The Birthplace of Aphrodite, Cyprus

They say that Aphrodite was born from the purest white foam of the sea, swept ashore by Zephyr’s gentle breeze. It is easy to forgive the naivety of the ancient Greeks, attributing the origin of this myth to a mere poetic inclination, but not until one sees the vast expanse of endless azure of the Mediterranean sea, teasingly changing colour from the lightest of blue to the darkest of green, feels the tender warmth of the soft wind caressing lightly the skin and wonders at the playful purity of the white foamy waves, curvaceously stretching along the Cypriot coast, that something steers deep inside the soul making the Aphrodite myth sound true.

We were lucky to have our summer holiday hotel, right on top of the hill overlooking the birth place of the goddess of love – the Aphrodite Hills.

The view was splendid… By day, an endless sea blue, barely distinguishing the line of the horizon. By evening, long and leisurely stretching shades of a dying sunset, bathing the scenery in passionate orange, deepest of pink, uncompromising red and conquering purple. By night, an open invitation to dive deep into a starry sky, gazing in mystified glee the endless folds of the universe.

The food was surprisingly delicious… The Cypriot cuisine is a mixture of tastes combining Greek, Turkish, Middle East and Mediterranean flavors. One can hardly imagine spicing roasted potatoes with dusted cinnamon, but next to a hive-domed oven baked lamb, they taste simply delicious. My favourite dish however is a tender beef stew, every mouthful a seasoned perfection, served with a side dish of Village salad made of feta, tomatoes and cucumber, mint, coriander and celery leaves drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Simply divine.

The holiday was an unforgettable adventure… We played in the pool, we collected colourful stones on the seashore, we admired the sophisticated intricacy of the ancient archeological marble floors, we sung earthshaking spirituals echoing the radio music in the car, we zigzagged the mountains up to the gold-glittering Kikkos monastery, had a coffee in the hidden shades of local village bars on our way to Paphos.

A holiday to remember. A land to visit. Delicious food to discover. Cyprus awaits.

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