Hitting new heights in Cyprus
Driving in the Troodos Mountains
I knew it had to happen. Those Troodos mountains had been beckoning to the Oldies from the moment we arrived on the island. It was only a matter of time before they headed inland. And uphill.
Thankfully, there were spectacular views of the coastline as we climbed the steep and windy roads that threaded their way along and through the dramatic mountainous landscape. I knew we were in for a slow ride after His Lordship stopped off at about the eighth viewing point in the same number of miles. Not that I objected, mind you.
I had to laugh at the signage en-route. This so-called ‘Built-Up Area’ turned out to be a scattering of houses, tightly tucked into the hillside.
Things can get pretty tight in those ‘built up areas’ too. Her Ladyship had a canary every time His Lordship decided to drive through a mountain village. Even I got a little worried when I noticed that the locals sometimes drove golf carts rather than cars through the extremely narrow village streets. In our tiny rental car, it was a case of fold back your wing mirrors and hold your breath!
Like the Oldies, the villages were partly quite crumbly too…
The Dynamic Duo struck out for Cyprus’s highest mountain, Mount Olympus, an impressive peak at 1950 m. Now, before you start gasping in admiration of the Oldies, there are perfectly paved roads leading all the way to the top. I was glad, however, they had exerted themselves even this much, as the nearby ski slopes were well worth the trip.
His Lordship was inclined to scoff at the rather dated drag lifts, but her Ladyship was quick to remind him that they beat the socks off the ski lift we’d seen in Albania.
For once, I wasn’t intimidated by the length or steepness of the ski slopes. Perhaps I should sign up for lessons here and resume my skiing career. Or perhaps not.
Only in Cyprus! Where else would you see a slope grooming machine alongside an ice-cream van?
Apart from several ski slopes, the signage indicated that the mountains were full of monasteries. The Oldies decided to investigate further and ended up visiting Kykkos Monastery. Although its roots go back to the 11th century, much of the complex today is modern. I was amazed at how ornate it is. All that gold leaf was quite dazzling. And I’m still trying to figure out what the ‘religious consumables’ on sale in the monastery shop could be…
I had a feeling that the Oldies weren’t done with the Troodos Mountains yet, and sure enough, they headed for hills again a few days later. This time they went in search of some of the UNESCO World Heritage painted churches.
The Dynamic Duo eventually managed to locate the Church of Archangel Michael, which to be fair, is well hidden away in a small village and, from the outside, looks like a tiny barn. Once your eyes adapt to the darkness inside, a treasure trove of glorious paintings dating from the 15th century is revealed.
I loved the great character in the facial expressions. And some of those hair-dos were phenomenal!
The Wingless Wonders were on a roll now, pressing on to the Monastery of St. John Lampadistis. We were treated to another feast of stunning paintings, though I’m not sure if Her Ladyship has yet recovered from the incredibly scary drive there.
Even more incredibly, Herself agreed to visiting yet another of the UNESCO World Heritage Byzanthian churches, this time, the Church of Panagia, above the village of Moutoullas. She appeared quite relieved that the access to this one didn’t involve dicing with death. Well, not as much as the drive to the last one anyway.
Once again, the church was tiny and dark, and its 13th century ‘Crusader’ style of paintings absolutely beautiful. This stunning carved door is apparently the original. Imagine a carved wooden object lasting over 700 years!
There’s hope for me yet.
