Week Three in Europe

All but Sheila again!

Me, Jörn, Katie, Rob and Elisabeth

Sheila did get ice cream, but she had to leave in a hurry to help at Children's Theater.

Sunday morning, September 22, Sheila left early to go for a run and I left for a walk to and along the sea front. It's just a bit over a half mile to get to the beach, but the way is not straight. Larnaka's streets are not laid out in a nice neat grid so though we have never gotten lost, we have been a tad bewildered at times. On this morning I would walk to the sea front, then along the beach and promenade, but return through streets behind the hotels so I would be in more shade on the way back.

The walkway by the Police Headquarters.

Through the arch and just beyond the trees is the Marina.

A sign near the Marina advertising the Larnaka Run on my birthday!

Sheila plans to run in the 10 K, and Helen and Elisabeth in the 5 K.

From this point I turned south to walk along the beach.

A reminder of the war in Ukraine.

When we were here in May of 2022, just a few months after the invasion of Ukraine, there were reminders in this same spot in honor of Ukraine. Cyprus is so close to much of the world's notable conflicts. It is just a few miles across the sea to Lebanon which has just this past week suffered bombings. I appreciated the pastor's prayer at Trinity Evangelical Church this morning that lifted up the people of Lebanon, Gaza and Israel. Oh that peace and reconciliation might come to all the places of strife in the world!

Sheila commented at church that the 7 persons in the worship/music team represented 9 different nations: Ireland, Great Britain, United States of America, Germany, Nigeria, Philippines, Cameroon, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Granddaughter Helen playing the guitar has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Germany.

A fort with a Mosque behind.

A colorful spot on my return route.

Lazarus Church at the end of this street.

This was my intended route, but I wasn't certain I was on it since the streets aren't really straight!

Lazarus Church, said to hold the final grave of Lazarus.

A picture of this church is on virtually all collage postcards of Larnaka.

One of many, many decaying old buildings.

Cyprus with its long history of civilization has quite a mix of old, in between, and new.

Jörn back in the kitchen.

He arrived home on Sunday after 16 days away in England and Spain.

He was attending a conference and visiting friends.

Some games we have played since arriving in Larnaka, including on Sunday afternoon.

Rain!

A very fine thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon, September 22.

Blurry pre sunrise morning as Sheila and I arrived at MacKenzie Beach to swim on Monday.

Checking the Salt Lake after swimming for water and flamingos.

There was some water, but no flamingos.

More view of water in the Salt Lake.

Zoomed in on Hala Sultan Tekke mosque and its reflection.

Hala Sultan is described as the third holiest place for Muslims in the world.

Friend Richard's boat Liza.

After our early morning swim and a quick breakfast Sheila, Rob, Helen and I headed to the Marina to join Richard on Liza. We motored just past the Larnaka Harbor where we anchored the boat so we could swim and play in the water.

Helen in the kayak paddling her way to our swimming hole.

Swimming hole #13.

The water was delightful and clear!

Sheila cleaning the underside of Liza.

And look who else is swimming!

That's Rob in the water - a rare sight to be sure!

Helen posing.

Sheila choosing not to pose in the front of Richard's new dingy with Helen giving the thumbs up.

At the end of the Salt Lake Trail on Tuesday morning.

Seemed there was more water this morning, though no more rain.

Sue and me taking a picture of the Salt Lake.

But only these flamingos!

More on the sidewalks of Larnaka

This nice, relatively new sidewalk includes a yellow ridged trail for blind persons to follow.

But one end runs into a tree.

And on the left the blind trail runs into wires supporting a utility pole.

Neither side leads unobstructed to the textured street crossing.

Another sidewalk with a parking meter blocking the way this time.

Sheila's family's first house in Cyprus.

Sue and Sheila looking at it on our way home from the Salt Lake on Tuesday.

This house was big and had lots of nice features for Sheila's large family, including a guest flat underneath. However, the landlord (22 cousins!) was non responsive when repairs were needed so five years ago they bought their own house where they live now. Sadly the house has been empty since Sheila's family moved out, and recently they noticed that all the trees in the yard have been cut down. At first they thought the owners were getting ready to demolish the house, but there is evidence of repairs being made, so time will tell what its fate is.

The house viewed from the other side.

On our way home on our Tuesday morning walk we encountered Catherine, the Children's Theater teacher. She shared with us that a Souvlaki place that has been in Larnaka since she moved here 27 years ago was gone. She wasn't sure if it had burned or simply been dismantled. Sheila and I walked by it before we went to her house, and we weren't sure either. I recognized it as a place Rob and I had walked by on Friday and me again on Sunday when it was still functioning.

Here it is, a rather temporary looking structure - on the sidewalk!

When the street was closed later on Tuesday, and road work began, we determined it had been dismantled. I wonder if it will return - Sheila will need to keep me posted.

Finally all together for a frozen treat on Tuesday afternoon.

Sheila, holding baby D, Helen, Rob, Jörn, Katie, me and Elizabeth.

Sheila was helping to watch one year old D because his mother, an African refugee, had to be hospitalized. Because of refugee status, no pictures of the baby's face are allowed on social media.

Sunrise and an anchored Cargo Ship.

Wednesday, September 25, from Larnaka Beach.

Katie painting at Jörn's studio.

I went with her, Jörn, and another person to do art on Thursday morning.

Larnaka Tourist Beach.

Friday morning none of Sheila's friends were swimming so we went to a different beach nearby. It was a bit out of the city of Larnaka to the northwest around part of Larnaka Bay. I found it curious to be named Larnaka Tourist Beach when it was outside the city, though still in Larnaka District. There are two artificial rock reefs there and we had fun looking at fish with mask and snorkel. My first and really only time snorkeling was 50 years ago in Okinawa when 3 year old Sheila and 1 year old Scott and I joined Rob for two months when he was stationed there for a year. I loved that experience of seeing colorful fish I'd only seen before in aquariums. After my experience Friday at Larnaka Tourist Beach I find it very curious that I didn't pursue snorkeling after my Okinawa experience. Perhaps it was because I didn't think anything could match the colorful fish we saw there, but though the fish in Larnaka Bay were not boldly colored they were wonderful to watch. Next purchase? Mask and Snorkel! And State number 50, Hawaii, has now risen to the top of the list of where I want to travel - perhaps Fall 2025 before my 75th birthday so I can complete my 75 swimming holes in my 50th state. Truth be told, I have been in Hawaii, but only for several hours in the airport on the way home from Okinawa 50 years ago.

Stavrovouni Mountain behind Larnaka City and beach.

Viewed from Larnaka Tourist Beach.

The sun has almost risen behind the smokestacks of a British base.

The artificial reef we swam around.

Swimming Hole #14

Our laundry on the roof.

And up above the water tank with hot water tank under.

Sheila has never had a dryer, and she says in Cyprus she doesn't know anyone who has one. That's understandable since I think most of the year clothes dry faster in the sun than they would in a dryer. I found hanging laundry very enjoyable, and remembered the brief times I have done it in Colfax. Living most of the year in a motor home doesn't lend itself to hanging laundry, but maybe some day if we settle down to our Colfax house I'll get a close line again.

Looking down from the roof into the triangular shaped garden.

This garden space was a big selling point when they bought this house.

Looking across to other roofs.

Notice all the water tanks.

All houses have water tanks on the roof.

Helen braided my hair.

I was careful to wear a hat in the sun to protect all that exposed scalp.

The back of my braids.

Helen getting ready to serve.

She had another practice game on Friday night.

Saturday we headed to Aphrodites Rock to swim. It's about an hour and a half from Sheila's house so we had to take two cars to carry us all. We had been there on our last trip here 2 1/2 years ago and Elisabeth was the only one who went swimming. I remembered that I wished I had gone swimming too, so I requested this excursion.

Heading to the beach through the tunnel under the road.

Aphrodites Rock.

I swam all the way around.

That little head is me in the sea.

Katie took this picture from the rock high above.

Swimming hole #15.

Jörn, Rob and me resting after the swim.

Ice Cream after our afternoon of swimming.

Where Katie and I went to watch the sunrise on Sunday morning.

Many years ago when Sheila's oldest child, Chris, was quite young and the family visited us in California I entertained Chris at sunrise when the effects of jet lag made it seem like the middle of the day to Chris. That started a bit of tradition of watching the sunrise with Chris and then Katie, so as our time here was coming to a close Katie requested a sunrise walk to the sea front.