Magical Sunsets
Breathtaking Sunsets!
For me, there is one spectacular event that happens on our beloved Island of Cyprus which stands out from amongst the crowd of great occurrences and easily tops the list of “best-ofs.” People might think it would be a celebration of a romantic holiday, a festival of harvest or planting, a rare moon cycle or any number of periodically scheduled wonderments which are plentiful and provide a helping hand to make the Island of Cyprus – probably the best place on earth. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to favorites that each may have about this fantastic place to live or visit, but for me, it is the magical sunsets that take home the gold.
A View From A Different Kind of Top:
I have been blessed to view the setting of the sun at many locations in our world. I have spent time with Katerina, my love on the nearby Greek destinations of Santorini and Salonica as well as in many other countries around the globe but there is nothing comparable to capturing the sunset on the back of my horse galloping across the countryside.
Winston Churchill said it best when he stated that “there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Combining the ride with the extraordinarily timeless bond between all of nature, my horse, myself and the gently fading multi-colored sky is nothing short of breathtaking every time.
I have read where people have documented what they refer to as “out of body” experiences where they have glanced downward and seen themselves from above. I believe that if they shared only a single ride in my meadows beneath the power that fuels the universe as she slowly dances out of sight, they would be looking upward and calling it a win in a photo finish over what might be considered all other phenomena – be it natural or supernatural.
The fields I ride in today are those same ones I played in as a child with only the passing time added to the majesty. Anywhere I go I try to take video to share with the world the evening shades that I feel easily overshadow those locations most reputable for their glorious sunsets.
Let me be frank the sun is by no means prejudice when it comes to sharing the beauty of her fleeting grace and glory as she exits stage left from the sky over many countries – she is the star, and it is undoubtedly her show. Her reviews are spectacular from countless venues all over this planet, but like any of us she has her favorite, and it just happens to be here in Cyprus. I am sorry, I forgot my etiquette for a moment and should take time and apologize for that statement – I’m sorry the sun prefers Cyprus over everywhere else in the world when it comes to saying goodnight.
Sunsets – Like Turning Pages Through Time:
Sunsets in the Troodos Mountains, Ayia Napa, and surrounding countryside are among some of my earliest memories. Our family summer home in those grandest of all giants has always been a top memory-producer in my three-decade buried treasure chest of prized mental images. I remember gazing into the infinite power of the midday chariot ride above and sweating long beneath the flame until graciously those unseen stallions were urged to pull away from our world and allow us time to bask in the afterglow and slowly drink in the nourishment for our soul that only a stunning sunset can provide. As we travel back to those same locations we once saw through our innocent eyes almost everything seems smaller. Buildings and landmarks that used to appear as massive objects have been meticulously scaled down as we age and now we find the reality of the once overblown perception. The power of those fleeting pastels hovering above my head with too many colors to count and too much glory to gulp down all at once remain identical now as the man I have become sips just as slowly from the fantastically delicious flask of a clear mountain sunset.
I feel a broad sense of obligation to share sunsets more than most of the videos I take across the island. It might be because the feelings of completion which are stirred while watching the days come to an end. When we think of the immeasurable power that burns from our sun brightly overhead as we conduct our lives it makes sense that the conclusion of every 24-hour adventure in our lifetime, otherwise known as days, should end with a peaceful and delicate intimate farewell. If you think about it the day, the cycle of sunrise to sunset and daylight into the dark and the repetition of the routine are exact replicas of humanity with the exception being we are much smaller and more insignificant actors in this tremendous neverending collection of mini-series.
Whether it is a swim from my favorite spot in Sunrise Beach or just another drive to Nicosia from Larnaka where I spent the day windsurfing or sailing I always try and take along a photo of one of our magical sunsets.
There are a few places on my list where I have not had the chance to capture a sunset. Paphos, they say has an incredible display of day-ending splendor and Aphrodite’s Rock along with the famous shipwreck in Pegeia are prime areas of interest for me. I will take some video of these and many others to share with all of our friends and family of the Cyprus Project. I think it is an excellent tribute to how powerful the love is between the island the people when all of us are willing to pitch in and document the best things to do and places to see in our most sacred little corner of the world and pass them along for everyone to enjoy. Although the sunsets are dazzling and nothing short of breathtaking it very well may be the people who burn brightly enough to make the Island of Cyprus – Probably the best place on earth.
