Welcome to another adventure as we travel back through the rich history of the island I love. There are many great sites which surround my home from the time known as The Middle Ages or Medieval Era. I have memories from childhood and still enjoy many of the most popular masterpieces which are scattered across the land like masterpieces upon a mural. Splashes of life in stone upon the canvas of life which tell countless stories from the many centuries past. These most precious and sacred places are a vital part of unlocking the wonderful secrets that help to make The Island of Cyprus “slogan.”
The Famagusta Gate, the Nicosia Venetian Walls, Stavrovouni Monastery, and the Byzantine churches in the Troodos Mountains have brought me many special memories starting many years back in my childhood, and these special places still whisper to me after three decades with the same sweet views and breathtaking character. As Omorfos, the man I gather with friends at the restaurants and bars near the Famagusta Gate.
My dogs travel with me to the area by the Nicosia Venetian Walls where many others bring their pets to socialize. Maybe it is the animal lover in me, but my dogs seem to bask in the history, and I feel confident they understand the significance along with the others as they play together. It is my hope that someday when I have children, and I am old enough to have grandchildren I will take them in my car and share the thrill of the winding roads on the way to the Stavrovouni Monastery. Now that the Saint Hilarion Castle, Buffavento Castle, and Kantara Castle are in the open territory all children can savor their splendor as well.
I should probably apologize for dwelling on the beauty of the present day and keep my dreams for the future to myself since we are going to travel back hundreds of years into a time of war and suffering. If we fail to notice the beauty which has come out of those blemishes of old, then we can never fully appreciate the character of the island. Please take my hand and let us walk together through the fields of yesteryears where these seeds of splendor were planted deeply in the ground, the hearts, the minds, the souls of all Cyprus.
Let us begin our journey and hope we do not get stuck in the middle ages.