEA OF A TRIP TO CYPRUS CAME TOTALLY UNEXPECTEDLY TO ME. (more…)
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AIRPORT IN PYRZOWICE HAS AN IMPROVED, MORE SNIPPY SECURITY CHECK, WHICH MEANS IT COULD TAKE MORE TIME THAN BEFORE FOR PASSENGERS TO GET CHECKED IN. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN PLANNING YOUR TRIP.
TO MY SURPRISE, ON OUR ARRIVAL TO LARNACA AIRPORT, WE WERE MET BY A DUDE FROM A CAR RENTAL COMPANY HOLDING A A4 SIZE PAPER WITH MY NAME WRITTEN ON IT!
WE TOOK OUR RENTAL CAR AND DROVE TO OUR SLEEPING QUARTERS – LARCO HOTEL.
MAYHEM AT THE HOTEL RECEPTION; THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD GET KEYS TO OUR PRE-BOOKED ROOMS IN UNDER 30 MINUTES. I JUST TOLD THE STAFF THAT WE WERE GOING FOR DINNER TO THE NEARBY RESTAURANT. (more…)
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WE JUMPED UP FROM OUR BEDS AT DAWN – AT ABOUT 12 PM! ?
OUTSIDE THE WINDOW BEAUTIFUL WEATHER – TIME TO GET SOME FRESH AIR, STRETCH, HAVE SOME TEA AND SOMETHING TO EAT…
WE WALKED AROUND THE NEARBY CITY SQUARE, ALONG OLD CITY WALLS AND AFTER ABOUT 45 MINUTES WE REACHED THE CASTLE ON THE RIVER SIDE; THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO RIVERS, BECAUSE THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE VLTAVA RUNS INTO LABA
THIS TIME WE HAD ENOUGH TIME TO VISIT THE CHATEAU FULL OF WINE CELLARS AND THE FAMOUS BAKERY. BOTH ARE VERY INTERESTING, CAKES AND TORTES IN THE BAKERY LOOKED FANTASTIC AND ARE WORTH A TRY.
WE HAVE HAPPILY SET DOWN FOR A CUP OF TEA BECAUSE THE PLACE WAS NOT TOO CROWDED – IT IS USUALLY VERY FULL BECAUSE EACH GERMAN TOURISTS GROUP STAYING IN PRAGUE HAS THE CASTLE VISIT ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
WE STOPPED BY “NOCNI BAR DIRA” ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE INN TO WARM OURSELVES UP A BIT, HOWEVER TO OUR SURPRISE THE DOORS WERE SHUT, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE INSIDE. AND WE WERE TOLD THE DAY BEFORE THAT THE BAR WOULD BE OPENED…
WE KNOCKED AND AN OLDER LADY ANSWERED THE DOOR AND TOLD US THERE WAS A PRIVATE FUNCTION AND THE PLACE WAS CLOSED. WE LOOKED MOST LIKELY DUMFOUNDED SO SHE ASSUMED THAT WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HER. SHE FOUND SOMEONE TO TALK TO US IN ENGLISH. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE UNDERSTAND, BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT THE BAR WOULD BE OPENED AND THE DRINKS WILL BE GEATTABLE. HOWEVER NO PROBLEM, WE ARE DISAPPEARING … ?
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WE GOT UP LATE, AT ABOUT 10 AM AFTER A BAD, UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT, PROBABLY BECAUSE WE SQUEEZED OURSELVES IN ONE SMALL BED, INSTEAD OF TO LYING IN SEPARATE BEDS. WE BOTH ALSO HAD DIFFICULTIES IN FALLING ASLEEP, WHICH DOES NOT USUALLY HAPPEN. ANYWAY, AFTER BREAKFAST, RESTED JUST ENOUGH (AS FAR AS REFRESHED) WE WENT SIGHTSEEING.
UNFORTUNATELY THE TWO MOST INTERESTING BUILDINGS, A MUSEUM AND A CHURCH WITH A STEEPLE WERE SHUT. AT TOURIST INFORMATION WE WERE TOLD THE CASTLE WAS OPENED TODAY AND TOMORROW, BUT THE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS ONLY TODAY. SO WE WENT TO CHECK THE CASTLE, BECAUSE A HUGE NUMBER OF TOURISTS COMES FROM PRAGUE TO VISIT MIELNIK, AND THERE COULD BE PROBLEM WITH GETTING IN. THE PLACE IS IN A PRIVATE OWN AND VERY WIDELY PROMOTED.
FORTUNATELY THE TWO OF US DID NOT QUALIFY AS A GROUP, SO WE MANAGED TO GET IN AFTER ONLY A 10 MINUTE WAIT WITH TICKETS FOR SENIORS. WE DID NOT TAKE A GUIDE, WHICH MADE THE WHOLE VISIT MUCH EASIER AS WE DID NOT HAVE TO ADJUST TO HIS SPEED AND THE TOURING WENT AS WE LIKED IT. THE SURPRISE FOR ME WAS THAT I COULD TAKE PHOTOS WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, EVEN THOUGH A HAVE SPOTTED “NO PHOTOS” SIGN BY THE TICKET BOOTH.
ANOTHER, RARELY SEEN IN MUSEUMS FACT WAS THE COMPLETE LACK OF HARASSMENT OF THE VISITORS BY MUSEUMS STAFF.
IT TOOK US ABOUT 90 MINUTES TO SEE IT ALL, EXCEPT OF THE WINE CELLARS AND BAKERY FAMOUS FOR ITS FABULOUS TORTES. INSTEAD WE POPPED IN A RESTAURANT FOR A QUICK MULLED WINE, AS IT GOT A BIT FROSTY OUTSIDE. SOON AFTER DOWNING WE RAN BACK TO THE INFORMATION DESK TO SEE SOME INTERESTING UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS, LOCATED UNDER THE CENTRE AND A VERY OLD WATER WELL, WHICH SUPPLIED THE WHOLE VILLAGE WITH WATER NOT SO LONG AGO. THAT PART OF SIGHTSEEING TOOK US AT THE MOST 30 MINUTES. (more…)