This morning, we left Nicosia and headed to Limassol. While on route, we stopped at Kourion. This was very fascinating to me because I gave my presentation on the ancient city. All the pictures I compiled together I finally got to see in real life. These archaeological remains are crazy old dating back to the 3rd and 4th century AD. We focused on looking at the House of Eustolios and Theatre. Our lovely topur guide Georgia told us how the city-kingdom was hit with a level 8 earthquake that caused lots of damage especially to the amphitheater. So for the most part, what we looked at was a modern reconstruction, but you could see where the old ended and the new began. They hold some concerts and shows there now. Talk about a venue. I would love to be there. Moving on to the House of Eustolios the thing that fascinated me the most was the fish (pictured under) built into the mosaics on the floor that were a sign of Christianity. What was left of the mosaics was so detailed, and honestly, I am baffled at how well they kept after all these years. Eustolios was connected to paganism as well as Chrisitianity which was very interesting.
Limassol has been amazing to me so far. We broke for lunch at the marina in the old city. My friends and I indulged in chicken souvlaki, fried calamari, tarama, tzatziki, and pita. The food here is delicious, and we got to eat right on the water. After that we shopped in some of the local stores. They have super great souvenirs here. Don’t worry there are still plenty of cats roaming the streets here too. Finally, we ended the afternoon at Limassol castle. This castle was huge. We looked at at least 4 floors, starting with the basement and working our way to the roof. From the top, you could see the whole of Limassol. The execution room is now the ticket office you first see when you walk in. An interesting fact I learned was that they found a decapitated body in the moat that was killed execution style. The skeleton is preserved in the basement. It was freaky because it did not have a skull. History like that intrigues me so much because that person had a life so long ago, and I want to know what they did to end up that way, who disliked them, and what loved ones mourned them. I am sure there is a juicy story there. The castle was also filled with many ancient artifacts such as pottery, crosses, paintings, coins, and so much more. Touching the old walls and carving was so surreal. I have so much history on my hands now.