From Cyprus to Austria – a diary! We left Cyprus on the ferry on the 21st, and it was as chaotic as when we arrived. This time we were loaded onto the middle deck, which meant hot, not enough ventilation and very, very noisy. It was a very pleasant night, and we arrived fresh and …
We had crossed the border into Northern Cyprus again and headed to Girne, the port from where we will leave again, to get our tickets sorted. Beside of that, we visited the lovely harbour town with a big castle and an Abbey ruin close by. Girne Castle at the east end of the old harbour …
We were still exploring the coast, spending a day at the remote Lara Beach, but finally had enough of the heat and drove into the mountains, hoping for at least cool nights. We came past the shipwreck of Edro III. In 2011, the Sierra Leone-flagged ship ran aground during heavy seas, while on a voyage from Limassol to …
There are many archaeological sites in Cyprus, and we normally love to explore them, but with the heat we left most of them for maybe another visit to Cyprus. The site of Kato Paphos was the one we decided to visit anyway, so we went there in the morning, which didn’t help much concerning the …
After crossing the border, the first thing we did, was stop at a Lidl supermarket. We were again shocked by the prices. Germans we met there, confirmed, that the prices are 20% above the prices of a German Lidl. Very strange. The second activity was to get a SIM card. Cyprus might be included in …
Still in the northern part of Cyprus, we reached Varosha, a suburb of Famagusta. It was once the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus. Many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed in the area. Between 1970 and 1974, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and was a favourite for celebrities …
We know that Cyprus is not really on the way home, more like a little detour, but we decided to spend some time here, having a summer holiday, before we would return to Austria. Nearly 3 years ago, we were already at the harbour of Tasucu, with a ticket for the ferry in hand, but …
From Ihlara, we drove past Aksaray, where we went to the Sunday market and a great bakery. Further south, we stopped at something which looked like a volcano from the road. Finally, we reached the Meke Gölü, a crater lake, or for the moment a crater without a lake. At Meke Gölü, a lake was …
From Songali, we took minor roads in the direction of Güzelyurt and the Kizil Kilise, the Red Church, which was a beautiful drive. The Red Church, built in the 6th century, stands alone in the landscape and reminded us a bit of the churches in Armenia. The red stone in the green landscape was a …
On our way to Soganli, we did some shopping in Ortahisar, where we also climbed the 90-metre-high rock-castle in the centre of the town, an extraordinary example of the rock-cut architecture typical of the region. The rock-castle has served as a refuge from attackers in Byzantine times and the climb was an interesting experience, which rewarded …
