Blogs from Middle East - page 3

Larnaka today. We took the motorway to get there, very easy and all the major roads are really good. Our only 'road' problem is the tiny scale of our tourist maps which don't necessarily show when a road is unpaved. We try to avoid those. Satnav handily took us to a free big parking area behind the Marina. The one we meant to go to was charged so well done to the Satnav. Larnaka beach is beautifully sandy and about a mile long with a promenade with eating places liningall along the back. We chose the sea route and paddled all the way to the centre. The sea is really shallow. People were metres and metres out and still only up to their knees. A major seaside resort with row upon row of occupied sunbed... read more

Chill by the pool day today as the main Beach Road from here to Limassol old town and marina was closed until mid afternoon for the Limassol marathon. There were ways out via the back roads but really about time we caught some of the glorious sunshine, cornflower blue sky and swimming pool so we did just that. I woke at dawn, grabbed my camera .. and a towel for modesty ... and went to watch the sunrise from the balcony. Magic. We watched a few of the marathon runners from the end of the hotel road which was indeed blocked off for vehicular access to the Beach road the runners were using. Quite a few hotel guests were running though some just doing the 10k half. 10 metre would be all I could manage sadly ... read more

Our friends were leaving at 4.30 in the morning today. We had all been due to fly back on Friday, but that flight had been cancelled, presumably because of the lack of demand, They had got an alternative flight back today, but we were unable to get one until tomorrow. Never mind, it's hardly a hardship having to stay here another day! It was sad not to be coming back together though. We said our goodbyes last night - close friends as we are, we're not going to be up at 4.30 to see them off. In some ways, we were grateful that the Friday flight had been cancelled, otherwise we would have arrived late on Thursday (see ) and then rushed to get in a quick swim in the Dead Sea before getting an early ... read more

Super day today with some beautiful Cypriot scenery and a gorgeous village, Lefkara. Then a monastery, Agios Minas.My nose will forever be filled with the scent of the lemon trees which pervaded the village followed by oranges at the monastery and glorious flowers everywhere. I did get berated by the lady in the Lefkara church for wearing shorts and not covering my legs with the skirtsprovided ...( Which I didn't see as I went to the right and they were in the middle ). Bob's bare legs were acceptable.And the sound of the bees in the monastery was amazing.. they were swarming into a hole in one of the buildings. We bought a jar of their honey and it is absolulely delicious..And I should mention that we were not best pleased with our Tomtom which decided ... read more

Today, now we have our little hire car we have been just to the other side of Limassol to:.Kourion which has superbly preserved ruins and mosaics.Kolossi Castle.St Nicolas of the cats . A monastery but nuns not monks who grow beautifu flowers and tend bees and look after lots and lots of pretty cats.Lady's Mile Beach which we drove to across a milelong stretch of sandWe also Tried to get to Cape Gata but concluded there was no tarmac toad to it and didn't want to wreck our little hire car trying .We drove past the British RAF base at Akatori but decided not to go inWhat a super day... read more