Latest edition : 19 February 2014
If some countries can very well be admired through beautiful picture books, the island "where the gods spend their holidays", must be lived.
You have to see it, smell it, touch it, smell it, listen to it, taste it. Without having "seen" Cyprus with her five senses, one cannot understand why Aphrodite chose precisely this corner, beautiful among others, to be born. All along the coast, the sea water changes color. All the shades of blue pass through it, to the point that one would think that a malicious hand had added dyes to it!
Like the blue of the sea, the island changes color with the seasons. In spring, it is covered with the sparkling veil of the flowering of almond and cherry trees, cyclamen, orchids, anemones and other flowers which are the delight of any botanist. On the roads, vans loaded with oranges, lemons, grapefruits, bananas.
Spring in Cyprus is the sweetness of life par excellence. This is the opportunity to make great encounters on condition of leaving outside organized groups. Sun and sand worshipers find their happiness in the area of Larnaca (where the airport is also located), Aya Napa or Protaras . It is in the south-east of the island that the resorts are fully committed to the joys of the beach and of having fun.
It is also in this region that we eat the best fish, and especially in the tiny fishing port of Potamos . Well hidden, be careful not to miss the branch that leads to this hamlet (on the road from Larnaca to Agia Napa). In a bend to the left is Andres Nicola's tavern. Even at 3 in the afternoon, you can eat fresh fish, washed down with a bottle of white wine, Arsinoe 32.
Life is good, and we forget the passing time. We are content to contemplate the merry mess of small fishing boats that sway gently in front of the terrace.
A few meters further, a small church in a field of yellow daisies, and, just behind a sandy beach.
First obligatory stop, along the coast, Larnaka , with its seaside promenade which gives it an air of the Côte d'Azur. Here in the ancient Kition kingdom lived Saint Lazarus after his resurrection. You do not believe it ? Yes, in the magnificent church that bears his name, we can worship his .... Brain.
Muslim pilgrims, for their part, take the path to the Hala Sultan Tekesi mosque located, as in a film set, in a palm grove on the edge of a salt lake, populated in winter and in spring by thousands of pink flamingos.
Ladies, beware of the friendly seller of roasted almonds! Under the pretext of wanting to make you taste, the venerable old man will have stuck you a very sticky kiss!
Art lovers follow the route to the village of Kiti and its 11th century Angeloktisti church. It is built on the ruins of an early Christian basilica, whose apse contains a remarkable mosaic from the 6th century representing the Virgin Mary with the child between two angels, one of the most beautiful pieces of Byzantine art.
In the south of the island, Limassol . At first glance, the city does not encourage visitors to visit: too big, too many buildings. For endless kilometers, it stretches along the sea. But it is also for kilometers that the promenade runs, which the very clean municipal beaches invite to bathe. A few steps from the seafront, the old quarter invites you to stroll through its artisan stalls, shops and restaurants. It is here, at the castle which can be visited, that Richard the Lionheart would have married his Berenice.
The order of the Templars was installed a few kilometers away, at Kolossi Castle (a fortified tower) where he devoted himself to wine production.
Not far from there, the city-kingdom of Kourion overlooks the coast. Mosaics and various installations tell the story of the life of its inhabitants and testify to the ingenuity of the builders of the 5th century. To do absolutely: attend a performance of theater or music in the beautiful Greco-Roman theater, with the sea in the background. Even in Greek, it's a treat!
A few souvenir photos to finish!
