April 4^th

Limassol, Cyprus

We docked at the new cruise Terminal in Limassol, and were off the ship by just after 8:00 AM. Again, the terminal does not have an elevated walkway, so we had to disembark from deck 1. The terminal itself was very nice, with free wifi so that is a plus.

Cunard provided free shuttle buses to the center of Limassol as the port is quite a way out of town. Costa Victoria was there too (she seems to be following us, or maybe we are following her), but even with passengers getting off both ships to head out on tours, the shuttle bus, or the hop on hop off bus, everything was well organized. Well that was except for our tour. Brian and I, and our companions Pam, Larry, and Pauline waited and waited, but there was no sign of our guide. We called the tour company and were reassured that he would be there soon. He wasn’t. Finally we were told that he was there, but could not find a parking space in the parking lot. Well, there was plenty of space, so it wasn’t a good start to the tour.

However, as soon as we met our guide Jimmy, and piled into his Land Rover we felt much better about things. Seating in the Land Rover was a bit of a challenge for the 5 of us. It had one seat in the front and 2 in the middle. Those were the good seats. The other seats were bench seats in the back. To access them you had to climb up into the back of the Land Rover, which wasn’t that easy, and then you had to share your leg room with the cooler. Having achieved that, the next challenge was to try to adjust the seat belts. The buckles had totally rusted making any changes almost impossible. Oh well, we had to hope he was a safe driver, and off we went.

Our first stop was at the picturesque village of Omodos where we had time to wander around the shops, and buy the local olive oil. The nearby Monastery of the Holy Cross is said to have a fragment of the True Cross so we had to go and see that, it also has a piece of Philip the Apostle’s skull. As someone who is fascinated by Holy Relics the visit was a great success.

Next we stopped by an old Venetian Bridge, which is in a lovely quiet valley, and looked like the perfect picnic spot.

I don’t think that Cyprus is known for it’s wines, and the vineyards we passed didn’t look too healthy, but we then stopped off at the Nelion Winery for a tasting. I must say the wines were actually very good, and we ended up making a purchase before heading off on the long and winding road up through the mountains and forests to the Byzantine Monastery.

As we headed up a particularly steep and winding road, the back door of the Land Rover swung open, and Pauline nearly fell out. The lack of functional seat belts in the back of the vehicle clearly was a problem, but there was nothing to be done about it so off we headed again.

The road is not recommended if you get car sick (as does Pauline, she was not having a good day), and we were concerned by the squeaking of the breaks, but we all made it safely to the top of the mountain, and the beautiful little village where the monastery and church are situated.

The church was lovely, with lots of frescoes and icons, but the best part about the village was the ultimate infinity edged pool we saw. I want one of those at home!

By then it was pouring with rain and Brian who was sitting in the front seat was getting wet as there was a leak in the roof. Still, the windscreen wipers did work, and we made our way up more mountains, forests, and dangerous roads to Louis Restaurant in Prodromos for lunch.

There was a fire going inside the restaurant so we were able to dry off and get warm again, and we had a wonderful meal. Greek chips are the best in the world, and the lamb and grilled halloumi cheese were delicious.

Time was fleeting as it was already past 3:00 PM and I had been hoping to get back to the ship by 4:30 and it was apparently over an hours drive back to Limassol in good weather, longer during torrential downpours. All aboard time was 5:00, and we have come to realize that this ship waits for no one.

On our drive to the port Jimmy kept us entertained telling us all about the history and ongoing conflicts in Cyprus, but I do wish he was keeping a closer watch on the road in front of him.

Finally we reached Limassol, and stopped off to check out a handicraft shop there. At 4:35 we were still there and I was getting somewhat anxious. We finally headed to the port, but the traffic was very heavy and I was getting concerned that we were indeed going to miss the boat.

We arrived in the car park at 4:51, phew. The security people at the terminal rushed us through, and we were encouraged to make our way swiftly to the gangway. I was so pleased to be back on board – with minutes to spare!

We settled in on our balcony to watch the sail away – but nothing seemed to be happening. Then Captain Hashmi made the announcement that we had to disembark a medically ill passenger so there would be a delay in our departure. I felt sorry for the passenger – but with 2 sea days ahead I am sure that this was for the best. It is interesting, however, how so many medical disembarkations happen just as we are about to leave the port.

Limassol is not one of the most beautiful ports in the world, but it was a lovely sunny evening, and with the cloud covered mountains in the background, it was actually a very pleasant sight. It was also great to be down at sea level again and dry after our very cold experience in the mountains.

We were just our usual 6 for dinner again. Once more we had lost Geoff and Heather.

The meal was good as usual and we all headed off to the show together. It was Appassionata. I think this must be the longest running show in Cunard History – it seems that every time we have been on board Queen Mary 2 they have it. However, with the current dance troupe and singers it was really excellent, better than when we had seen it previously. We all enjoyed it. I do love the production shows! They are a perfect way to end another good day on Queen Mary 2.