Paphos, Cyprus - Archaeological Park

Actually set an alarm and was up at 6:50am. Just time to get dressed and walk up to the bus stop for the 7:40am bus. It was only about 10 minutes late. A one way ticket is E1.50, I got a return ticket that I could also us for the city buses all day for E5. It didn't take the highway into Paphos, but rather, a B road and stopped at a couple of villages along the way. We were in Paphos in about 45min. Total people on board - 4, plus the driver.
I asked at the main bus station (that term sounds way too impressive, it was a room in the middle of a parking lot, the cafe was more impressive) for directions to the Tourist Information Office. I always like to get my hands on a few maps to learn my way around a place. Old school. I was told go down there (edge of the parking lot), turn right, turn left, it is about 5 minutes away. Sounds easy.

I did find some interesting wall art

and some interesting views

and the Cypriot equivalent to Starbucks. But I didn't find the Tourist Info Office. I got a half decaf, skinny, flat white (sigh) but they didn't know where the tourist office was. Outside again I started down some stairs and asked someone else. "This way"he said

and walked me through some pedestrian streets to this building. The only indication that it is the tourist office are 2 little tiny signs on the windows. I would probably have walked right by it even if I had gone down this street. I was very grateful that he took the time to show me.

Inside I was able to get a guidebook, a couple of maps and instructions how to take the public bus to the harbour. In the municipal parking lot a few minutes away I caught the 610 bus down.

Quite explicit rules; so all those fire and sword juggling, bicycle riding, drunk clowns will have to take a taxi!

First priority, breakfast. A full English breakfast (I declined the bacon) plus a bit of salad was labelled "The Classic" on the menu  and cost E4 (about $6)

I'll walk the sea front another day

and around the harbour to the fort on the other side.

Today my focus was on the Kato Paphos (Lower Paphos) Archaeological Park. E4.50 to get in (in 4 months time I will be 65 and it would only cost me E2.50)

George and I came here with Mum and Dad, 15 years ago. George was not one for "piles of rocks" but even he was impressed and I wondered if it had changed. Had more been excavated, had more been protected, was it any better signed???. There were shelves at the entrance that held maps in different languages but they had run out of English ones so I took a German one (I could at least recognize some words, I can't even start to pronounce the Greek alphabet.)

I studied the site map sign. I was there for a couple of hours and only covered the bottom half of this map.

The site is bordered on one side by the harbour and on the other by the sea. There is a walking path along the coast here that I will do at another time. It was discovered in 1962 when a farmer, plowing, unearthed one of the mosaics. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1980.

Its a large site. I remember these viewing platforms from last time but I think the building is new.

It protects the mosaics of the House of Ioan.

They are just as magnificent as I remember them.

Tiny little stone tiles of various colours

made into geometric and border designs

and pictures, usually depicting Roman gods,

covering the floors of the villa like huge stone rugs.

Outside again, evidence of Roman plumbing

Although very little was signed you could figure out what were rooms and courtyards and streets,

but I did wish that I had a guide, or a guidebook, to give me some explanation of what I was seeing.

I took 126 pictures today and its 10pm, so I will close this post and continue on this subject tomorrow (not much on my plate then) as I need to continue sorting, deleting, choosing etc.