We just completed our second week of physics and we’re
gearing up to take our first midterm next week! It’s so crazy to think that
after two weeks we’re at the halfway point for our first course. The physics is
getting even more intense and fast paced than last week since we have 10 chapters
to cover for our final but we’re all trudging along.
4th of
July Pool Party
This week we celebrated the Fourth of July with a small pool
party! After lecture we made a quick stop at the hotel before we all headed to
a local pool about five minutes away. There were a couple of students on other
Global Semester programs so it was nice to get to meet new faces and hear about
their experiences in Cyprus. The pool was decked out with red white and blue
décor, and they served us traditional American food for dinner, hamburgers and
hot dogs. The pool party was a really convenient way to blow off some steam and
cool off, since it gets crazy hot in Cyprus.
Troodos Day Trip
We’ve just gotten back to our hotel from a day trip we took to the Troodos Mountains. The Troodos Mountains are the largest mountain range on the island. At first I was very apprehensive since I hate hiking but fortunately they had a bus pick us up and drive us around. The mountains were about an hour away from the hotel. Even though the roads were small and windy the view on the way up was so gorgeous. We were able to gaze down on the top of Omodos Village, a small wine town nestled amongst the mountains.
The view of Omodos Village |
The first stop we made was at the Troodos Geopark where we
got to look around the Visitor Center and learn about the local vegetation and
geographic background.
After stopping at the Geopark we made our way to Troodos Square, which is the highest point in all of Cyprus. In the square there were tons of kiosks set up selling local nuts, berries, and other souvenirs. The kiosks gave out small samples of their food, and I went home with a bag of honey-glazed almonds that I basically finished before the day was over.
Before getting lunch we visited Lambouri Winery, a winery
that specialized in producing a Cyprus tradition: Commandaria wine. Commandaria
wine is a sweet dessert wine that is made from the grapes that grow in the
Troodos Mountains. The wine is nicknamed “Wine of the Kings” and is the oldest
wine in the world. While at Lambouri Winery we indulged in a wine tasting that
culminated in trying Commandaria. This was my favorite part of the day, mostly
because of the wine, and also because the Winery was so beautiful and scenic.
Once the wine tasting concluded we headed to Omodos Village for lunch and to explore. Omodos Village is cradled within the mountain ranges and is mainly known for producing wine. The village was so beautiful and quaint with really delicate cobblestone streets and rugged stone buildings. For lunch my friends and I stopped at Makrinari, which was a little bit further down from the main center. The streets were mostly empty and except for some shops, local artwork, and lots of cats.
We’ve just arrived at the hotel and most of us are already
setting up in the lobby and prepping for our midterm. Wish us luck!
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