Cypress is an island country located south of Turkey. It is the third largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean. The traditional languages are Greek and Turkish to reflect its divided population. A very popular vacation destination, we docked at the port of Limassol twice on our back to back itinerary.
Always fans of archaeological sites our first excursion was to Kourian to view the ruins, many of which boasted amazingly intact and colourful mosaic floors. The amphitheatre, like so many of its time, had perfect acoustics. Our guide Katie surprised us all with her beautiful voice as she sang Amazing Grace from centre stage, followed by a Greek ballad for an encore. It was one of those endearing travel experiences that made the day so much better.
From there we travelled to the Temple of Apollo and then on to Osmodos, a village in the mountains. We toured a small Monastery that boasted stunning Greek Orthodox iconography. Katie sang for us again, an emotional rendition of Ave Maria. Her voice, coupled with the outstanding locations, made it so I could have listened to her sing all day.
The village offered the customary town square surrounded by friendly restaurants and souvenirs shops. Nearby you could tour an ancient wine press before wandering down narrow tree lined lanes of homes and shops. It was a lovely stop.
During our drive that day we say numerous groves of dormant grape vines which peaked our interest. Cypress has rejuvenated its wine industry by revitalizing its old processes and traditional grapes. So for our second excursion we toured three wineries to taste the results and we were not disappointed! Only on vacation can you start your day with wine.
Early on wineries were located closer to the shores of the island in order to expedite exports but they found that the grapes did not taste as fresh so they moved them back into the mountainous countryside. Now vintners use a blend of regional and imported grapes, employ the local villagers and as a result kept younger people in the country.
Cypriots are very proud of their wines and each of the stops offered numerous light whites, aromatic roses and
substantial reds. We tried dessert wines, communion wines and a variety of liqueurs. We even tasted the blue wine that was the specialty at one of the wineries. Each stop offered a variety of breads, olives, fruit and local pastries to accompany the different wines. If you are ever in Cypress, and are a fan of wine, I can strongly recommend such a tour.