We spent the whole day in Limassol today. On the bus ride there this morning, I took a nap and woke up feeling rejuvenated so I knew it was going to be a good day. 

We started at the Limassol Port. The port was privatized about 6 years ago and we were able to visit the two companies that currently run the port. First, we talked to a DP World representative. DP World is an international organization based in Dubai. They run the passenger terminal as well as the general cargo terminal in Limassol. The passenger has been built recently and it is very modern compared to the rest of the city.

Then we went to Eurogate which is the company that runs the container terminal in Limassol. Although their dock is not huge, about 500,000 containers move through the port every year. We got a tour of both parts of the port. One of things that I found most interesting was the different types of machines they used to move the containers. These include gantry cranes that remove the container from the ships and straddle carriers that move the containers horizontally. The straddle carriers can also load the containers onto trucks to be driven to other parts of the port or be delivered to the customer. 

After, we went to the Old Limassol Port for a group lunch. We had some typical American food like burgers, mozzarella sticks, and fries. It was interesting because the condiments that were giving to us because they were not things you would normally see served with the food in America. We were given guacamole, a spicy marinara, and a yogurt based dip, to name a few.

After lunch, we went to the Limassol Castle and given free time. According to legend, Limassol Castle is where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre. It also serves as a Medieval museum so there were many old carvings and pottery. I found the coins most interesting because it showed the progression through out history from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman. At the top of the castle, the view was absolutely beautiful and you could see both the mountain and the sea. Then we walked around the city for a while. We went into some cute local shops and then to the pier. The weather was once again amazing. I have never seen water this blue and, being used to the Jersey shore, I was amazed. 

We got on the bus to head back to hotel around 4:30 and I had another amazing nap. We relaxed in the hotel room for a little then ventured out to find some dinner. Overall, I think today has been my favorite day so far.