Cyprus 2014 By John Carter, Duncan Burlton, Sarah Weild, David Bennet and Linda Searle.

After a comfortable flight we arrived at Paphos where we were met by a mini bus which took us on a lovely route to our Hotel. The driver was very nice and helpful, pointing out various places of interest on the way. When we arrived at the Hotel we went to our rooms and unpacked, had a wash and brush up and then it was time to go for a drink before dinner. After dinner we were all so tired that one by one we decided to go off to bed and not wait for the evening entertainment to start at 10 pm. Wednesday After a lovely breakfast buffet we decided to sun ourselves by the pool for a while. It was hot and sunny so we did not stay to long for fear of burning ourselves on the first day. David joined a group of people playing darts and won so he had a certificate presented. After a nice cool drink on the terrace we went for a walk to the shops. Just outside the hotel was a strip of gift shops and the usual beach things, interspersed with a variety of eateries. We had lunch in a nice little tavern before a further bit of shopping then heading back to the hotel for a cup of tea. After dinner we played bingo and Linda won a line. Then there was a quiz but most people had headed off to bed so we did not bother to take part. Thursday Another lovely sunny day so we decided to head for Paphos Harbour on the bus. There were lots of boats in the harbour . we had lunch on the front. The views were lovely. We went for a walk along the harbour to see the castle and the mosaics. Some of our group did not want to walk any more but the reat of us saw the remains of Thesus’ palace and several other buildings. We went back to the hotel on the bus and got changed for dinner. The buffets here are very good. They have lots of different themes and tonight it was tex mex. After dinner we played bingo again and then another quiz. Most of us gave that a miss. Friday On Friday we decided to go to the beach. We had a tremendous thunder storm so we had a drink at the hotel while it went over. David played darts and he won again!! We then went down to the beach where we spent some time sunning ourselves and relaxing. There was a little snack place there so we had pitta pockets filled with a variety of things. After dinner and another game of bingo there was a karaoke night but no one wanted to sing. Saturday We decided to hire a car as Sarah and John were having difficulty walking although we never went far. We went up into the mountains to Troodos. Which is a very high point. It was very cold up there and we were glad to find somewhere with a heater for lunch. It was a super drive and we all enjoyed the views and learning about the various plants and trees there. Some of us had never seen an orange growing on a tree and as they wont be ripe till February so they were green not orange. The views on the way down were amazing as t was a lovely clear , sunny day. After dinner we played bingo and then there was a group of Cypriot dancers. They were very clever and energetic. One of the men had people put glasses on his head and then he danced. By the time he had finished he had a pile of about 15 glasses. Then they called members of the audience to join them and Duncan , David, Sarah,and Linda went up to dance. It was a good fun evening for everyone. Sunday Today we went to the village of Agios Georgios which is a very pretty little place with a lovely church in the middle of the square. We had a look in the church and exp[ored the village before setting off across the hills to Aphrodites bath. There was a nicely made garden to walk through to the bath. We had lunch I a nice little place before setting off on the winding road back to the hotel, After dinner we had no bingo which was disappointing. There was a casino night and people were playing games for prizes. We watched for a while but it was very complicated so we did not play. Monday When we woke on Monday the sun was shining and it looked like it would be a wonderful day. We decided to spend some time by the pool and David went off to play darts again. When he had finished, and won again. We went to a winery which was owned by a local family who grew there grapes on the hills around.. We looked around the museum and then we spent some time tasting all the wines they had and buying some. Back to the hotel for dinner and another presentation of certificate for David. We then had another game of bingo before retiring early as we have a long journey tomorrow. Tuesday After breakfast it was packing and taking our cases to the luggage room. Time for a drink before setting off to the airport. A bit of a bumpy ride home as there was a lot of turbulence. Time to say goodbye to our new friends and hope to see them again soon