Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Monday, November 24/2014


Walk slightly uphill (well, we're so close to the harbour that more or less everything is uphill) to the new Kings Avenue Mall. It's enormous and fairly classy, but also pretty much like any other Western mall, with the same international chains you see everywhere, like Zara, Adidas, Mango, etc. The most interesting store is simply called Public, and has a number of new Ipads at what seem initially to be good prices, and for non-EU residents leaving for non-EU destinations, such as Lebanon, there is a tax rebate which looks to be about eight and a half percent. There's also a fair sized Carrefour, more or less like the one in Larnaca, but not really as good overall as the locally owned Papantoniou across the road from us. And source, happily, of the nicest, most garlicky humus I've ever eaten. 

On the way, we pass Agia Solomoni catacomb caves, quite near the pillar where St Paul is supposed to have been tied and whipped. Remarkable largely for the number of white handkerchiefs and bits of cloth (and, sadly, plastic bags) tied to the trees in front, representing petitions. Will come back some other time to look inside.

In the lobby, after dinner in our flat, look up the municipal Paphos tourism site. Some useful, if incomplete information - for example the weekly guided walks around the historic spots appear to be free and probably quite interesting, but they also seem to cover more territory than could easily be done on foot in a half day, so more info necessary. The best of the site, though, is its entertainment value. Example:

--Intercity taxi service is offered in shared 4-to 8-seater minibuses. This service provides a connection service between all major towns at a fixed rate. As rates are not fixed, negotiating the fare before you get into a taxi is a must; otherwise you run the risk of being ripped off.