Cyprus Week 7 – Villages, planning and waterpark fun!
This week was a relatively quiet week for us. We have friends visiting over the next couple of weeks so we spent the week trying to get on top of work, and also arranging our plans for the UK and for the new year!
Of course, we didn’t just sit at our laptops all week and we did get out to see beautiful Pano Lefkara, a traditional Cypriot village, famous for its lace and silver making. We went one afternoon when it was a little cloudy. Going to the beach was out of the question so it seemed a good time to head inland and have a wander around a village.
We had already seen one of the more well-known villages in Cyprus – Omodos – so we were expecting something similar. Whilst the towns did have similarities, Lefkara was older, quiet and perhaps more touristy in a way, as there was a lot of shops selling the same thing – lace and silver whereas in Omodos, there was more of a range of shops, restaurants and cafes.
We had to stop for petrol on the way, which we did just on the outskirts of the village, which took us down the old road, rather than the new road. On approach to the village, and following Google Maps to the centre, we were flagged down by some locals who told us we were best off to park there, as the roads got very narrow as you got closer to the village. This made sense because we were on the old road so we assumed that the roads would be a be windy and narrow, so we heeded their advice and parked the car.
As soon as we’d stepped foot out of the car, we we’re being hurried into the shop opposite to be shown the traditional Cypriot Lace and Silver by a very proud Cypriot lady. She was very nice and chatty, but moreover, a GREAT saleswoman, despite the lace being less than modern and the style not changing at all since they started making it in the fourteenth century. Buying nothing was not an option and lo and behold, we came out of the shop with a more modern design “lace” (but it wasn’t lace at all) piece which is somewhere between a doily and a placemat. We’re still thinking about which lucky family member will be finding this in their Christmas stocking this year!
We were lucky that we didn’t have much cash on us because it gave us an excuse to leave, but not before we had an extensive tour of the silverware!
Heading into Lefkara town, we couldn’t help noticing how quiet it was! There were very few tourists around and many of the cafes were closed and looked like they had been for a while. We wondered whether this was a town that had really felt the effects of Covid – the lace lady had said that they had missed the English tourists but we hadn’t anticipated how much.
We had a wonder round and admired the buildings and small streets which were typically Greek. Cobbled stone streets, colourful (mainly blue) wooden balconies and painted buildings, and the beautiful pink bougainvillea flowers which line most Cypriot streets!
We found a little café called Da Vinci Pizzaria & Café which we decided to stop and have a coffee in because it had a lovely covered terrace area (and the weather was looking a little threatening!). Aaron had a beer, and a ginger ice tea for me and the two of us shared a cheese pie. The café is named after Leonardo da Vinci, who visited Cyprus in the 15th century and took a Lefkara Lace back to Italy with him, which today decorates Duomo Cathedral in Milan.
After having a bit of a wonder around the town, we decided to check out Kato Lefkara, or lower Lefkara (Kato meaning lower, Pano meaning higher!). The village was similar but on a much smaller scale and there was not one other tourist there! We walked around for a little while, and I mean a little while because the village is tiny! Before heading back to Limassol.
I also spoke to my friend Laura this week, who Aaron and I know from Bristol (we worked together quite a few years ago!). Weirdly, when we first came to Cyprus, we got back in touch because she was doing the exact same as Aaron and I. She had also quit her job as a solicitor and was currently in Belgrade with her boyfriend, having just spent 3 months in Athens, travelling around whilst trying to earn some money on the go! It was so interesting and fun to hear what she had been up to, and how she had come to leave her job and life in Bristol. She seemed really happy though, and we got to speaking about our plans for the New Year.
Laura told us all about a place in Bulgaria called Bansko. Neither Aaron or I had ever head of it, but it is a “digital nomad hub” in the mountains in Bulgaria but also one of the largest ski resorts in the country too. They have great snow, slopes, bars and restaurants, as well as cheap accommodation and great internet access for those people working remotely, which is why it has become a booming digital nomad hub.
Given Aaron loves to ski, and wanted to ski at some point next year we were really interested and started thinking about it, and looking into accommodation and prices for season passes etc. We couldn’t believe how cheap it was to stay here, and with our now limited budget, given we are no longer working full-time and working as freelancers, we decided to go for it!
We’ve now booked our accommodation, and our ski hire in Bansko and are waiting for the season passes to be released. It’s going to be very different from Cyprus, but I’m really excited to learn to ski (I’ve never been before!) and Aaron is super excited to be able to get out on the slopes everyday for 3 months! So we’ve got a plan for January – March next year! Hopefully, the Covid numbers stay under control and we are still able to go…fingers crossed!
On Friday, we visited Aphrodite Waterpark in Paphos, the second of three waterparks on our list to visit. It’s one of our favourite days out, and whilst we had a great time, we didn’t think it was as good as Fasouri Waterpark in Limassol. That being said, it had three great rides that we went on over and over again.
The first was one called Gravity, which was a single person ride, which you went down on in a rubber ring but side by side so you could race/see who got higher! It was shaped almost like a half pipe so Aaron and I got very competitive as to who was closest to the top!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-PWbsX028eU%3Fcontrols%3D1%26rel%3D0%26playsinline%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26autoplay%3D1%26start%3D1%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwhatmegdidnext.com%26widgetid%3D1
The second was called the Crazy Cone, which Aaron and I went on together in a two-person rubber ring which was essentially a tube slide, split by two cones which once you entered, you went up the sides backwards and forwards, like a pendulum or like one of those pirate ship rides you see at theme parks before entering the next bit of tube. The worst/best bit (depending on how you look at it!) was that you almost always entered the last bit of tube backwards, meaning a rough exit to the slide and a few kicks in the head for Aaron as our tube capsized!
The third ride was called Canon Drop. There are two tubes which a near vertical which then spit you out into the wave pool at the bottom. You come out so fast though that you almost always end up on your back, bum or head. This was not a ride you could go on over and over, because you were in too much pain/were severely winded from the previous go. It was hilarious though and I loved watching Aaron trying to perfect his entrance to the pool, pointing those toes and twiddling his little legs to try and make sure he entered feet first!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5RyQxArQeM8%3Fcontrols%3D1%26rel%3D0%26playsinline%3D0%26modestbranding%3D0%26autoplay%3D0%26enablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwhatmegdidnext.com%26widgetid%3D3
We had a great day at the park, and the weather was boiling hot which made for a great day at the Park. We’ve just one more park to go before we can rank them in order – next week, Ayia Napa Waterpark!
After the park, we decided to go out for food and decided on a tavern which is almost next door to our flat, called Danae Tavern. We had the meat meze and really enjoyed it, although it is always far too much food and we made the mistake of eating too much bread and dips before the main dishes started to come so finishing it was a challenge! It was one of those where just as you say you’re full, another dish arrives, and another after that but chicken and pork souvlaki, lamb kleftiko and sheftalia all featured on the menu – a real traditional meze.
As we always are after a day at the waterpark, climbing a million stairs and enjoying 1,000 rushes of adrenaline, we headed home shattered and absolutely stuffed from dinner!
On Saturday, we went to our favourite pub, Gerrard’s to watch the football with Lex & Chris. We got a little bit excited and after a few too many pints, we ended up in Happy Jacks – a Karaoke Bar! Whilst Aaron was kind enough to get some videos, I’ll just share the photos for your ears sake! We had sooo much fun together and a few more beers and cocktails.
After a few renditions of Cher, Britney, Amy Winehouse and of course finishing on Bohemian Rhapsody, we called it a night and headed home at around 1am. Aaron and I hadn’t eaten so we were ravenous, and decided it was a great idea to make burgers at 1.30am…which was a pleasant smell to wake up to on a hangover the next day!
Next week, our friend Jim arrives on Wednesday and we are heading to Ayia Napa Water Park and are staying overnight for a few drinks, and to visit Nissi Beach the following day which is meant to be very beautiful! We are hoping that it wont be as busy given the time of year but we shall see!
Come back next week to see what we’ve been up to! See you then!
Lots of love,
Meg xx
