HOLIDAYS  and  PILGRIMAGES
CAN GO TOGETHER

     CYPRUS is a wonderful place for a holiday – but it is also great for a pilgrimage. Of course there are the great monasteries that have become popular with visitors (even the Americans!) like Kykkos and the almost unpronounceable (and quite unspellable) Chrysorrogiatissa, Troodhitissa and Stavrovouni. But there are also many smaller churches and monasteries of equal sanctity and interest to be found all over the island. Here we tell you of a few of these that have been discovered by Father Samuel, Jean and Richard while they were on holiday.

     You will need a car and a base from which to start. Car hire is not expensive in the winter months. We have found an old country inn whose owners have become firm friends. It is just outside the village of Nikokleia and about 12km from Paphos Airport. There are eight guest rooms and you are able to eat wonderful Cypriot meals in the evening. You will find it at

 www.vasilias-nikoklis-inn.com
 

On the outskirts of Paphos is the monastery of Saint Neophytos, where you
can climb up to the Saint’s cell in the rock-face.

Just after we had been inside the monastery to venerate the Saint’s relics,
Father Samuel met the Abbot.

     The monastery at Salamiou is set in beautiful countryside on the road up to the Troodos mountains.

Its two nuns have recently made for us at Saint Michael’s two epitaphia, and we went to collect the second one.

Building work is still being carried out and the new bell tower has recently been completed
(shown here with a photograph of the interior).

     If you feel like a long journey into the High Troodos, between Spilia and Kakopetria there is a delightful church in the village of Kourdali. It is set in a hollow alongside a stream, but unfortunately when we arrived there was no way in, and nobody to produce a key.
 

Panayia Khrysokourdaliotissa

     Also way out in the country, but nearer to Limassol, is Anagyra, now said to be abandoned and somewhat ruined but still worth a visit:

     A certain amount of restoration seems to have taken place as you will see from the photograph of the interior.

Interior at Anogyra

     A little way beyond, there is an olive oil processing plant, where you can see how the olives arrive at the start of the production line, and the bottles of olive oil emerge at the other end ! You can even get a cup of coffee here. It was here that the owner said he had been married in the partly restored church at Anogyra.

     Not far from Omodos, in the southern Troodos, where there is a relic of the Holy Cross, together with relics of Saint John the Forerunner and the skull of Saint Philip, Kilani is a place for local pilgrimage where the Church is dedicated to SS. Timothy and Mavra. Here a holy spring of water flows under the Church and out into a trough in the road outside:

	Saint Timothy & Saint Mavra

     A little way south of Kilani is Vouni where there is a Donkey Sanctuary with more than a hundred animals. Individual donkeys may be adopted, and Father Samuel collects donations on Palm Sunday (a most appropriate day). If you missed the day, be sure you can still send him a donation.

At the end of all your travels you can always relax at Nikokleia