Foinikas is Cut Off!
Three Hours Later...
That's right. It took me three bloody hours to dig this boulder out. Well, I didn't even dig it out really. I just dug enough mud and clay from under it so that when Alex drove the car the boulder just nudged forwards into the hole I had dug. But to get to the boulder, I had to dig a channel from the side of the track so I could actually reach it. I used a spade for that, until it broke. Then I resorted to a small pickaxe my daughter had got me for Christmas. This was actually ideal, and the pickaxe is now a permanent resident in the boot.
Looks Very Innocent From Here
You can just see the boulder towards the top of the track. It now resides in a hole. I looked a complete state though. The mud had got into my arm hairs and I had little balls of dried mud all over me. It was a nightmare to clean off. BUT WE WERE FREE!
Anyway, Back To Foinikas
So after all that excitement, we weren't too bothered about taking photographs. Besides, we still had to drive back, so were not out of the woods yet. I was however, interested in the outdoor kiln I blogged about recently. I reported how it had been vandalised, but some people suggested it might just have collapsed as a result of the storms, so I decided to have another look. On the way there, I noted that there were several other ovens still standing nearby. So if it was a vandal, they were highly specific.
Secondly, look at how the rubble is lying. If I was a vandal, I would have hurled some of those rocks over the cliff. It would seem the natural thing to so. There was no evidence of that here though.
And thirdly, if I was vandalising it, I would leave a path for me to leave by. Here, the rubble has collapsed across the walk way. This does suggest that it may indeed have just collapsed as a result of the rainfall.
This doesn't explain the other building I mentioned in that that blog though, or perhaps it does? These abandoned villages look so abandoned because they have fallen apart through neglect. Am I just being naive in assuming that the process was a done-deal, and that the villages would forever remain as they look now? In which case, what will they look like in 20 years time?
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Related Blogs:
Asprokremmos Dam Revisited
The Asprokremmos Dam first started to overflow over a week ago. We filmed it at the time, but vowed to return once it had got into full swing...
Foinikas by the Lake
The abandoned village of Foinikas lies on the banks of the Asprokremmos Reservoir. Now that the waters are lapping at the village boundaries, we thought we would pay it another visit, to see how it looks now.
Foinikas Views
We just can't keep away from Foinikas. Somebody posted some pics of the abandoned village on our Paphos Chat facebook group, and people were asking how to get there. We bumped an old blog showing the route, but decided that a film was also needed. While we were out shooting it, we decided to take some more shots, but this time we went for some outstanding views...
Abandoned Villages - Foinikas
Foinikas has a special place in our family's hearts. It was the first abandoned village we explored in Cyprus, some ten years ago. We have returned to it each time we visited Cyprus, and consquently have more pictures than we could ever possibly want of the village and surrounding area. We posted some of them on our blog about the Asprokremmos Reservoir. We wanted some up-to-date photos for the Abandoned Village blog series. So last saturday we revisited Foinikas, and couldn't believe what we found when we got there...
Foinikas Revisited
When we first blogged about Foinikas it was springtime, and the abandoned village was bathed in a sea of yellow. It was always an essential destination on our holidays, but we had never been in Spring, so it came as a pleasant surprise. However, it made it difficult to explore, as you never know what you might tread on when you have to wade through thigh-high flowers. As frequently happens with our blogs, people posted more information about the site in the comments. So we decided to pay another visit a few days ago, and explore it in more depth...
Foinikas Heights
We love Foinikas, the abandoned village on the banks of the Asprokremmos Reservoir. We've already blogged about it twice though, so we thought we would take a look at some of the surrounding countryside, and see what else the valley has to offer. Hopefully we will show you that you can find stunning, remote scenery only a stones-throw from Paphos. You don't need to travel all the way to the Akamas or Troodos to lose yourself in rugged beauty...
Who is Vandalising Foinikas?
The Asprokremmos is filling up fast, so we decided to see if we could still drive to Foinikas, the abandoned historical village which lies on its banks. We succeeded, and took some lovely photographs, but also had a nasty surprise...Related Pages
MapFoinikas Is Cut Off!
While Paphos waits for the Asprokremmos Dam to overflow, we thought we might as well photograph the rest of the reservoir, which is to all intents and purposes, now full. So we set off to Foinikas looking for some beautiful landscape nature shots. We didn't get very far though...
360 PanoramaFoinikas Heights
A visit to Foinikas isn't complete if you just visit the abandoned village. Spend some time to explore the surrounding countryside. You will NOT be disappointed!
360 PanoramaFoinikas in Summer 2018
Foinikas is an ancient village which now lies abandoned, on the banks of the Asprokremmos Reservoir. In springtime it is a sea of green and yellow. In the summer, it is a lot more barren, though much easier to explore!
Video ClipDon't Go This Way!
This is a short clip attempting a track that I used last year but that had been eroded in the winter rain.
Video ClipDriving Off Road Through Foinikas
A quick clip of a drive through the abandoned village of Foinikas near Paphos, in the spring of 2018. The area is about to become a sea of yellow.
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FB PagePaphos Life on Facebook
Like us on Facebook and stay notified of new blog posts.
FB PageOur Facebook Chat Group
Paphos Chat has been created for people who like our site and want to chat using Facebook. You can also easily upload photos of any size here. A lot of people are members of the Facebook chat group and the main forum. It's entirely up to you.
ListBlog Locations
Planning a day out? Then use our map of blog locations as a handy guide. Some of the places we visit our closer to each other than you might think, so take a look and start planning your next adventure...
eBookCyprus Road Trip 01: the Kathikas - Panagia Loop
Let me take you on a journey around the region of Paphos, Cyprus. Starting at Paphos itself, we travel to Akoursos, then Kathikas, Kritou Terra and Simou. We continue past Lasa and Kannaviou, before taking in the delights of Panagia. Getting a bit more adventurous, we visit the abandoned villages of Statos and Agios Fotios, before passing through Choulou, Letymbou and Polemi, and rejoining the main Paphos - Polis road.
The route is suitable for all types of vehicle, and requires no off-roading. The guide contains about 130 photographs including shots of all the road signs you need to pay attention to, as well as some of the highlights you may experience along the way.
There are also several maps which will help you keep your bearings.
You can do this journey in a day, or you can break it up into chunks. You can also do it in reverse, to get some completely different views. It is entirely up to you.
