Cruise from Haifa to Limassol

A shuttle from Jerusalem to Haifa took us about 2-hours on the morning of Thursday, September 1, 2022. Jim, Shauna, Bob and I boarded Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas, excited to visit several Greek Isles on our 9-day cruise. The ship was similar to most we have sailed on.

We awoke the next morning in Limassol, Cyprus and wondered around the area looking for tourist information to help us know what to do. We came across Limassol Castle and artifacts on display, and did gather some suggestions for what to do. We hired a taxi driver for the day and set off to explore.

Our first stop was the medieval Castle of Kolossi, dating back to 1210. A 16th century mural of the Crucifixion adorns one wall. 

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Kourion was where we headed next. The majority of the archaeological remains within the Kourion Archaeological Area date to the Roman and Late Roman/Early Byzantine periods, or around the 4th century. We did not visit the many archeological sites here, but stopped to see the theater, which would have hosted gladiatorial games and hunting and killing animals for an audience of about 6,000. Nearby we explored the the House and Baths of Eustolios. It was probably built as an elite private residence and became a shelter to provide relief to the Kourion residents suffering from earthquakes. It was later converted to a public bath house. According to wikipedia, the inscription on the uncovered mosaic identifies Eustolios as a Christian, concluding, "this house is girt by the much venerated signs of Christ." 

We drove up towards the Troodos mountains to the charming village of Omodos where we did some "window shopping", and enjoyed lunch. This was such a pleasant place to enjoy a little break.

The Tinios Stavros Monastery is quite unique and historically important. Tradition claims that is was established around 357 B.C. and it contains invaluable relics which have made it world famous. There is a large wooden cross plated with gold and silver and adorned with engravings of Christ. In the center of the cross is a small opening in which a piece of the original rope which the Romans tied Christ to the cross with. The skull of the Apostle Philip is encased in the chapel. A piece of the stone of Golgotha and other special items are housed here as well.

We continued our drive by heading back toward the port. A short hike to Platres Waterfall allowed us to stretch our legs and take in some of the surrounding scenery. Our driver insisted we needed to stop at Katerina's sweets because I asked about local food and treats. The fountain out front is said to run with wine. 

I purchased the recommended favorite Cypress sweet, which is bottled whole walnuts (shell and all) soaked in a molasses-like syrup and is often enjoyed with coffee in the morning or over pancakes and such. The taste was strong and the texture of the walnuts was surprisingly soft. Interesting . . . but not my favorite. Nevertheless, we did enjoy a sweet taste of Cypress on our tour that day!