Cyprus 2013 (Winter)

We love Cyprus.  There's not many places where you can go skiing in the morning and swimming in crystal clear Mediterranean waters in the afternoon.  We based ourselves in a small stone village called Lofou. It is listed by UNESCO as an architecturally important village.  Not long ago, it was all but abandoned.  However, recently, villagers have started returning and restoring the homes in keeping with the original character.  Lofou is situated in the heart of the wine making region - which also made us happy.  The kids loved exploring the labyrinth of cobbled, traffic-free streets.  The people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. By way of example, after chatting with the owner of our rented house for about 30 minutes, he (Xenios) insisted that we spend Christmas lunch with his family in Limassol.

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Highlights in Cyprus included: exploring the beaches, collecting walnuts and almonds each morning, fun in the snow on Mount Olympos (Troodos Mountains), eating at local tavernas, and walking country paths.  One adventure that we all thoroughly enjoyed was a two-day horse ride into the Paphos mountains.  The days were spent on horseback riding through 1,000 year old olive and carob groves.  We stayed overnight in a very comfortable and warm yurt. A great country - highly recommended.

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