Visiting Cyprus made some of my high school and freshman year dreams come true. After all the time I spent studying Greek mythology in those years was worth it as we wandered through ruins of Aphrodite’s temple on a hill; the mosaics of Theseus, Dionysus, and Leda (the best preserved mosaics in Cyprus and some in Greece, too); and stood above the place of Aphrodite’s birth.
My poor friends heard me ramble on and on about different stories as we wandered around the little island, but hopefully the stories were more interesting than boring.
Cyprus is not Greece, but it is well-known for being where Leda was living when Zeus came down from Mount Olympus as a swan and *ahem*… Well, everyone knows the story, and if you don’t, Yeats has a poem about it. (The poem is still pretty vague, but just Google it, okay?) This is a family blog here!
Cyprus is also where Aphrodite was born, of course, since we saw the rock where she arose out of the foam of the sea. She’s known to be Zeus’s and Dione’s (earth/mother goddess) daughter, but more likely, she was born literally of the foam of the sea that was formed when Cronus (Zeus’s father) threw his own father’s, Uranus, [censored] into the sea after killing him.
On second thought, Greek mythology is quite violent and indelicate, so we’ll move on.
First of all, it was a consistent 70 degrees Farenheit or above the whole time we were there which was amazing. It did pour rain one day, but we’ll get to that.
Aside from all the Greek mythology stories and ruins we wandered through, we saw catacombs (pictured below) of ancient leaders and we also drove into the mountains to see a few monasteries that came highly recommended from the internet, guide books, and the rental car guy.
Now, you might be thinking, Drove? Rental Car guy? Jews at a monastery? Emily, forget the gross mythology stories and tell us these stories, instead!
Now, in Cyprus, due to British occupation or possibly because swordsmen preferred to ride on the left so they could sword fight with their right hands (who knows where that rumor came from), they drive on the left side of the road. When we decided to rent a car, I became the person who would drive. After a few long conversations with my dad, my roommates, and my anxiety, I decided it would be an adventure and an interesting story to tell.
So, when we landed in Cyprus, we headed off to Enterprise to rent a car where there was not only a very helpful rental car guy but also an adorable kitten that immediately enchanted my friends (Roy, Jenna, and Will) while I hammered out all the details of the car. The rental car guy also gave us recommendations for food, places to visit, and places to see – like monasteries in the mountains!
First of all, to assuage everyone’s fears, driving on the left was actually not as hard as I thought it would be, despite my anxiety shooting through the roof every time we got in the car. There were no accidents, no times I drove on the right by accident, and I’m pretty sure everyone in the car felt safe the whole time (but you’d have to ask them) – and I call this a resounding success.
Now, Jews in a monastery sounds like a punchline to a joke, but let me assure you, it might be, but it’s not here.
Our first monastery was Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery (say that five times fast!) right at the edge of Paphos Forest. It’s about an hour from the beach. This monastery was beautiful and had a stunning view of the valleys we had just driven through. The church is Greek Orthodox, of course, and is absolutely beautiful stunning.
The second monastery was Kykkos Monastery which is the monastery to see while in Cyprus. At first, I was a little worried it wouldn’t be worth the 90 minute drive farther up into the mountains, but I was wrong. Kykkos is absolutely beautiful. From the bells on the hill, to the art on every doorway, the long corridors that you could probably get lost in if not for the useful signage, to the beautiful stone work on every building and tower, this monastery is definitely worth visiting.
On the way down the mountain, we encountered fog, pouring rain, and even hail. It was an adventure that, if nothing else, is a funny story to share.
As it was Thanksgiving while we there, I made my friends go around our Thanksgiving dinner table (which was delicious curry at an Indian restaurant) and say what they were thankful for in the true Bernstein Thanksgiving tradition. No one cried like we do consistently at the Bernstein house when we do this, but it was still nice.
Now, please enjoy my photos, since I’ve now rambled on for too long.
Until next time, שׁלום.
