I’m “forced” to come back to the previous post, as I would like to be fair to the orchids and other flowers which graced my day with their presence, in yet another great, uphill-downhill-dressed-in-cloud-and-mist hike, this time above the village of Lápithos/Lapta. *************** A bit of background history first: Lápithos is one of Cyprus’ largest … More No27b. Orchiduary [The Sequel]
O-rchi-du-a-ry [noun]: * a) The name given to the month of the year when Cypriot Orchids typically blossom. eg. January, February, Orchiduary… etc. b) The name given to the obituary of an Orchid following the completion of its blossoming period, eg. “Oh, the Daisies read a very touching orchiduary at the Orchids’ funeral yesterday“, said … More No27. Orchiduary
Little did the Lusignan Kings imagine, when they were expanding and reinforcing the 3 Byzantine fortifications on the Pentadaktylos/Besparmak mountain range in the 13th century, that these sites would become one of the island’s most magical places to visit a few centuries later. Regardless that the Venetians neglected or destroyed much of them. The castles … More No23. Three in a row
Actually… not just a few! Tens of them! [They just require a bit of searching to find them. As usual.] I have only seen the Orchis Italica flower while hiking in the northern part of Cyprus during springtime. The flower gets its Naked Man Orchid alias from its obvious appearance. Looking at it more closely, … More No16. A few good (naked) men
– Well, that’s what the name suggests! Penta-dáktylos = (with) five fingers. – Yes, but are they REALLY just five? – Well, if you look at it from the south side, they seem as if they are five. – Yes, but are they REALLY ONLY FIVE? – Weeeeellll…. after 5.5 hours of climbing with bare … More No15. Is it really just 5?
Yes, it does! With its height of 1952 meters, the Troodos (pronounced Tró-o-dos) mountain range receives the majority of snow flakes falling on the island between December and March*, with the Pentadaktylos/Besparmak range (of 1024 meters height) receiving a sprinkle (that melts usually within 2 days) if the conditions are right. Chionístra or Ólympos are … More No12. FAQ: Does it snow in Cyprus?
You've Got: Cyprus! 