Drouseian Day Out - final leg...

So we finished our meal at Mylos in Gialia and made our way further up into the forest for a bit of sightseeing - somewhere I had seen on the internet but hadn't actually visited myself (except for a quick recce the other day to see if I was able to drive to it!).

John had brought his selfie stick on tour and because I had traversed one of the speed humps in Argaka a bit quickly causing the boys to bounce in the back (This is not a reference to Sheffield Wednesday by the way) they decided to take the mickey out of my driving.  As I like to point out a second class ride is sometimes preferable to a first class ride.

Our destination was the ruins of a Georgian Monastery which are protected by a massive overhead structure and which are located in the forest in the middle of nowhere - accessible by car - even a tourist car in summer - not so sure in Winter as the road may well get a bit washed away if it has rained hard.

This is a ruined medieval Georgian Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Golden Virgin Mary of Gialia (Ιερά Μονή Παναγίας Χρυσογιαλιώτισσας, Panayia Chrysogialiotissa).  

It is located five kilometers from the coast and the ruins were identified in 1981 but it was not until 2006 that a systematic archaeological research followed after the Georgian and Cypriot governments agreed to jointly investigate the ruins. The investigation found evidence that the monastery was commissioned in the late tenth century by the Georgian King David II Kuropalates.  Ancient Georgian sources report that it was in Georgian ownership until the fourteenth century and graves and other items uncovered indicate that it was in use between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.  It was reportedly plundered and destroyed in the sixteenth century appears to have been in use as recently as 1935 until final destruction by an earthquake in 1953.

Our final stop of the day was to introduce John, Di and Rob to Val's Place.  I had been to this quirky bohemian watering hole previously with Elena when we had time to kill between taking Rabia to football and starting belly-dancing.  To be honest it had been so lovely there we had toyed with the idea of skipping belly-dancing all together!

I had planned to take Di and Rob there after Rob's birthday meal but we didn't make it - there is live music there on a Friday and I know how he loves his live music.

Val's place is a ramshackle, thrown together establishment which clings to the side of the hill and has a view out to sea.  It is made up of a series of seating areas most of which are occupied by the resident colony of taverna cats!

The owners are Cypriot, speak little English and make you feel immediately welcome.  They apparently serve good organic food and smoothies along with alcohol and coffees and brought a plate of fruit to accompany our drinks.

We were the only people in there at the time and were chuffed to bits when the son (we think it was the son) entertained us by playing his guitar and singing some of his own songs which were a blend of Cypriot folk with a Spanish sound and feel.

It was one of those sort of magic moments when everything comes together, lovely people, lovely view and lovely music.  A local fisherman from Pomos came in and instantly wanted to chat and kindly bought a beer for the boys which was drunk watching the sun slip down below the amassing clouds.  What a glorious end to the day made even more glorious when Val and her son refused payment for the rounds of drinks.  They said we had come as strangers but must leave as friends.  We shall be returning and soon (before the nights get too chilly to enjoy the surroundings).