Posts tagged Cyprus Tourism Organisation

Cyprus and Malta: Two priceless Gems of the Mediterranean Sea…

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

My dear travellers, welcome to my new post. Honestly, I hope you are doing well and that we all look forward to some better days that are characteristic of this period of the year after this lockdown. June is usually a month when people go to the sea or plan their summer vacation, but this year was an exception. Due to the new situation caused by the Coronavirus, people are prevented from planning summer vacations and maybe postponing their travels for the autumn season.

“Hello? Can you hear me? Can I change my travel dates for the Summer holidays, please?”

I was glad that many of you remembered my blog and a large number of readers have approached me via email and private messages on social media in the past few weeks asking for advice on where you could go on a “summer” vacation in the fall season.

What are the destinations that interested you the most? The people from Europe region were most suggested by the following destinations: Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco and Malta.

The Central street city of Valletta, the capital of Republic of Malta
Central street in the heart of Valletta – the capital of Malta

MALTA

The Republic of Malta is a very small and densely populated island country made up of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean. The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. This unusual island country is located south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, so geographically Malta belongs to North Africa, but from a political point of view, this country belongs to Europe and is a member of the European Union.

It was a great honor and pleasure for me to feel the charms of this island country in collaboration with the tourist organization of the Malta Tourism Authority. Before I start with the post I would like to inform you that MTA expressed satisfaction at the announcement of the reopening of the airport and the resumption of commercial flights to and from Malta as from July 1st 2020.

Republic Square is located in the city center of capital of Malta - Valletta.
Wonderful Republic Square in Valletta

The first group of destinations that are being reopened for travel comprises: Germany, Austria, Sicily, Cyprus, Switzerland, Sardinia, Iceland, Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Israel, Latvia, Estonia, Luxembourg, and Czech Republic. More destinations will be announced in due course, once clearance from the health authorities is received. For more information about entry rules and reopening please visit the website of Malta Tourism Authority.

The capital of the Republic of Malta is Valletta. Due to its specific geographical location, Maltese culture is an unusual combination of many cultures that have been linked throughout history. These are mainly the nearby neighboring Mediterranean countries or the cultures of the countries that ruled Malta before gaining independence. The Maltese Islands are one big open-air museum, as 7,000 years of Maltese history, heavily influenced by the Phoenicians, Arabs, Romans, Knights of Malta and the British, can still be seen today.

The Tritons Fountain is a fountain located on the periphery of the City Gate of Valletta, Republic of Malta, Europe
Tritons’ Fountain in Valletta, Malta

Malta is an exceptional tourist destination, no matter what you expect from your vacation, whether you are a fan of active vacation or pure hedonistic relaxation, the possibilities of this island are countless. For lovers of culture and art, there are numerous museums and galleries.

On the other hand, for all gourmets, Malta is a real little paradise because you have the opportunity to enjoy the unusual specialties of this Mediterranean island.

Malta also has a large number of natural beauties such as numerous caves, coves and natural monuments. Don’t forget when you’re done touring the sights and enjoying the many delicacies, don’t forget to do your shopping or take a walk along the promenade in Sliema and Bugibba in the evening.

Mdina is a fortified town in the northern part of the island, which throughout history in the period from ancient times to the Middle Ages served as the capital of the island. The city is still fortified inside the walls and has a population of just under 300 people, but next to the neighboring town of Rabat, which is named after the Arabic word for suburbs. According to the latest data, the two cities together have just over 10,000 inhabitants.

Mdina, silence speaks more than words…

Mdina still remained the center of the Maltese nobility and religious institutions. Assets are still largely passed down from generation to generation. The city never managed to fully regain its significance that it had until 1530, which also led to the popular nickname “Quiet City” by natives and tourists. Mdina is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is currently one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.

Vilhena Palace also known as the Magisterial Palace and Palazzo Pretorio, is a French Baroque palace in Mdina, Republic of Malta.
Vilhena Palace is open to the public as Malta’s National Museum of Natural History.

Today, Mdina is one of the main tourist attractions of Malta, which annually hosts about a million tourists. You can experience the city as an interesting mix of Norman and Baroque architecture, including several palaces, most of which are privately owned. In the period from 2008 to 2016, a major restoration of the city walls was carried out.

Cathedral and Monastery of St. Peter in the heart of Mdina, Malta.

During my visit to Malta, I visited Valletta, Mdina, Rabat, Sliema, the small traditional fishing village of Marsaxlokk (Marsa-Shlok) and the island of Gozo. This interesting island country has left an impression on me and I sincerely hope to visit Malta soon.

Posts about Malta that you had the opportunity to read on the blog:

  1. Letters from Malta: The Mediterranean Love at First Sight…
  2. Letters from Malta: Mdina, Silence speaks more than Words…
  3. Letters from Malta: My glamorous Escape to Valletta
  4. Letters from Malta: Gozo, your new happy place!
  5. Letters from Malta: Stylish and Fashionable Summer on the streets of Valletta (fashion outfit post)
  6. Letters from Malta: My second day on Malta Fashion Week (outfit)
  7. Last Letter from Malta: Dear Diary, it was amazing! (outfit)
Marsaxlokk is a small traditional fishing village in Republic of Malta.
Marsaxlokk is a small traditional fishing village known for its colorful boats “Luzzus”

CYPRUS

The Republic of Cyprus is an island country located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its geographical position, Cyprus represented a crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, and many traces of ancient civilizations are still present, such as Roman and Byzantine.

One interesting fact that I learned from the representatives of the National Cyprus Tourism Office is that Cyprus is actually the warmest island in the Mediterranean. It is also called Aphrodite’s Island, because, according to one of the many legends, the Greek goddess Aphrodite was born here from sea foam. The most visited summer resort in Cyprus is Limassol, a city famous for its unrealistically beautiful beaches.

TRAVELING AFTER COVID-19: Cyprus is now ready to welcome travelers from several countries. Having successfully dealt with the Covid-19 epidemic, that you can explore this beautiful island once again. For further info regarding traveling please visit the official portal of Cyprus tourism.

Aphrodite's Rock, a landmark located near Paphos. Republic of Cyprus, Europe
Aphrodite’s Rock, a landmark located near Paphos.

Nicosia is the right place for fans of the combination of modern and traditional. The capital of Cyprus has adorned the old part of the city since the 12th century with an unusual promenade and cobblestone cafes. A place where history intertwines with the modern world.

The Liberty Monument in Nicosia

Larnaca is a few kilometers away from the largest international airport in Cyprus. The city is located on the southeast coast and is the oldest city on the island. In addition to Limassol, Larnaca is one of the most luxurious resorts whose port is visited by visitors from various parts of Europe and the world with new models of yachts.

The building of the administration of the Larnaca region, which is located in the center - Europe Square near the main Promenade. Larnaca, the Republic of Cyprus
The building of the administration of the Larnaca region, which is located in the center – Europe Square near the main Promenade.

Larnaca has modern equipped sandy beaches rated with high marks, which contributes to the development of tourism. The city is known for its landscaped promenade, which is located along the coast, along which there are rows of palm trees. One of the most famous sights near the promenade is the church of St. Lazarus.

Posts about Cyprus that I shared with you on the blog:

  1. Letters from Cyprus: Everyone needs a little Vitamin Sea
  2. Letters from Cyprus: Nicosia, City of History and Freedom
  3. Letters from Cyprus: Everything you need to know about Limassol and Paphos
  4. One Little Red Postcard from Cyprus (fashion outfit post)
Church of St. Lazarus in Larnaca

My dear travellers, we have reached the end of this special post where I briefly tried to compare the beauties of these two unusual island countries in Europe. This is just the beginning of this special series of posts where I will try to describe some of my other observations that I forgot to share with you while I was writing previous posts about those destinations and of course you will have the opportunity to remind yourself some of my previous posts and all together “renew” the material.

Have you maybe had the opportunity to visit some of these gems of the Mediterranean? What are your experiences? Did you like Malta or Cyprus more and I would like to hear your reasons. I would really like to hear some of your experiences and I would be happy to read your impressions in the comments.

Harbour in Larnaca

If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page. See you soon with another interesting story about Belgrade!

Best,
Mr.M

Morning in Limassol

This post is my gift to all my loyal readers who wants to learn something new about tourist destinations. The post is for informational purposes only and is not sponsored.

SHARE THIS POST

Letters from Cyprus: Everything you need to know about Limassol and Paphos

Adventure Travel 4 Comments

My dear travellers, how are you today? The 31st December is the special day when we were saying goodbye to the old year and with a heart full of expectation and good wishes we are waiting for a new year that we hope will be much better and brighter than the previous one. Otherwise, you know that I have practiced writing posts on Fridays just for you to have time to read new posts on weekend free time, but this time I wanted to say properly goodbye to 2018 with the last post which marked my adventure in Cyprus.

In previous posts you had the opportunity to get know more about of Cyprus’s beauties such as Larnaca-post and Nicosia and Lefkara-post. If you were not able to read my posts from Cyprus, you can do it now during the holidays. Before I start today, I would like to thank the Cyprus National Tourism Office for this exceptional experience and the opportunity to meet a Mediterranean paradise such as Cyprus.

One November morning we were amazed by this beautiful seascape where we had the opportunity to enjoy in the view from our terrace of our hotel room in Limassol. In a moment, I forgot about the flu that caught me those days and I must admit that this adventure helped me to actively heal the flu on foot and that I managed to even heal well despite the efforts. Who knows, maybe the sea makes miracles.

Limassol, with its 200,000 inhabitants, takes the place of the second largest city on the island. The city is the most important harbour on the island and at the same time one of the most important ports in Europe because of its exceptional position between the Suez Canal and Europe. There are also some interesting things about the historical details of this extraordinary city.

Limassol is located between the two ancient cities of Amatus and Kurion, which were significant in Cyprus during the ancient times. The development of today’s city begins only at the beginning of the second millennium. English King Richard the Lionheart was destroyed Amatus city in 1191. Limassol is probably built after the destruction of Amatus. However, only the area of the city has been inhabited since ancient age, since the graves which were discovered are old even up to 4,000 years ago.

The British took over Cyprus in 1878. The stable and advanced administration of the United Kingdom has enabled Limassol slowly to develop during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the city there were modern buildings, a completely new infrastructure is placed.

Limassol today has about 100 thousand inhabitants in the city area and about 165-180 thousand inhabitants in the wider urban area. Today, the residents are mostly Greeks, while the once-present Turkish minority moved out after the Turkish invasion. At the same time, the city has received thousands of Greek refugees from the north of the island. In recent years, more and more foreigners, or economic immigrants from the East or former tourists from the West, have been settled in the city. The latest research has shown that over 40,000 Russian inhabitants have moved into this interesting coastal town.

The development of tourism in Limassol began in 1974 after the Turkish occupation of Famagusta and Kyrenia, which had previously been the main tourist centers of Cyprus. The largest harbour city became the same in 1974, and before that it was Famagusta. Limassol is today the largest archive port with highly developed trade. Limassol is famous for wine growing and olive and southern fruit production. There are many vineyards around the city.

In recent decades, the city has become a famous tourist destination, due to the perfect mild climate and beautiful beaches in the area, as well as the preserved old town core of Limassol itself.

The medieval castle in Limassol is located in the heart of the old town, just above the old port. According to history, this is the place where English King Richard Lewis Heart married a Berengary from Navarre, where she was crowned as Queen of England in 1191. The fortified walls are of great archaeological and historical significance and are considered to be important parts of the much larger castle that once existed.

The exact date of construction of this building is not known; According to Etienne de Lusignan, the castle was built in 1193 by the founder of the Lusignan dynasty, Guy de Lusignan, but the first official written document confirms that the castle was built until 1228, at the time when the King of Germany, King Frederick II during the occupation of Cyprus.

The Church of Agia Napa was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, on the ruins of an old, smaller Byzantine church.

According to some history facts, the church was named after the icon of the Virgin Mary, which was found in a glen. Other sources believe that the church owes its name to a temple built during the Franciscan period, dedicated to the Holy Apostle of St. Berenice, known as “Saint Nape”.

Today’s church – was completed in 1906 – with a marble iconostasis and frescoes mainly on the dome, and contains a silver icon of the Agia Napa.

After visiting the city we headed to our other planned destination – Paphos. Paphos is the fifth largest city in Cyprus, located in the southwestern part of the island. Paphos is also the center of the area with the same name.

Paphos is the place of birth of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. In the days of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, Paphos was the capital of Cyprus. Remains of the palace of the Roman king with beautiful mosaics represent today a great tourist site.

In the 1st century, the city was visited by the apostle Paul. Because of this, Paphos is listed on the European Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO.

Traveling between Limassol and Paphos takes about an hour and if you have the opportunity to rent a car, you can enjoy the beauty of the Aphrodite stone that has become a landmark and part of the European cultural heritage. There are more legends about the origin of this stone, but one of them is especially distinguished:

The Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, according to the legend, was born from a special sea foam right at this place. She was crying for the first time in this same place, and her tears turned to the stones. The legend says that the one who is swimming here between the stones will be eternally young! My dear ladies, if you want to save some money for some too expensive aesthetic treatments, make sure to try this! My favourite saying is: “Always try everything!”. The beach is pebbly, be careful if you go barefoot, but the sea is very clean, even if your desire for eternal youth is not fulfilled, you will not regret having spent a little of your time in this beautiful natural spot.


The journey is calling us, the time just flies when you have a good time and Paphos is our final destination on this journey! Thalia, our guide, has kindly reminded us of our next destination and we must to move on! After a short drive we come to our last destination of this adventure in Cyprus – Paphos.

Paphos gradually lost most of its significance as an administrative center, especially after the establishment of Nicosia. The city and its ports continued to decline during the Middle Ages and Ottoman rule, such as Nicosia, and the port city of Larnaca was gaining its significance.

The city and the Paphos area continued to lose its population during the British colonial period and many of its residents moved to Limassol and Nicosia. The are and the city of Paphos remained the most underdeveloped part of the island until 1974. Today’s Paphos, with a population of about 35,000 inhabitants, is a popular tourist resort with an attractive fishing port. Ktima is the main residential part of the city, while Kato Paphos area, by the sea, is built around the medieval harbor and contains most of the luxury hotels and other vital tourist infrastructure of the city. Saint Paul Avenue, the most visited street in Paphos, connects two parts of the city. It starts near the city center in the square of Kennedy and ends outside the city walls with a medieval fortress located in the immediate vicinity of the city harbor.

In the heart of the city, there is an interesting treasure of handicrafts products, which at the same time represents one little hidden treasure of the region and the city of Paphos. The Place is the name of this small arts corner, which is daily unselfishly welcome a large number of tourists who decided to spend their holidays in this part of Cyprus.

I’m sure you will always find some interesting gift for yourself, your household, your dear ones, the most beautiful and interesting gifts for your friends which were made originally in Paphos.

After visiting this lovely store, I decided to visit the viewpoint with the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean.

Thalia, our guide explained to us that several hundred people daily visit this interesting town and that irresistible  charm of Paphos wins their heart. In addition to the charm and modern architecture, Paphos has this enchanting viewpoint with the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean. I hope that I managed to capture the beauty with my camera because it was a unique experience for me.

My dear travellers once again we have come to the end of our travel adventure. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! This post will mark the end of 3rd blogging year on my blog and I’m happy because this post is the last one for 2018.

At the end of the post, I would like to thank my friends from National Tourism Board of Cyprus for this incredible adventure which mark the end of this year and the friendly staff from St. Raphael Resort that made our stay pleasant and we felt like we were at home.

How do you like this post about Limassol and Paphos? Have you ever visited Cyprus? Did you have chance to enjoy in the magic of the Cyprus? I would like to share with me your experience! If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page.

I want to use this special opportunity opportunity to wish you a happy New Year and I hope that 2019 year will bring you everything that you have dreamed of. First of all, wish you the most important things in life: health, happiness and love, and everything else will come. I hope that we will be doing this kind of nice journeys in 2019 and that we will discover some new destinations together on Mr.M blog. Thank you for the wonderful comments, suggestions and critics that you left on Mr.M blog in 2018, you make the Mr.M blog as a nice place. Thanks again for the respect and love you gave me in 2018, and I hope it will be the same in the new year. Today is the time for celebration and for all of you I want a crazy and unforgettable time! ?

As I promised we’ll see again in a couple of days, so if something new and interesting happens to me, I promise, I will write to you!

Best,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by National Tourist Board of Cyprus, St. Raphael Resort Hotel and others partners of Cyprus Tourist Board which kindly help this project.
For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r Mark II camera.
SHARE THIS POST

Letters from Cyprus: Nicosia, City of History and Freedom

Adventure Travel 3 Comments

My dear adventurers, how are you today? Welcome to my new post! I’m sure you’ve managed to “get over” this work week and you can now make plans for the weekend. I decided to surprise you with a new post and today we continue with our story about Cyprus. In the previous two posts, you had the opportunity to get to know more about Larnaca and Agia Napa – LINK. Today I will reveal something new to you about the capital of this lovely island country. Welcome to Nicosia!

Cyprus is an island, but unfortunately the capital is not located on the sea side of the island. I know, it sounds weird, but that’s it! Although this time I have no beautiful seascape for you this time, but I am sure that you will find at least 100 reasons to love this nice town that is specific for many things, and you will soon have the opportunity to see it! Before I start with today’s post I would like to say thank you to all of my friends from National Tourism Board of Cyprus for their support and this incredible adventure which I had on this amazing island.

When we talk about religion, the people on this island are very religious, all generations, older and younger are trying to maintain a tradition. In the main capital of Cyprus, Nicosia I had the opportunity to visit two important churches of  exceptional importance. The first religious building we had the opportunity to visit in Nicosia is the church of Panagia Chrysaliniotissa, located in the old part of the city.

The most important Byzantine church in Nicosia, the only church in the old part of the city that dates from the Middle Ages – the Byzantine period. The original appearance of the church was very simple with the simple dome, but for a certain period of time the architecture of the church was changed to the original shape of the dome to a great extent has changed. A large number of church icons and frescoes originated from this church are exhibited at the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop of the Makarios III Foundation in Nicosia. Taking photos the interior of the church itself is forbidden, so we respected that.

Thalia, our guide, suggested us that is much better for us if we take a little walk through the old part of the city and see what architecture is in this part of Nicosia, she was sure it will be interesting for my blog. For all those who are not familiar with the current political situation in Cyprus, after 1974, the Republic of Cyprus was violently divided, and therefore the territory of the State of Cyprus decreased considerably. Nicosia remained the capital of the country, although divided into two parts, one belonging to the Republic of Cyprus, while the other part was occupied by Turkey. Because of the sensitivity of the topic, I didn’t ask anything, as this is equally painful for them, as is Serbian vulnerable point is Kosovo. I think it would be better to get to some brighter and more interesting funny topics!

Thalia was right, their architecture is very interesting, true Mediterranean where predominantly bright colors are used, especially white and blue shades of colors that are dominant in their culture. The first thought when we strolled at the neighbourhood was: “Where are the people?” I gently asked our guide all my inquisitive questions, she only gently laughed and assumed that I would ask her at some moment. She knocked at one door and in the Greek language explained that I was a journalist who came to Cyprus, because otherwise I could explain to a woman who was 80 years old who I really am – a Blogger. Lady was delighted and let us in her home.

I learned what had been digging for me a few minutes ago, their life is taking place in a backyard owned by almost every house in Cyprus and therefore have no need to sit in front of the doors and socialize “on the street”. She introduced me with her neighbors, we got a nice and refreshing juice and cakes and we had the opportunity to see how they are actually a communicative people, regardless of the fact that I did not understand the Greek even a word, or Thalia, who is origin came from Cyprus, did not succeed in simultaneous translation, so that in me she translates a moment after the ladies were quite ready for the nice and long conversation. I did what I did best, tried to watch all the participants of the conversation in the eyes and smile, eat the cake and thank for the hospitality.

The fruit cake was refreshing, I learned something new and my heart is always full when I have the opportunity to get to know the local population and feel the warmth of welcome, cordiality and small gestures that can sometimes tell a lot about their culture.

The ladies were willing to talk for a long time, but our dear Thalia explained them that we had to go because we need to visit a lot of places and that we did not have much time. We need to go, Nicosia is waiting for us! After this settled and perfect end we reach the part of Nicosia that connects the old part of the city with the new city – center. This part of the city is the great “shelter” for all those immigrants who have come from other countries and you will notice the people on the street, smiling in addition to all their everyday problems, they are trying to welcome people to their modest restaurants.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived to another very important religious building in Nicosia – Church of Agios Ioannis tou Theologou. The church is located next to the Archbishop Palace and opposite the Pancyprian Gymnasium, has a very rich collection of frescoes of the 18th and 19th centuries. The next stop is the Byzantine Museum of the ‘Archbishop Makarios III’ Foundation, located precisely next to the Cathedral. Amongst its wonderful exhibits also lie parts of the mosaic of the church of Kanakaria, which date back to the 6th century AD.

I will mention that in Cyprus are only the old Orthodox churches that were built in the new era or in the Middle Byzantine period. After the reign of the Ottoman Empire, certain religious objects were converted into religious objects of Islamic religion.

The new part of the city, the heart of the city is a small, modern bohemian quarter. Most visitors coming to Nicosia are asking for a graphite that can be seen in the picture above. The artist who painted the wall of the building in the center of Nicosia is unknown to the public, although residents say it is known who did it, but they do not want to reveal. The artist had a vision to make a remake of an old masterpiece in which the artist wanted to show the society that was in that time. An unknown street graffiti artist who designed this graffiti just wanted to illustrate today’s society in Cyprus and in the world as well. The building was old, but now it got a new “artistic” value.

The time has come to move on, our adventure in Nicosia was short, but sweet and educational. I will remember this trip as one of the best organized trips in my blogging career. In the picture above you have the opportunity to see the monument – the Statue of Liberty that was built in honor of the victory and independence of the Republic of Cyprus. Freedom is the most valuable thing a state or individual can provide for itself. It’s time to move on before it’s getting dark! Next station: Lefkara.

Sights which you should visit, when your way takes you to Nicosia:

After almost 30 minutes of driving, we come to a small town in Cyprus, famous for handicrafts and handmade jewelry. Welcome to Lefkara! Lefkara is the cradle of folk art, where the art of sculptural folk “needles” was born – the famous “lefkaritiko” – whose reputation surpassed the borders of Cyprus and became famous in most European countries and around the world. Lefkara can thank for this prosperity owed to this art of needles and trade that was established at the end of the 19th century, which experienced its peak during the first thirties years of the twentieth century.

In addition to these wonderful handmade artworks that have made this little lovely village known in the world, their fame is also worth the jewellers who daily make real small pieces of art, made of precious metal. The place is so quiet, there are interesting stores in whole village, at least 20 jewellery shops and studios, then imagine how much this place has craft shops. The employment rate in this place is extremely high, say even over 90% of the population is working.

Walk through this small lovely town was more than pleasant. Lefkara is such a quiet place, clean and fresh air. People have a sense of closeness and security, and even to that extent they leave the doors of their homes open and of course, the cats that rest on their home thresholds. Lefkara is one of the fairy tales places in the world, who knows I may someday also come here to live my golden ages.

This place has one very important landmark, a church with a small part of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The magnificent church in Lefkara is dedicated to the Holy Cross and dates from the 14th century. According to Byzantineologist Athanasios Papageorgiou, the eastern part of the church dates from the 14th century. This date is confirmed by the metric inscription “Olivianos” appearing at the bottom of the golden cross in the church in Lefkara. There is written evidence that Olivianos was a bishop in this church in 1307 during the Occupation Period by the Franks.

This fact has been confirmed by the 14th-century written note which is kept in the safe of the Church. At the end of this manuscript, which is a valuable evangelist, it was noted that it was written in 1345/46 and that the monk Gabriel, who was the monk and founder of the “Holy Cross” Monastery, paid all the expenses of the Church. The church in Lefkara was restored in 1740, and then it was a wooden curly iconostasis which was made by the sculptor from Rhodes.

Iconostasis has an invisible cavity. It is a tomb in which a large wooden cross is dedicated to this church. According to tradition, the part of the Lord’s cross is located at the very center of this cross. The circle is a small, thin silver metal. Fourteen cut out pictures from the life of the Lord, the angel and Jesus’ apostles Constantine and Helen can be seen on the main cross. The process of crucifixion is shown at the center of the cross and covered with two sides, on which the Theotokos (Mother of God) and Joanis (John) are presented.

The central picture of Jesus is surrounded by four angels. Constantine the Great, “The Betrayal of Jesus”, “Golgotha” and Saint Helena are illustrated horizontally on the cross. The “throne of the second coming” and “the Resurrection of Jesus,” as well as the presentation of the “deposition” and “the burial of Jesus” are illustrated vertically on the cross from above. The Olivian picture with the relevant metric inscription is located on the lower edge of the cross. According to belief, the cross is part of the Holy Cross of the Lord.

My dear travellers once again we have come to the end of our travel adventure. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! Don’t worry in a couple of days I will publish a new post where we will continue together to enjoy the charms of traveling and we will continue our adventure in Cyprus.

How do you like this post about Nicosia and Lefkara? Have you ever visited Cyprus? Did you have chance to enjoy in the magic of the Cyprus? I would like to share with me your experience! If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page.

As I promised we’ll see again in a couple of days, so if something new and interesting happens to me, I promise, I will write to you!

Best,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by National Tourist Board of Cyprus and others partners of Cyprus Tourist Board which kindly help this project. I will mention all of them in some of the next posts.
For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r Mark II camera.
SHARE THIS POST

One Little Red Postcard from Cyprus

Fashion Outfit Post 5 Comments

Hello guys, I hope that you are doing great. As you know another Friday came to mark the end of the working week. I sincerely hope that this week was not hard for you, but I have to admit that we have received another “uninvited white guest” today in Serbia – snow. Some people really enjoy in snow and other winter magic, but I belong to that other group of people who would, if possible, only snow fall on the mountains as it once is dangerous in the city.

Today I am continuing my story from Cyprus. Today, I’ve prepared for you a small fashion story from Larnaca. I struggle against winter, snow and cold with a sunny, warm and bright post from Cyprus. I think it will help me in a mental way to overcome this current cold that I feel because thank God heating system is not working… again!

Who had an opportunity to read my previous post from Cyprus, I am sure that you are now very familiar with the beauty of this lovely island which radiates and attracts an increasing number of visitors from the world and Europe each year. Who has not been able to read a post, you can do it now – LINK.

I succeeded to make this post on the first morning in Cyprus, because according to the itinerary organized by my dear friends from the National Tourism Office of the Republic of Cyprus, we noticed that we will leave Larnaca the next morning and we will not be able to make a post. That’s why my tired, very sick, but unbridled spirit has decided that it is best to immediately make an outfit post that will mark my trip to Cyprus.

The sunny morning was just calling me outside. I was out of my mind, although I must admit I was sick and I packed the jacket in my backpack, because I had a feeling of coldness, because of my flu. I managed to make myself stand somehow out in short sleeves because I noticed that all people on the promenade were in short sleeves, some even in the shorts, so I was convinced it was just my cold that didn’t give me peace.

What to write about this outfit? I honestly do not have a special story, maybe I bought these interesting trousers in Zara this year in Germany at the final sales of almost 3 sizes bigger and that after I take them to the tailor to style them properly (and they were not done again as I imagined, but at least now they are on me!).

This insane shopping was influenced by amazing nice price… That moment when you that they make a huge discount and your favorite trousers just drop off from 60 euros to 7 euros and you just buy them… That’s what I did with these pants. I received the information that it was the only one size of this model in whole Berlin and they maybe had a smaller size, but in a city that is approximately 300,400 km far from Berlin… I just take them, and I’ll think about the tailor after. Few months later, I managed to fix them somehow, as can be seen on the photos in this post. ?

This red T-shirt, very important to me is also bought at summer sales in Zara, but in Belgrade. I have at least 10 red Zara t-shirts that are similar, nobody in the family sees the difference between them, but I know exactly where I bought a particular shirt and how many times I wear it for the fashion posts. Someone will think that I have “wacked” a little. I can say in my defense that these are nice memories and one kind of training brain normal memory function.

You have seen  these sneakers in two posts so far on my blog, outfit post 1 and outfit post 2 (outfit with leather black jacket). I bought this sneakers this summer in Serravalle Outlet. Again a similar situation as with trousers, I just bought two sizes smaller sneakers, when I saw the price I could not believe so that my shallow blogging pocket finally could have opportunity to by something nice. Thank God I have a fantastic cobbler who always looks forward to every my visit, because I think that I am the most frequent customer and always with the same problem…

Well, now I found out how I got “manage” for this outfit. No one is perfect! My God, we are all human beings with all their good and bad sides that may make life difficult for us or it makes it easier sometimes. Now, while I’m writing this post and look at these beautiful photos from Larnaca, I only remember the sun, the wind and the smell of the sea… This adventure has ended, but now I am at least there when I share with you my memories from Cyprus through my posts, I refresh some nice moments which we had there on Cyprus.

My dear fashionistas once again we have come to the end of this special fashion outfit post from Cyprus. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! Don’t worry in a couple of days I will publish a new post where we will continue together to enjoy the charms of traveling and we will continue our adventure in Cyprus.

OUTFIT

T-shirt: Zara

Trouesers: Zara

Sneakers: Saint Laurent

Camera: Sony Alpha 7r Mark II

How do you like this post? How do you like my special red “winter” summer outfit from Cyprus? If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page.

As I promised we’ll see again in a couple of days, so if something new and interesting happens to me, I promise, I will write to you!

Best,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by National Tourist Board of Cyprus, Frangiorgio Hotel and others partners of Cyprus Tourist Board which kindly help this project. I will mention all of them in some of the next posts.
For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r Mark II camera.
SHARE THIS POST

Letters from Cyprus: Everyone needs a little Vitamin Sea

Adventure Travel 5 Comments

Dear travellers, I hope you are doing well and you are ready for a new adventure! You’re used to almost all of my travel posts are titled with famous first words “Letters” or “Postcards” from a particular destination and I’m very glad that a lot of people who read my cheerful travel adventures regularly know that it’s time for a new travel adventure on Mr.M. Today I have prepared for you the first post from an island in Europe with one of the most beautiful, and at the same time one of the richest island countries in Europe – Cyprus.

After my exciting adventure in Morocco in May this year, I received an email from the National Tourism Organization of the Republic of Cyprus with an offer for potential collaboration if I am interested to visit Cyprus in November of this year. At first sight, I thought November is to far from now, but with great pleasure I accepted their invitation to visit this lovely county and to present to you, through a couple of special posts, on Mr.M blog.

I always easily will be deceived when it comes about the time… From May to November there may be many months to count when we look at it from some rational mathematical point of view, but life is quite another matter. Every day, people are preoccupied with daily activities, little joys and problems that fill their days, weeks and months. You do not notice it easily and time just do it’s thing – flies so fast, just like the sand in hourglass. That’s how it happened to me this time, so the days, weeks and months passed and this famous first part of November has came to mark the beginning of my new adventure.

Winter in Belgrade did her own thing. I got the fear, so I did not even know what to bring to my “winter” holiday in Cyprus, and in the end, like every average guy, I carried almost everything with me! With the full suitcase of medicines which I need for my cold, little Marko has officially started his adventure!

Maybe we were little exhausted, because we came in some early morning hours, but little Marko could not sleep. I drank all the possible medicines that could be drunk, imagined that I did not feel cold because of a my illness and dressed like all the normal world that morning. I did not miss anythings this time, I was really happy because I had the opportunity to experience the magic of the winter “summer” in Cyprus.

Republic of Cyprus has two airports: Larnaca Airport and the airport near Paphos city. When you come from Serbia, air carriers use the airport in Larnaca. Life on the island is interesting because of one very simple fact – each city is relatively close to another one. Whether you use: bus services or you want to rent a car or a car with a driver, believe me, everything is close.

I just want to mention for all those adventurers who want to rent a car in Cyprus and to explore the island independently, keep in mind the fact that in Cyprus the rules of driving apply as in the United Kingdom. Driving on the opposite side of road, than we used to be used in the other part of Europe, I just wanted to warn you about that fact. I’m sure you will have a quite adventure there!

Larnaca – Pearl of Cyprus on the sea coast

Larnaca with over 70,000 inhabitants is the third largest city in Cyprus. It is located in the southeast of the island and Larnaca is the oldest city in Cyprus, the legend says that it was built in the year 4000 BC. In ancient times, the city was named Kition. Due to its unusual geographical location and as a city at the crossroads of civilizations, the city had a quite exciting history. In the pictures above, you can see the Old Square in Larnaca, a square which today is the heart of Larnaca and the center of culture, where many cultural events are held every year.

One of the most important era that marked the history of this city was the Byzantine period due to the church of Saint Lazarus founded by the emperor of Constantinople, Zenon The Wise. In the basement of the church was one grave with sign “Lazarus, a friend of Christ” people believe that Lazarus (St. Lazarus) was the best friend of Jesus. Today the church of St. Lazarus is one of the most important sights of the city. There is an interesting tradition in Larnaca. On Lazarus Saturday, eight days before Easter, the icon of Saint Lazarus is taken in procession through the streets of Larnaca.

Orthodox Church of Sv. Lazarus is located in the old part of the city, closed to the Promenade of the city. St. Lazarus, who is considered to be the best friend of Jesus. Jesus resurrected him and sent him to Cyprus. If we just think about the period when the church was built, its architecture is impressive.

In the center of the church there is an iconostasis, which captivates all visitors with its beauty. I had the opportunity to see how the elderly people of Larnaca pray in the church and some of their daily customs when visiting this holy place. Maybe the way is a little different from ours in Serbia, but the same religion making us spiritual connected. The Orthodox Church in Cyprus is independent financially or in any other way dependent on another churches. On this trip I had the opportunity to visit many holly places on the Cyprus and I hope that I able to present you in some of the following posts.

What you should visit in Larnaca:

 

Cape Greco and Ayia Napa

After the sightseeing of Larnaca and some of its main attractions, we headed for the nearby town of Agia Napa. During our journey to Agia Napa we had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this natural stone bridge – Gefyri tou Koraka which is belonging to the national park Cape Greco. Nature is a miracle, somehow it can always obscure all the magnificent buildings that the human hand has made. We made a small break to enjoy the beauty of nature and this absolutely unreal color of water. I have to admit that the weather has served us excellently on our trip this time in Cyprus.

The time in this beautiful national park has just flied so fast and it was time to continue our journey to the final destination for today – Ayia Napa. I hope that at least you enjoyed the beauty of this beautiful view of the crystal clear sea.

Slowly, the time for the famous cypriot fish lunch was approaching, and we did not pass the halfway! It’s time to hurry up Ayia Napa is waiting for us! I was so excited because it was planned in our itinerary to visit another holly place in Cyprus – first female monastery in Ayia Napa.

This monastery was built around 15th century in the heart of the Ammochostos district in Agia Napa village by an extremely brave and courageous woman. A young woman who was a daughter of the famous Venetian aristocrat decided to run away from her home because she realized that she would never be able to marry someone she really loved, except for the members of the aristocratic society. This female monastery was built as in one type of medieval castles. One part of the monastery was built underground, but this has not yet been explored enough and that part of this monastery is not open to the public. The turbulent history is connected to this monastery, but despite everything that happened, it managed to resist the fortune of time.

This monastery was a shelter for all women who were rejected by their families and society. People usually think that persons who come from very wealthy families are selfish and only think about themselves, but this is one example that shows that it is not always the case. One woman who wanted to be loved did not succeed and she resolved to become an exile and find her refuge in a foreign country. She tried to help other women fighting for their own desires, imagine how it was then inconceivable and very difficult during the 15th century, when in the 21st century we continue to allow women to fight for their rights equality that should be acquired by birth. I really admire that woman how she managed to do everything and to help other women to realize their dreams.

Potamos Liopetriou – Natural fishing shelter

After we had the opportunity to hear something more about this brave young woman and to get to know a little better the history of this first female monastery, the guide has told us that there is an interesting surprise for the end of this day and if we are in the mood it will be great to visit it before the dinner which was planned by our friends from the National Tourism Organization of Cyprus. Of course, we accepted and after a few minutes we reached Potamos Liopetriou – which is known as a natural fishing shelter.

Thalia, our guide is who told us very interesting facts and stories about rich history of Cyprus during this one of our first day in Cyprus was absolutely right and this time! This is wonderful place! Here you have a unique opportunity to see how fishermen in Cyprus live and work. In this unusual fishermen’s heaven there is also a lovely fish tavern that is very good and where you can enjoy in fish specialties without spending a lot of money.

My dear travellers once again we have come to the end of our travel adventure. Time just flies so fast when you are having a good time! Don’t worry in a couple of days I will publish a new post where we will continue together to enjoy the charms of traveling and we will continue our adventure in Cyprus.

At the end of the post, I would like to thank the friendly staff from Frangiorgio Hotel that made our stay pleasant and we felt like we were at home.

How do you like this post? Have you ever visited Cyprus? Did you have chance to enjoy in the magic of the Larnaca? I would like to share with me your experience! If you have a question, comment, suggestion or message for me, you can write me down in the comments. Of course, as always you can contact me via mail or social media, which you can find on the CONTACT page.

As I promised we’ll see again in a couple of days, so if something new and interesting happens to me, I promise, I will write to you!

Best,

Mr.M

This post is sponsored by National Tourist Board of Cyprus, Frangiorgio Hotel and others partners of Cyprus Tourist Board which kindly help this project. I will mention all of them in some of the next posts.
For all these beautiful photos I used Sony Alpha 7r Mark II camera.
SHARE THIS POST