Mid 2022 after reading a book of a German woman who travelled all countries recognized by the United Nations 🇺🇳 , I made a list of the countries I travelled and all though it’s quiet a list I’m far from having travelled the world. My next thought was to check which countries I haven’t yet seen in Europe and to complete those by mid-2025: Albania 🇦🇱, Bosnia-Herzegovina 🇧🇦, Kosovo 🇽🇰, Montenegro 🇲🇪, Moldova 🇲🇩, Iceland 🇮🇸, Cyprus 🇨🇾 and Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 were on the list.
For the first 6 months nothing much happened except working on some plans. To get a start on the list I travelled to Cyprus for the last week of 2022. I rented a car and first drove to Paphos, where I visited the ruins of an old city from Byzantine, Greek and Roman times.
Paphos
In the afternoon I visited the baths of Aphrodite.
Nearby Aphrodite's bath
Holy Monastery of Saint Neophytos the Recluse
The next day I started off with an early visit to the Tombs of the Kings. Although nearly all of the people buried in the cemetery were rich commoners instead of royals, large treasures were spent on their last resting place.
A trip to the east brought me the ancient city of Kourion on a cliff above the sea. Several building ruins have been excavated. Among them a theater, public baths, a gymnasium and Roman houses. Nearby is also a stadium in which different sports‘ competitions were held. Amphitheatre at Kourion
I left the seaside to check for snow on Mount Olympus. Arriving in Troodos - a mountain village at the foot of the mountain - I could attest to lower temperature and clouds blocking the view but as far as I could see no snow was yet to be seen and also the ski lifts were not working. I continued to the Kykkos Monastery which was very quietly and serenely sitting in the mountains.
Further inside the island sits Lefkosia/ Nikosia - the divided capital. It’s the capital of the Republic of Cyprus 🇨🇾 and the capital of the Northern Republic of Cyprus since 1974 when Turkey invaded the island to support northern independent movement. Both parts are divided by a green zone that is guarded by the each side’s military and patrolled by the United Nations. There are a couple of boarder crossings that can be used: one walks past the Ledra Palace - a former 5 star hotel and now the UN quarters, the other is only for pedestrians and goes down the Ledra Street on the south and emerges in a bazaar in the north. It felt a bit strange crossing.
Symbol of the fortified walls of Lefkosia
Old town
Borders in a divided city
Street art in Lefkosia
Ledra Street near the border crossing
My second day, I crossed the boarder into Nikosia to pick up a rental car on the north side. I drove around the Northern part of the island.
The first place I visited was the ruins of an old castle (could have stared in The Game of Thrones) on a hill. It was quite spread out and long dresses must have been a nightmare going up and down the stairs and ways.
St. Hilarion Kalesi/ Castle
St. Hilarion Kalesi/ Castle
Next I went to Girne Castle by the sea that is very massive and surrounded by high and thick walls.
Girne Castle
Very beautiful was the Bellapais Abbey - an old gothic abbey on a hill. Across the road is the tree of idleness and a juice bar with freshly pressed orange juice - delicious.
Bellapais Abbey
Tree of Idleness & Juice Bar
From here, I went east to the seaside. There rests the ancient city of Salamis with ruins of houses, baths, roads, theatres and more.
Ancient city of Salamis
Further to the South lies Famagusta/ Gazimaguza - a region with a ghost town that was abandoned in 1974 with the partition of the island. In the inhabited part, there are great buildings and ruins from several hundred years ago. One of those is the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque that more than 550 years ago was a church. Today, it has a minaret and is an active mosque.
Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
Famagusta
Church of St. George of the Greeks
Strolling through the streets of Famagusta, I also passed the bazaar and had some early dinner before I drove back to Lefkosia/ Nikosia and returned the car. The rental company gave me a ride to the pedestrian boarder crossing.
I returned the following day to explore the bazaar and do some shopping.
On my final day, I visited Omodos, another picturesque village in the Troodos mountains and strolled the serene alleys. I bought some fruits for lunch and then headed for the airport.
