Day 10 and Lofou-Trimiklini

Our last full day in Cyprus blessed us with a brilliant sunny day, blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Johnny hit the computer early to get Gin's Latitude card working and while he did, Britt and I did a half pack and clothes wash. The sun was beaming so we felt sure that everything would dry very quickly for our packing.

Johnny showed us the drone footage he had shot of Trimiklini and it was brilliant. We had a Greek coffee in the sunshine of the front yard. 

After breakfast that included some freshly squeezed orange juice from Dad's Morphou oranges, we took a long, exploratory walk around Trimiklini, but this time, taking the laneways up behind the house. These led us up very high to where the large houses lined the roads and there were soaring views into the distance. This was a side of the village we had never seen before. We found a couple of sad abandoned houses that needed someone to adopt them as we had Trimiklini house. The family's photos still hung on the walls, as if waiting for those faces to return. There was also a tiny museum of the life and history of Trimiklini, but sadly it was closed. We will make a point of seeing it next time we visit. 

We stopped to talk to an elderly neighbour, Nitsa and introduced myself as Lefky's daughter. She knew the family and that we had restored the house. She was very welcoming and hoped we would visit again. At the end of our walk and nearly home we met an elderly man, George who smiled at us, so again, I introduced myself. This was the beginning of another welcoming conversation. Yes, he knew Mum, but he especially knew Aunty Mary and Helen. He was from Melbourne (Sunshine) and had spent 17 years there. He had really felt the cold in the last few days.  

We set off for Xenia's to pick up a jacket I had left there on my last visit. We stayed for coffee and soon all sorts of cakes and savouries filled the table. Toulla had also dropped in to see us off. It was a lovely interlude before we set off for Lofou. 

Lofou was on the hill that you can see from the end of the street that ends at the Trimiklini church. It took little time to get there. When we first arrived there didn't seem much to the village, but there was a killer view that took in the salt lakes of Larnaca, a lake and even the distant coastline. 

We parked the car and took one of the alleyways that snaked through the village. It was then that a substantial community revealed itself. So many stone houses were beautifully preserved and there were traditional houses that were being let as holiday rentals. This was not a tourist tat town. Instead, it was just a beautiful slice of preserved history. We found a small museum based on the local olive industry and toured the local church. 

Not being tourist season, most of the restaurants were closed, but we chanced on one that turned out to be a gem. By the time we found it, we were ready for lunch but hoped they had something snacky. Britt and I had a spicy Cyprian sausage in a pita, served with salad. Johnny had halloumi that had been rolled in a pastry, then fried and served with carob syrup and sesame. We had beers with this. sitting under the dappled light of the trees, at the side of a golden cobbled street... it was a wonderful interlude. When we paid, the lovely young woman who ran the restaurant seemed disappointed that we were not having coffee, but she insisted we have cake. She arrived with a huge slab of moist and gooey chocolate cake that she had made first thing that morning. This was a gift from her.

Britt fell in love with Lofou, its beauty and serenity. I think she may return to Lofou with Wil. We set off for home, but not before one last look across the valley from a high vantage point, where we could see Trimklini as a tiny collection of houses in the distance, the salt lakes of Larnaca and even a glimpse of the distant coastline.

We stopped at Sigma to buy a supply of flaoones to take to Portugal and then went home to dust, vacuum, sweep and water everything in sight at the house. We wanted to leave it, just as we had found it beautiful and welcoming.