Today was our fourth day in Cyprus, and I find myself enjoying each activity more and more. We left for the mountains around 8 am and were able to spend some time in Troodos Square, high up in the hills where there is a resort. I purchased some souvenirs, tried a few nuts from the vendors, and took a few minutes just to enjoy the picturesque view. I’ve never been in the mountains before, even in the United States, so this range was stunning. I was surprised to hear that it’s mostly a winter resort, and there is even snow from January to early March. 

Afterwards, we went to a small town nearby and visited a beautiful monastery that featured an ancient relic that has been preserved in the Holy Cross. We walked around the area, purchased more local souvenirs, and finished with a group lunch at Stou Kir Yianni Tavern (another mezze-style meal). I really enjoyed the pasta dishes and the different sauces. Then, it was time for a visit with the Cyprus Port Authority in Limassol. 

We were able to speak with very high-level executives and have some of our questions answered about port operations: I was curious about the difficulty in adopting the Port Community System (a mainframe system where data is recorded only once). The director told us that many of the workers were hesitant to change their ways, and it took a lot of training, communication, and persuasion to fully transition, but eventually, the system wad adopted and really improved operations. The more I learn about shipping, the more I consider a career  in that industry.