Panagia Odigitria
To The Church
Anyway, that's enough of the scenery. Let's see what the church is like inside. This door is open.
A Hodegetria?
The church interior is fairly standard for Cyprus. However, there was a very faded icon in the centre of the room. When I took these pictures, I was unaware what a Hodegetria was. Otherwise I would have paid more attention to it.
Votive Candles
One thing I didn't notice was any wax effigies. Often these are left in Cypriot churches as votive offerings, to help with their prayers. For instance, a little wax baby would be used for a fertility prayer. That sort of thing. Nothing like that here though.
Another Icon
I think this icon depicts the Angel Gabriel giving the Virgin Mary the good news.
That was weird, typing that made me feel all Christmassy. In fact, there are only 209 days to go.
Baby Jesus
Ah, we can see the central icon again here. It does look like Baby Jesus on the right being held by Mary on the left. This is what an Hodegetria is, with Mary pointing to the baby Jesus, guiding us to him.
You can see how worn out the central part of the image is. This is because countless numbers of people over the years will have kissed this as part of their prayers.
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Marathounta Wilderness
There's an area near Paphos that is surprisingly remote. I had been meaning to explore it for some time. And now, as they will be starting work on the nearby motorway soon, I thought it was the ideal time to visit. You may never get to Mars, but if you want a feel for what it might be like, you could do worse than take a walk through the countryside near Marathounta.
Marathounta Shortcut
During lockdown we have to get our thrills where we can. So when we have to do mundane tasks such as taking the garden waste down to the local recycling centre, we try and make the best of it. Here then, is a picturesque route down to Konia Green Point.
The Paphos to Polis Motorway - Part 1
A new motorway is coming to Paphos. It will link the existing A6 motorway to the North West coast of the island, reduce travel time, and aid congestion on the B7. That's the plan, anyway. Alternatively, it will destroy precious natural areas and be an expensive waste of money. We decided to take a look at the proposed route for ourselves, so now at least you will know exactly where the motorway will go. Possibly.Related Pages
MapPanagia Odigitria
High above Marathounta there is a church which overlooks the city of Paphos and the surrounding area. We have often used it as a landmark, and it has featured from a distance in several of our articles. So we thought it about time that we visited Panagia Odigitria to get a close-up view, and to enjoy the stunning view.
Video ClipMarathounta Motorway - Before
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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.
