Afternoon at Agros village, Pitsilia area, Limassol

Afternoon at Agros village

Driving around the mountains of Pitsilia area is always a pleasure. So many beautiful villages were you can have a great time!

Nature, history and culture all meet together. It was such a nice day last Tuesday and we decided to spend the day exploring more of the beautiful area of Pitsilia.

In the afternoon we decided to go for a coffee at Agros village. Agros, with a population of around 800 people is one of the biggest villages of the area and of course one can find many nice cafeterias and restaurants.

The time was perfect once we arrived at Agros as the sun was about to set and the orange colors in the sky made the scenery very rustic and nostalgic!

Holy Relics of Saint George Tropeoforos

Holy Relics of Saint George Tropeoforos

Saint George is one of the most well known and most celebrated Saints of Christianity.

A few days ago while we were in Pafos we've heard that his "Kara" (Scull bones) would be exhibited to the Monastery of "Panagia Salamiotissa" at Salamiou village.

Thus we did not miss the chance to visit the Monastery and see the Holy Relics.

Saint George called "Tropeoforos" was a Christian who served in the army under the Byzantine Emperor Dioklitianos (Diocletian)  around 300 A.C. He managed quickly to rise in the ranks of the military and became one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers.  After Dioklitianos  turned against Christians, Saint George revealed his Christian faith and was arrested and tortured until his death. His memory is celebrated on April 23.

The Church of "Panagia Faneromeni" at Nicosia

The Church of "Panagia Faneromeni" at Nicosia

The Church of Panagia Faneromeni in Nicosia is one of the must visit places within the city walls.

It's history dates back centuries ago but the Church was rebuild and renovated many times mainly due to the damages from the conquerors that passed from Cyprus.

The original icon of Holy Mother-Faneromeni dates back to the 14th century! The name Faneromeni means "the one who appeared".The icon is on public display only on important celebrations.

Very few wall paintings can be found inside and they date back to 1929. The wooden temple though is much older dating back to the 18th-19th century and some of the icons are from the 16th century.

The Church is open every day for visitors. It still operates though normally as a place of worship and one can watch a service whenever there is one.

The abandoned Verengaria Hotel at Prodromos village, Limassol

The abandoned Verengaria Hotel at Prodromos

A visit at Prodromos village is not complete without passing by the famous abandoned hotel of Verengaria!

Prodromos village which located at Troodos mountains is a very popular destination specially in the summer time due to its good climate.

The Verengaria hotel was built at the early 20th century and soon became famous around the middle east! It was a truly a unique hotel with top of the class facilities and service which along with its architecture and location boosted its fame.

The hotel had a night club, huge dinning rooms, playgrounds, casino, bars and other extras which added to its success as it was a pioneer for that time.

Its famous guests like Pharouk, the King of Egypt and Ezer Vaisman president of Israel along with the elite of the business and show world of the time, gave the hotel the nickname "Hotel of Kings"!

The name Verengaria on the other hand was the name of the queen of Navarre(Berengaria), and wife of Richard the Lionheart, King of England. They got married in Cyprus on May 12, 1191.

Verengaria's management the next decades did not manage to keep its glory and for various reasons the hotel closed down. Despite the interest form various parties to restore the hotel the past years nothing has been done.

Today the Verengaria is an attraction for locals and tourists all year round.

The 16th Issue of our E-magazine

Click to view Secret Cyprus Travel - Issue 16 on SLIPP.IT

Autumn mountain view, Saranti village, Pitsilia area, Nicosia

Autumn mountain view

It was the last weekend of September and we decided to take a short trip to the mountains.

We passed from the Xyliatos dam on our way to Saranti village. The clouds above us were the first sign that the weather was changing from summer to autumn. The temperature was already significantly lower than in Nicosia.

As we reached the beautiful village of Saranti the scenery was getting better and better. We parked the car and continued on foot for a short tour around the village.

The autumn colors of brown, red and yellow were already mixing with the green making the view from where we stood simply amazing!

What a nice way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon!