Maronas Time Warp
One Final Look
Do bear in mind though, that these villages have painful stories to tell. So treat them with respect. Tommy related a very sad story concerning a murder in Souskiou to me, during the course of our correspondence. I won't go into it here, but just bear in mind that memories are still painful on both sides of the divide.
Diharziou North and South
Once we had finished with Maronas, we continued up the valley towards Troodos. I wanted to do a comparison shot of this picture. This is now a very popular destination for rock climbers. In the past, it was popular with thieves, who used it as an ambush spot. This is the 1964 view.
2019 View
Now the view is similar, but there are much more trees about.
Where Is This?
Another shot from 1964 and this really tickles my curiosity. The man (is it Tommy?) is standing on one side of an old Venetian Bridge. But where is he? Tommy said it was somewhere in the Diarizos Valley, but he couldn't remember. Given it was taken over 50 years ago, you can hardly blame him for not knowing the exact GPS coordinates, but I would love to know where it was.
Was it a bridge that has since been repaired? It can't be Roudia or Kelefos. The rocks in the background would be in different places if he was standing there. And Elia Bridge doesn't have the hump you can see in the foreground. So where is this? A new challenge...
Flood Damage
It isn't just ancient Venetian Bridges that have problems with the weather though. The old Kedares Road has been washed away too. I am guessing it went in the winter rain, but for all I know it could have been washed away in 2012 when they had the last winter deluges.
Our adventures didn't end here. We explored an ancient church further up the valley, but that will be a blog for another day. We will also be revisiting Tommy's pictures, as they give a fascinating insight into Cyprus life in the 60s. This has just been an appetiser, there will be many more to come...
Page 5 of 5
Related Blogs:
Abandoned Villages - Souskiou
It's time to return once more to the Diarizos Valley, which lies on the border of Paphos and Limassol. Before Easter we had been exploring the abandoned villages and sleepy hamlets, and I want to show some more of the pictures we took, before the approaching summer heat makes them unrecognisable. So on this blog we shall visit Souskiou. Easy to miss as you drive up the valley, it is nevertheless one of the largest abandoned villages you will likely meet on your travels in Cyprus.
Abandoned Villages - Maronas
Last saturday my wife and I were in Paphos with a couple of hours to kill. So we decided to take a trip up the Diarizos Valley. Being on the Paphos / Limassol border, this valley is on the edge of the Paphos Life radar. However, it has a wealth of sites to visit, as you shall see over the coming weeks. Our specific destination was the abandoned village of Gerovasa. There is a fascinating bridge near to it, and we visited the village itself a few years ago, to do a geocache. However, on our way up the valley, we spotted some ramshackle buildings on the other side of the valley, and decided to take a detour...Related Pages
MapMaronas Time Warp
A new member of our chat group, Tommy Nilsson, was stationed with the UN in Cyprus in 1964. Fortunately for us he liked taking pictures, and he has been sharing them. One picture caught my eye, as it showed the now abandoned village of Maronas as it used to look. I decided to revisit it to get a comparison shot...
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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.
