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On Location: Savoring Vistas, Ruins, and Olives in Northern Cyprus
Gorgeous weather and Turkey’s amazing sites continued to wow us. We headed to Cyprus on a short flight; our hotel here is surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean—just lovely! In Nicosia, we explored the narrow streets of the old town and its 400-year-old Venetian walls, then made our way up and into the foothills of the Five Finger Mountains to the Bellapais Monastery… I’m not sure what was more impressive, the Gothic construction or the incredible views of the harbor town of Girne below. The ancient Kyrenia Castle in Girne has been transformed into a series of museums and we really enjoyed our time at the Underwater Archaeology Museum which was impressive, especially the partially reconstructed shipwrecked sailing ship.
I can honestly say that our lunch at what appeared to be a roadside stop was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We sat outdoors on a patio under a thatched covering, looking out over a small marina and the sea. The food was out of this world—there were no fewer than six mezes (small plates), including one with yogurt made at the restaurant earlier in the morning. And I seriously think we need a moment of silence for the olives! I have no idea what they do to them but they were like eating little bits of gold. Then, if that wasn’t enough, a local fish arrived at our places—whole, head and all—grilled to perfection. Thankfully our guide Yasar was there to help filet mine or I think I’d still be trying to work every last little piece off the bones!
Heading east over the mountains we visited the old trading center of Famagusta and its beautiful Cathedral of St. Nicholas, now a museum. And the Monastery of St. Barnabas was just superb with its iconic Christian art, probably the best we’ve seen. Our last site visit here was the ruins of Salamis with a 5,000-seat amphitheater that was used for artistic performances, rather than gladiator games. We also found some of the most beautiful mosaics of the trip. We are now on our way back to Antalya to board our gulets for five days of sailing along the Turquoise Coast…
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