On Saturday, we were rewarded for our hard work and long days all week with a shorter, more relaxing day of sightseeing and a planned group lunch. Our first trip or the day was also our first trip out of Limassol to the west. We drove to a small town called Kolossi to explore the Kolossi Castle, which was a former Crusader stronghold during the Middle Ages. When you walk inside, the main living floor is decorated with a floor-to-ceiling painting of Jesus. The Castle was is not currently used as a museum, so it is pretty much empty throughout. It was interesting to see how simplistic the layout was, though. We then traveled to the Kurion Ancient City, where we checked out a large, classical Greek amphitheater. In a handout we picked up, we learned it was built around 2nd century BC, but was likely destroyed from earthquakes around 500 years later. The current one is meant to be a replica, but still does the style justice.

After this excursion we went to a nice restaurant for a group lunch. I got a tasty salmon teriyaki with rice and vegetables, and a refreshing lemon drink to go with it. After we ate, we spent some time walking along the beach and taking group pictures. The last group activity was back in Limassol, when we visited the Limassol Castle. We passed by this castle on Monday during the walking tour, but today we had an opportunity to go inside and explore. Unlike the castle in Kolossi, this one was full of ancient artifacts and drawings from the time period that the castle was used. My favorite exhibit in the was the weapons room, which was featured a full armor suit in front of it. The castle was able to tell a story about how life was in Cyprus in olden times through its fascinating trinkets and unique layout. We then went to the roof to take more pictures, and the planned part of our day was officially over.

On our own, most of the group decided to take a trip to Limassol beach. We spent multiple hours there, enjoying the sun and sand. We even played some football with locals and had a cool conversation with them. Getting a good chunk of free time allowed us all to relax for the first time in a few days, and gave us some memorable experiences. On Sunday, we are going to Paphos, one of the cities most famous tourist locations. It should be a blast!