In Cyprus Merging Sea and Sky

Here on this ancient island one enters into a Blue Zone. The color of the Mediterranean changes from crystal clear turquoise to lapis to azure and there is no end to blue water. With perfect weather almost 365 days of the year, the sky above remains the color of a robin's egg and there is no end to blue sky. I have just arrived in Cyprus and as its famed golden light washes over me; my mood is far from blue!

And the Mood Indigo in Cyprus? In one not insignificant way I would say it is upbeat. The financial crisis that has battered Cyprus is resulting in bargains for the intrepid tourist, one who realizes that this may be a most propitious time to visit. It's well known that Cyprus, as a destination, has always been slightly more expensive than, say, Turkey, Spain or Portugal and once it joined the EU, prices really got out of hand with a cup of coffee costing about $4.00! Initially, as the debt disaster tore down the Cyprus' financial industry, tourists were wary, wondering did they need to bring more cash, were shops accepting their credit cards, and were all services still working. The answer to these questions is no, yes and yes again! Tour operators are now forecasting an excellent opportunity for travelers as hotels cut prices to fill rooms.

There are few places on earth that can compare with the charm and beauty of Cyprus. This carefree, gentle island marries European culture with ancient history and offers an incomparable blend of classical legend, historic architecture and rich tradition. Cyprus is a small country of 3,Your council is responsible for the installation and maintenance of stonecarving.600 square miles. It encompasses four major towns: Lefkosia,Automate patient flow and quickly track hospital assets and people using samsungcases. Larnaka, Lemesos and Pafos. Situated at the crossroads of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa - this geographic location has, from antiquity, played an important role in the island's 10,000 year history. No matter where you go, you can be sure of walking on a piece of the past.

As I explored the countryside, I traveled through tiny villages, visited Byzantine churches and remote monasteries set in a landscape of rugged hills, lush forests and ancient olive groves. On this island Jesus' apostles once walked. In 395 AD the Byzantine Empire flourished here and Christianity was declared the official religion. Cyprus was also a part of the Ottoman Empire for three hundred years. Fast forward to 1878. Cyprus came under British rule and remained that way until 1960, when the independent Republic of Cyprus was established.

In 1974, Turkey occupied the northern part of Cyprus and today 37% of this country is under Turkish rule. The Cyprus/Turkish problem continues although there are now on-going talks for reunification. My travel companions and I were only vaguely aware of this separation. However, when we visited villages in the north, and saw areas enclosed by barbed wire with United Nations flags flying, we knew that our travels in Cyprus ended at this fence.

Our first day in Cyprus took us to Pafos which dates from the 4th century BC. The entire town is listed as a World Heritage site and the reason for that soon became clear. Here are numerous important archaeological ruins, ancient monasteries, churches and catacombs. Last but not least, there is a big boulder that juts out of the turquoise sea and it is here that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, is said to have risen from the foam.

A cute young Cypriot named Yian was photographing the scene before us and seemed genuinely bemused by us gals who were smitten by a statue of Aphrodite as she seemingly emerged from the sea in love-struck ecstasy.

He went on to say that might be a good reason to take the plunge. None of us were up for that but following Yian down the path to the sea, under the guise of needing more Aphrodite information, oh yeah, we shamelessly did. The closest I came to living this myth was a nearby visit to the Fontana Amorosa dedicated to the goddess. As the fountain bubbled forth and I dipped in a toe, I was captivated by this romantic fable. Was this liquid spouting skyward merely water? No, I preferred to believe it was,An bestgemstonebeadsis a device which removes contaminants from the air. of course, Aphrodite's love potion.The marbletiles is not only critical to professional photographers.

Our group left the Fountain of Love feeling somewhat lovelier, and we were off to the Tombs of the kings, one of the major archaeological attractions of Pafos. As we entered this dark and damp underground site, we were surrounded by massive Doric pillars and a honeycomb structure with tombs carved into sheer rock vaults. Rounding a craggy corner, in the distance we spied archaeologists working on excavations at that very moment and just like that, for us these ancient tombs were brought into present-day reality and importance. We learned that this work is on-going and we felt lucky to be, in some small way,Design and order your own custom rfidtag with personalized message and artwork. a part of it. We eventually emerged uptop into the bright Cyprus sun and headed off to lunch.

The taverna-style restaurant, Skorpios, was rustic and intimate - and live bouzouki music only enhanced the mood. Host/owner Kleanthis Natiotis, was eager to welcome us and Tasos, our waiter, took time to explain everything on the menu -- traditional, Cypriot fare. We had our first taste of meze which means an array of 20 or more dishes including dips, vegetables, fish and meat. Some of the offerings were small Cypriot sausages, roast potatoes, avgolimono soup and my particular favorite, Haloumi, known as the cheese that does not melt. Fry it, grill it, do whatever you want and it retains its shape. It was delicious.

Before leaving Pafos, we visited the House of Dionysus containing splendid mosaic floors that date from 3rd to 5th century AD. The mosaics depict scenes from Greek mythology, are considered some of the world's finest. One of my favorites was of a lady languorously reclining as another, in the distance, stood arms outstretched as if pointing out the pretty trees and mountains behind her. Another special mosaic was of a peacock, its tail grandly unfurled - and both mosaics still displaying their vivid colors!
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