Today we drove up the Troodos Mountains to visit St Nicholas of the Roof Church and walk around Kakopetria Village! Driving up the mountain range was a nice change of scenery from what we’ve experienced thus far on the trip, especially as someone who loves hiking in the mountains. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and we learned so many awesome facts about the plants and resources native to the region!

In walking around the village of Kakopetria, we came across a variety of plants such as Cypress trees, lemon trees, and bay leaf shrubs. My favorite had to be the pomegranate trees we passed which were orange and very pretty. We learned all about how traditional materials from the mountain, such as volcanic rock, bamboo, and wood, were used to build houses. I loved walking through the cobblestone streets and visualizing what my life would be like living in this village on the mountainside. We even learned how the townsfolk would make bread and olive oil.

St Nicholas of the Roof Church was also super gorgeous. We learned all about how people’s lack of reading capabilities prompted the use of paintings to tell stories about Jesus Christ and other religious scenes. However, they needed a technique that would prevent the paint from drying too quickly and cracking. They developed something called “fresco” which meant “fresh wall” and involved painting small sections of the wall at a time with a special paint that would allow it to penetrate the surface easier. This is what has preserved the paintings so well and made them visible to visitors coming to the church to this day. The detail on the paintings in the church were so sophisticated and impressive. I found it interesting that they would first paint Jesus in the center of the dome on the church ceiling to represent him in heaven, and then would fill in religious figures on the sides of the domes. I can’t even imagine the physical labor that was required to paint these very sophisticated paintings onto the ceilings of the church!