Cyprus: Sea and Meze

To briefly describe Cyprus I like to use these words: Caribbean sea, Hellenic hinterland and Anglo-Saxon prices.

That said let's talk about the trip....we arrive in Cyprus with a Cyprus Airways plane departing from Rome Fiumicino and arriving in Larnaca (about 3 hours of flight) nothing to say about the on-board service; excellent food (it was the first time we ate heated food on a plane!!) and entertainment films (strictly in English with Greek subtitles).

P.S.: on the plane on radio channel 10 it was possible to listen (thanks to headphones provided by the staff) to an English-Greek course!!!

Disembarked in Larnaca we head to the baggage claim where there is a small information office, which will give you a free road map of Cyprus and the public transport timetables, and an ATM where you can withdraw the Cypriot pound (1 LYC = 1.73 EUR!!!!!).

Once out of the airport we take a taxi (the only possible means) to get to Protaras where we stay at the Villaggio Agios Elias (of Louis, a well-known local hotel chain). Protaras is a small town (poorly connected) less chic compared to the more famous Agia Napa near the beautiful fig tree beach (perhaps the most beautiful of the whole island)

As for the excursions we went to Pafos where we visited the sanctuary of Apollo (mandatory the Pollon dance, a well-known cartoon character, near the temple), the rock of Aphrodite (Petra tou Romiou) and the mosaics of the house of Dionysus and Theseus. These Roman houses by the sea were discovered during the last world war by English soldiers while digging trenches. From Protaras where we were staying, Pafos is the farthest point, so we recommend buying a tour rather than renting a car (even though it's the most expensive choice) since it takes more than four hours of driving (on the left!) and if you hope to get there with local buses forget it!! There is a bus that, only one day a week (Friday), leaves from Protaras and arrives in Pafos. There are only two runs with very close times and you would risk arriving there (after hours of travel) to stay only a couple of hours!!!.

Not to mention that to get to the rock of Aphrodite and the temple of Apollo there are no public transport.

Unfortunately during our visit the amphitheater of Kourion was closed for restoration, we highly recommend it!!!

Another city to visit is Nicosia. For transport there is a bus to book the day before the excursion (LEOPA bus) that "should" pick you up from your hotel to take you to Nicosia in just 80-90 min.... I say "should" because in our case despite booking through the reception (they speak Greek) the bus the next day didn't show up because they hadn't registered our booking!!!!

Anyway if it happens to you too don't panic, Nicosia is reachable by public transport (only two) by doing the following itinerary: Protaras(Paralimni)-Larnaca and Larnaca-Nicosia, actually you could also take the bus to Agia Napa and then the direct one to Nicosia but it has impossible timetables. As for the return you'd better take the direct Nicosia-Agia Napa or Nicosia-Protaras(Paralimni) at 15:00 on the Constanza bastion.

The city of Nicosia to tell the truth is really ugly but the museum of Cyprus, the archbishopric (inside which there is the fantastic church of St. John) and the Famagusta gate are interesting.

You will surely notice the various barbed wires and the various positions of the Turkish and Cypriot armies as well as the UN soldiers. If you want to visit the northern part of Cyprus you must pass through the checkpoint of the Ledra Palace Hotel. A piece of advice: try to avoid it and don't talk about it with the Cypriots, you would only encounter indignation (moreover considering that there are no interesting places except Salamis -very far- and considering the obligation to return by 17.00....)

As for the food to taste, the mezè, a set of many small tastings of the various local dishes (the most Cypriot are the stuffed vine leaves).

Greetings from Giancarlo and Manuela!!!