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Published: August 13th 2023
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This is well and truly bizarre! Just when you think you've got all bases covered, and have put the final piece of the European jigsaw in place, the visit to Cyprus signified the very final European country left to visit, but does not appear in this blogspot's list of entries as a European nation???!!! Am I perhaps reading into this the wrong way, or is this blogspot trying to urge me to believe that the quest for covering every nation in one continent to not actually be over..? Either way, the Cypriot episode began (and ended too) with a week-long stay at a hotel in the resort town of Larnaca, and was also booked (shock! horror!) as something of a package trip, the first of its kind since time immemorial. In typical fashion though, the trip itself was free of all further constraints, and turned out to be just about as free-spirited as any which had come before it. The seafront promenade in Larnaca is the city's endless stream of (mostly) eateries, shops and activity, which line the way the full length of Finikoudes Beach. If we're talking a landmark which is the city's most iconic, then the Church of Saint
Lazarus is there to remind you of the fact that the island of Cyprus is dotted with historical remnants of an era pre-tourist influx when the island was developing in line with the first few signs of economic growth. Other noteworthy points of interest include Larnaca salt lake, Hala Sultan Tekke and Kamares aquaduct, and given the comparatively well-supplied nature of the town itself (a kind of 'one-of-everything' place), you could do far worse than to base yourself in Larnaca for the duration of your stay in Cyprus. Day trip options are plentiful and within comparatively easy reach, and a short-ish bus journey brings you to the island's capital city of Nicosia / Lefkosia, Europe's one remaining divided city, the Turkish sector being the northern part, and the Greek sector being the southern part. As one might expect from an island nation, the capital city is the country's beating heart and economic engine, and almost as a direct result, largely devoid of the kind of purpose-made tourist layer which you might find elsewhere, especially in the coastal towns. The first place visited in town was the Cyprus classic motorcycle museum, which houses a fine collection of bikes and exhibits related
thereto, and learning that the nearby fairy tale museum had fallen victim to the pandemic, it was time to see the city proper, and all it entailed. Selimiye mosque and neighbouring Buyuk Hamam are sufficiently centrally-located to allow for easy viewing, and relatively close-by Ledra (pedestrianized) shopping street provided the final piece of urban exploration of the day. From Larnaca, heading west, the coastal resort town of Limassol appears to be as well-supplied as the nation's second largest urban area might suggest, though isn't perhaps the final word in Cypriot resort-town atmosphere, with a handful of features which make it a pleasant enough city for a day tripper to visit, but perhaps lacking in sufficient appeal to warrant basing yourself there for a full week. The Medieval castle may well be the Old Town's centrepiece, and hints at the historical depth of the city proper, making it sufficiently clear that the city hasn't fallen prey to full-on modernization in the course of its development. Heading east from Larnaca will bring you to the well-established clubber's mecca which is Ayia Napa, just about spared from full-on tourist commercialization by the existence of Ayia Napa monastery and the city's other prominent relic
of the past, the aqueduct. A full day's worth of fun and freedom is also on offer at the nearby WaterWorld themed waterpark, which has enough in the way of attractions to cement the area's reputation as something of a hedonist's playground. Ayia Napa is also strong on the dining scene, and the main strip of development in town bears testimony to this in no small measure, but a full day's boat journey from Larnaca will take the daytripper on a journey along the Ayia Napa-bound coastline and to the Blue Lagoon area where marine life is comparatively noteworthy, and the coastline is exploited for the pursuit of beachside activities. Cypriot dining culture is best described as being a close enough companion to Greek, with a few twists, and while not being the greatest among Mediterranean food cultures, seems to have enough in the way of diversity when it comes to eateries overall. Leaving Cyprus was a case of mission accomplished on the entire European front, and upon reflection, there is no apparent explanation as to why Cyprus was saved until the very last, but this is an island famed for package tourism with a few cultural aspects which provide a certain depth and diversity for such a comparatively small land mass. My verdict..? I'm incredibly glad to brandish my status as international traveller, and happy to have included Cyprus in the ever-growing list of nations visited and experienced, though in reality, any resort place with a sufficient quota of sun-kissed vibes normally tends to get my seal of approval!
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