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We're going on a tour today: "Pearls of Cyprus" is the poetic name in StarTour's brochure.

Cyprus 2002 - part V.

Eric
2005-12-02 17:55:19

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We're going on a tour today: "Pearls of Cyprus" is the poetic name in StarTour's brochure.

The bus will pick us up at the hotel, but our side of the road is closed to traffic. A man is sweeping the arrows, but that doesn't make them any whiter. Having waited for 15 minutes we all walk down to Kition Corner where we find the buses. Some are going to Paphos, but we enter a mini-bus with tourists from Fig Tree Bay and Agia Napa waiting for the pearls of Cyprus.

The guide, Marios, is a Cypriot who speaks Swedish, and he talks about this and that while we drive into the countryside. His Swedish is no problem; he speaks slowly and clearly. Maybe Marios is a botanist. At least he knows and tells a lot about plants and growth, and even Latin names are added. A young couple from one of the beach resorts falls to sleep immediately and sleeps most of the way. Even the two lively kids on the backseat cannot keep them awake. It was probably high yesterday evening!
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First stop is in the village Pera. We meet an old man, and Marios starts a chat. He is the village priest and the long beard does give him the looks of a real patriarch. He has no less than 11 children, Marios translates, and has been out picking capers. That explains the bucket where a snail tries to escape, and maybe also the stained fingers.

Later on our way to the bus Marios chats with a lady who then runs into a garden. Marios keeps us busy with talk about the culinary use of fig-cacti, and as we (well timed) turn the corner they have arranged a pavement shop with fresh oranges and lemons. The price is probably exorbitant, but we like to say thanks for the visit and most of us buy some. The oranges and lemons here are delicious.

A bit past 10 we continue towards the museum-village Fikardou. Here we'll have brunch. The houses are old and most of them uninhabited. Actually the village has but 5-6 inhabitants, but the ...