Fall Break 2021 in Paphos, Cyprus

 All is well here in Kyiv.  We have settled into a nice school/work routine and were so happy to finally be able to take a big family trip together after our first year of travel in Ukraine was so stilted by Covid restrictions. We spent a week on the island of Cyprus, near the ancient city of Paphos.  It was absolutely dreamy........the air and water temps were perfection.  The sky and sea were crystal clear and every shade of blue.  It was such a gift and we were so grateful. Here are the photos:

On the plane and ready for the 3 hour flight.

We had managed to miss the small detail about driving on the left side of the road.  It took a minute to grow accustomed to this.  Peter may have gotten in the passenger side to drive once or twice.  :)

We had a 90 minute drive from the airport, so we pulled over and stopped for sandwiches at the cutest little mom and pop store.  We were so happy to be in the warm sunshine.   

Our first glimpses of the cleanest water in the Mediterranean.  It sparkled in the sun and took our breath away. 

Our villa was amazing.  The girls were in the pool within 15 minutes of arriving. 

This beach was a 5 minute walk from our villa and had the most amazing sunset views. 

We were beside ourselves to be on a new adventure together in such a beautiful place. 

I could never decide if the day or night views were better. 

Peter and I sat on the porch and enjoyed the twinkle lights across the bay every single night.  It was magical.

Morning views from our terrace.

Ready for beach day #1

The water at this beach was crystal clear and so calm.  We could swim laps and see the bottom like we were in a pool.  It became really deep pretty quickly so it was the perfect place for a swim.  

This beach bar, "The See You Beach Bar," was right off the sand.  We frequented it and knew the servers by the end of the week.

Fried fish basket and draft beers for a seaside lunch?  Yes, please.

This was the charming little hand-washing station at the front of the restaurant. 

More views on our walk back to the villa for an afternoon swim.

Sunset walk.  We watched every night.  One of the best parts of our trip. 

On Day 2, our friends drove over from their resort for lunch at our place. 

We walked over to the swimming cove on the other side of our villa for a morning swim before our guests arrived. 

The water was chilly, but such a gorgeous site for snorkeling.  

Pool time while Mommy and Daddy made lunch. 

After lunch poolside, we walked our friends over to the snorkeling spot.  

We were having so much fun, they decided to join us at the beach bar for a sunset dinner. 

Kids table!!

This lady has been an essential piece to my sanity during our first year in Ukraine.  It was so fun being on a sunny beach together after all of our freezing cold walks in the forest in Kyiv.  

The morning of Day 3 we drove over to the resort where our friends were staying so meet up with other friends who were staying at the same resort.  We had reserved a chartered sailboat to take us to the blue lagoon for snorkeling. This was not our boat.  This was "A" the largest sailing yacht in the world. Owned by a Russian billionaire, it is complete with an on-board submarine and a helicopter.  

These girls were so excited to be on a sailboat together!

Love this pic so much!

Our captain, Captain Dave, was a British guy who has lived in Cyprus for 20 years.  He was so knowledgeable and took us to the most beautiful coves.  

This day was our chilliest weather day, mid 70's, so that first plunge off the boat was cold. But snorkeling in the cleanest water in the Mediterranean Sea was totally worth the chill bumps.  

These girls didn't even hesitate.  :)

The water was aquamarine and crystal clear.  

These girls.  The cutest. 

On our way back to the resort dock, Captain Dave took us really close to "A." It was so cool but I was scared to take pictures because of the guys with binoculars watching us from the bridge of the yacht.  Peter said it was definitely bigger than the Destroyer that he flew from during deployments.  It was a crazy site to see.  

Our friends invited us to stay for an afternoon cocktail before we headed back to our villa.  The resort where they were staying was so gorgeous.  I'm so thankful for these women.  They are seasoned foreign service moms whose wisdom and friendship helped me survive last winter.  

Back at the villa, one of our favorite poolside activities was UNO.  

Another evening, another breathtaking sunset.

Morning UNO game with the world's best view.  

Our last couple of days seemed even clearer and brighter if that was possible.  

This is the view of our little snorkeling cove from the walking path.  

It is actually a public beach with chairs and umbrellas and lifeguards.  Can't think of a better place to read my book.  

The girls caught minnows and played in the rocks and sand while we rested.  

Susannah's current obsession is Hamilton.  She spent her poolside time writing out the lyrics to every song in her notebook.  

We spent the morning of our last full day at the beach.  It is unique in that it is covered with flat stones of various sizes and colors.  Instead of sand castles, people build cairns and make other designs with the rocks.  This was my cairn.  

Last crepe from the "See You Beach Bar."

On the way to the airport, we stopped by the ancient ruins where legend has it that the Apostle Paul was flogged for his missionary work in Paphos.  This was the pillar to which he was tied during the flogging. 

You couldn't get too close because it is treated as a protected archaeological site.  

A huge church was built on the site in the 4th century.  The pillars and mosaic tiles from the structure are still in remarkable condition today.  

The current church that stands on the site was built in the 1400s and still holds services.  

The mosaics were in such good condition.  So crazy to think that they have survived 1600 years. 

A lady arrived and unlocked the church for us just as we were leaving so we decided to peek in.  It was gorgeous.  

We have managed re-entry into the real world this past week and are now busy working on Halloween costumes for trick or treating next weekend and spirit week at school.  We hope all of you are happy in healthy. We miss and love you all.