This morning we are sailing to Palma de Mallorca, our last port before disembarkation in Barcelona.  I am now even further behind in blogging because the ship's wifi has been totally uncooperative for the past two days.  So I am sure I will still be catching up after we are home in Tucson.


Limassol, Cypress
Tuesday, 14 November 2017


This is my first visit to the divided island nation of Cyprus, with the only still-remaining divided capital city, Nicosia.  We are not visiting Nicosia, on the Greek-Turkish demarcation line, because it is well inland from the coastal port of Limassol where we are docked this morning.


Our bus tour takes us through the cultivated landscape of west central Cyprus, long a strong-hold of the British, with active military bases.  But we are soon in more hard-scrabble country as we  reach the coast, and the supposed site of the mythical rise of Aphrodite from the sea (see the famous Botticelli painting):

It is not far to the city of Paphos, with its combination of post-modern shopping centers and pre Greco-Roman ruins, including the excavated "Royal" tombs, so named not because of who was buried here, but because even the most ordinary citizen required a much-decorated and ornate final resting place.

Paphos City Shopping Mall


Royal Tombs



Oceania Employee Emerging Unscathed from a Tomb

The major attraction in Paphos is the archeological sits, containing a variety of ruins remaining from the Greeks and Romans, and a glorious modern building housing the extraordinary collection of original mosaics.  One could spend hours and take countless photos here, but I will offer only a few.  These photos are unedited and do not yet show the most vibrant colors. . .use your imagination.

Entrance to Paphos Archaeological Site

Diagram of Building Containing Mosaics

Grounds of Paphos Archaeological Site

Anita and Will Stop for Coffee-Break in Paphos

We are back on the Marina in time for a late lunch and a relaxing afternoon, before our ship sails to the next port, Rhodes.