So apparently I have a photograph published in the Cyprus Weekly. I haven't seen it yet (well I have seen the photograph of course but not the paper!) but it is the one above. Sometime before Christmas I saw that the Cyprus Weekly had a competition called My Cyprus and I entered this picture which was taken on the Beach at Argaka in November and the chair was just there - I hadn't planted it. Apparently there were several photographs published to remind people about the competition which finishes at the end of March. I am busy looking through all my photographs to see if there are any others that might be suitable and with that in mind our trip on the bike yesterday was an opportunity to take some more shots.
I make no apology for filling the rest of the blog with a selection of the photographs that I took as we explored the area around the village on our bike - without the need for jumpers or coats! Everything is looking green and lush - a bit too lush in places as there was a great deal of water running off the fields and streams and rivers that we have never seen before.
As you head out of the village to the West and Lara Bay it is only a very short distance before buildings become few and far between - there is a lot of farming land, vineyards and goat farms and a wonderful view of the sea beyond. You can drive cross country to the turtle bays but you can see that the Romans never built that road as it twists and turns at every opportunity.
Droushia is quite renowned for good rock climbing opportunities apparently and there are some fascinating stony outcrops dotted around the landscape. I think this one is the rather unimaginatively named Droushia Crag but more information about rock climbing in Cyprus can be gained from this website http://www.cyprusrocks.eu/ if anyone is interested.
There are some absolutely stunning wild flowers beginning to bloom - although I reckon we were a week or so early to see them at their best.
Somewhere I have got a fauna and flora book for Cyprus so that I can identify what I see and cross them off - I had never realised just how beautiful and varied the wild flowers are but I guess we haven't been on the island at this time of year before or had the time to really check them out properly.
Our travels took us through fields that, were it not for the snow-capped Troodos in the distance, could pass for the Yorkshire Dales apparently! John was feeling right at home!
I never cease to wonder at the views across to Chryochous Bay and must have dozens of photographs taken in all weathers. I took this on the road out of Pittokopos, which was probably a deserted Turkish village but now sports a very smart complex of new houses - most of which are empty - I cant find much information on Pittikopos except for this which will be a great comfort to those who have bought one of the new houses: Pittokopos can have destructive earthquakes (on average one every 50 years), with occurances at >7 Richter. When a strong earthquake occurs, damage will be slight in specially designed structures but considerable in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. Heavy furniture is moved. Poorly built structures will be demolished. There is a very low occurence of periods with extreme drought.
We could see a road winding its way back to the village but couldn't work out exactly how to get to it so John dropped me off and set off on the bike to investigate. From where I was waiting I could hear the sound of running water and could see down in a ravine a real 'bubbling brook' dotted at intervals with little waterfalls. I really wanted to scramble down to take some photographs but I didn't have the right shoes on and we had left it a bit late really so it was good that when we eventually found the right road it passed by the brook making its way down the hill.
I make no apology for filling the rest of the blog with a selection of the photographs that I took as we explored the area around the village on our bike - without the need for jumpers or coats! Everything is looking green and lush - a bit too lush in places as there was a great deal of water running off the fields and streams and rivers that we have never seen before.
As you head out of the village to the West and Lara Bay it is only a very short distance before buildings become few and far between - there is a lot of farming land, vineyards and goat farms and a wonderful view of the sea beyond. You can drive cross country to the turtle bays but you can see that the Romans never built that road as it twists and turns at every opportunity.
There are some absolutely stunning wild flowers beginning to bloom - although I reckon we were a week or so early to see them at their best. Somewhere I have got a fauna and flora book for Cyprus so that I can identify what I see and cross them off - I had never realised just how beautiful and varied the wild flowers are but I guess we haven't been on the island at this time of year before or had the time to really check them out properly.
Our travels took us through fields that, were it not for the snow-capped Troodos in the distance, could pass for the Yorkshire Dales apparently! John was feeling right at home!
We could see a road winding its way back to the village but couldn't work out exactly how to get to it so John dropped me off and set off on the bike to investigate. From where I was waiting I could hear the sound of running water and could see down in a ravine a real 'bubbling brook' dotted at intervals with little waterfalls. I really wanted to scramble down to take some photographs but I didn't have the right shoes on and we had left it a bit late really so it was good that when we eventually found the right road it passed by the brook making its way down the hill.We followed the road all the way up the hill to O Stathmos and realised that it would be a great walk to do in reverse providing there was a car at the end to bring us back up the hill. If the weather is kind to us when Vix is over then it would give her the chance to see some stunning countryside.
stunning photography !
ReplyDeleteIf we get a dry day next week you can see it first hand xx
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