John Edward Cooper’s Notes

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Thursday 24 November 2016

[Wednesday 23 November 2016]

Cyprus — Kato Paphos Archaeological Site
The Annabelle, Λεωφόρος Ποσειδώνoς, Paphos, Cyprus

Because tours had been booked on other days, Janet had decided to make today her “without restriction” eating day, and had set the alarm clock for 6am. She hadn’t heard the mosquito in the night. I shaved and showered after she vacated the bathroom and she went down for breakfast.… Went down to where Janet was, and had some tomato juice, and bread with smoked pork, then left her. I had a brief wander in the grounds of the hotel, then returned to the room. The internet in the room “decided” that it also needed a user-name and password. The Google Chrome browser didn’t direct me to the Thanos Hotels log-on screen, but Internet Explorer did; and connectivity to the internet was OK after that. I guess, therefore, that getting an internet connection without log-in must have been a fluke. Checked e-mail accounts (08:33) and had a short session on Facebook (ca.08:35…). Janet had come back ca.8.15am and had gone down to the lounge while I remained in the room. I started to feel a bit unwell, and was in that state when Janet returned to the room; but in the hopes of recovering, I went out when Janet was ready to, ca.10.30am. We both decided to try a Cyprus coffee at Τα Μπάνια. It was frothy — and a bit gritty, with grounds left at the end, because it wasn’t steamed or filtered. After experiencing espresso it wasn’t as strong as I expected it to be. We were offered the choice of “σκέτο” (plain), “μέτριο” (medium-sweet), or “γλυκύ” (sweet), and I think we both chose the middle one. It was served with a glass of water. Then I had an Erdinger dunkel Weißbier; and Janet had a “mocktail”, a “Mickey Mouse”. Then we set off to find the Hondros Taverna. It was a little way past the bus station, on the left. It was not long after 11 o’clock, so we were earlier than booked, and the guy who seated us hadn’t really started his shift. We had drinks; I had a bottle of Keo beer. For starters, I had grilled sausage, somewhat purple-coloured so I guess there was red wine in it; and Janet had grilled halloumi. I had a 0.5ℓ carafe of house red wine to drink.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 11:50:20
Χοντρός[i]Ταβέρνα: starters

[i] This is the name in Greek that I found on the internet when I was writing this account. “Would you like to translate this page?” the browser asked. When I hit “Translate”, the title “Ο Χοντρός” became “The fat guy”!

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 11:58:50
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 11:59:08
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 11:59:38
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 11:59:38 (detail)
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 12:00:42
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 12:01:02
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: walls decorated with frescoes and graffiti

Then we both had kleftiko (slow-cooked lamb on the bone) — huge portions — with baked potato, carrots and salad. I could have done with it being a bit juicier; I had difficulty swallowing it. (I think my appetite was a bit “off” as well, following my not feeling well earlier.)

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 12:13:58
Χοντρός Ταβέρνα: kleftiko

Afterwards I had an Americano coffee and Janet had a baklava with ice cream. I’d already noticed that, for a Greek-speaking country, an unexpected number of business signs were in English; and that second to English was Russian. Indeed, out of the window, across the road I could see one of the many branches of a firm of property developers, Leptos Estates; and the sign over the shop-front was in Cyrillic characters: «Лептос Эстэйтс». When we left there we returned to the seafront, but not directly past the bus station; for although we were planning to go to the Kato Paphos Archaeological Site in a westerly direction we stopped at a bar a bit to the east, just off Poseidonos Avenue, called rather strangely The Wooden Pub. I had a bottle of Hoegaarden wheat beer (€3.90), and Janet a glass of cranberry juice (€2.20) (13:37:25 on the till receipt). Despite having eaten my fill at the Hondros, I snacked on the savoury nibbles provided.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 13:27:00
Refreshments at The Wooden Pub

Then we found a gelateria, bar and café, E Cosi Gelateria, just opposite the bus station.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 13:44:16
Hooded crow in a palm tree en route

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 13:44:16 (detail)
Hooded crow

Janet had four scoops of different flavours (€4.95) and I just one of pistacchio (€1.50) (13:46:15 on the till receipt). Finally we went to the Kato Paphos Archaeological Site, with its entrance just before where the road curves round to the marina and to the castle.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:27:38
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: ticket office

According to Fiona’s map, entry would have cost €4.75 each, but as over-65’s we got in for €2.25 each.

We were issued with a map of the site.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:27:58
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:30:42
“Kato Paphos Archaeological Site”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:30:42 (edited detail)
“Kato Paphos Archaeological Site”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:33:28
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Paphos Lighthouse

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:33:28 (detail)
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Paphos Lighthouse

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:37:50
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site

First, we headed north to look at the Odeon. The lack of in situ labelling of features that we passed was frustrating. Another annoyance was that, on such signs as there were and on the map, the names of some features were just transliterations of the Greek; “Odeon” and “Agora” were terms with which we were already familiar, but what were “Toumpallos”[ii] and “Saranta Kolones”[iii] on the sign in the above photo, and “Asklepieion”[iv] on the map?

[ii] Toumpallos isn’t on the map we were given. According to a Republic of Cyprus press release dated 23 Oct. 2008:

The Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Communications and Works announces the completion of the archaeological excavation at Kato Pafos-Toumpallos otherwise known as “Sanctuary of Apollo” or “Garrison’s Camp” by the Italian Mission, under the direction of Prof. Filippo Giudice, University of Catania.

[iii] The map has “‘Saranta Kolones’ Castle”, which I guess is some help, though “Forty Columns castle” would have been better.
[iv] An Asklepieion — or as Wikipedia has it, “Asclepeion” —

was a healing temple, sacred to the god Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. These healing temples were a place where patients would visit to receive either treatment or some sort of healing, whether it was spiritual or physical.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:38:42
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:42:46
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Asklepieion

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:42:56
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Asklepieion

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:43:14
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Asklepieion

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:43:24
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:46:54
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:47:04
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:47:36
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:48:12
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon and Agora

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:48:24
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon and Agora

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 14:48:36
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Odeon and Agora

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:03:20
Seen from Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: Agioi Anargyroi[v] Church to the east

[v] Άγιοι Ανάργυροι (“Holy Unmercenaries”), an epithet applied to a number of saints who did not accept payment for good deeds, including healers or physicians who treated the sick free of charge.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:03:20 (detail)
Agioi Anargyroi Church

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:03:44
Paphos Lighthouse

I thought we were following the map to an early Christian basilica, but we couldn’t see a sign of it. All that happened was that we got to a chain-link fence along a road with an exit turnstile in it. So to get to the Theatre shown on the map, you’d have to leave the park and cross the road. I got hopping mad (to understate things) at the crappy map and lack of signs! We turned back and went to see the mosaics in the “House of Dionysus”. The mosaic floors were protected by an enclosing modern structure.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:18:56
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: seen on the way to the House of Dionysus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:19:12
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: seen on the way to the House of Dionysus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:20:02
“The House of Dionysus (2nd–4th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:20:18
“The House of Dionysus (2nd–4th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:20:52
“The House of Dionysus (2nd–4th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:21:32
The House of Dionysus

House of Dionysus — room plan.
Click on the image to view it full-size. You might want to right-click on it and select “Open link in new tab” or “Open link in new window”; having it visible will assist in showing where each of the photos, below, was taken.

In contrast to the site outside, everything in here was well labelled.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:23:28
House of Dionysus: “Room 1”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:23:40
House of Dionysus: “Room 1”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:24:42
House of Dionysus: Room 1 — “Scylla” pebble mosaic floor

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:24:42 (edited detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 1 — “Scylla” pebble mosaic floor

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:25:26
House of Dionysus: “Room 2”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:26:06
House of Dionysus: Room 2 — “Narcissus” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:26:20
House of Dionysus: Room 2 — “Narcissus” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:26:28
House of Dionysus: Room 2 — “Narcissus” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:26:28 (edited detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 2 — “Narcissus” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:26:56
House of Dionysus: “Room 3”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:28:00
House of Dionysus: Room 3 — “The Four Seasons” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:28:00 (edited detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 3 — “The Four Seasons” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:30:08
House of Dionysus: Room 3 — at the near end of “The Four Seasons” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:30:42
House of Dionysus: Room 3 — at the far end of “The Four Seasons” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:32:40
House of Dionysus: “Room 4, Tablinum”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:33:42
House of Dionysus: Room 4, Tablinum — “The Triumph of Dionysos”, “Vintage Scenes” mosaics

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:33:56
House of Dionysus: Room 4, Tablinum — “The Triumph of Dionysos”, “Vintage Scenes” mosaics

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:34:06
House of Dionysus: Room 4, Tablinum — “The Triumph of Dionysos”, “Vintage Scenes” mosaics

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:34:24
House of Dionysus: Room 4, Tablinum — “The Triumph of Dionysos”, “Vintage Scenes” mosaics

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:35:08
House of Dionysus: “Room 5”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:35:36
House of Dionysus: Room 5 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:35:56
House of Dionysus: “Room 6”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:36:30
House of Dionysus: Room 6 — “Phaedra and Hippolytos” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:36:30 (edited detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 6 — “Phaedra and Hippolytos” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:37:54
House of Dionysus: “Room 7”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:38:28
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:38:42
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:39:00
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:39:06
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:39:30
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:39:40
House of Dionysus: Room 7 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:39:58
House of Dionysus: “Room 8”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:40:20
House of Dionysus: Room 8 — “The Rape of Ganymede” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:40:20 (edited detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 8 — “The Rape of Ganymede” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:42:14
House of Dionysus: “Room 9”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:42:54
House of Dionysus: Room 9 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:43:28
House of Dionysus: Room 9 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:44:08
House of Dionysus: Room 9 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:45:06
House of Dionysus: Rooms 10 (ahead) and 11 (near, and off-camera to the left) — Hunting scenes mosaics

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:48:08
House of Dionysus: “Room 11”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:45:18
House of Dionysus: Room 11 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:45:34
House of Dionysus: Room 11 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:46:50
House of Dionysus: Room 11 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:47:18
House of Dionysus: Room 11 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:49:42
House of Dionysus: “Room 10”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:50:02 (rotated 180°)
House of Dionysus: Room 10 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:50:12 (rotated 180°)
House of Dionysus: Room 10 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:50:26 (rotated 180°)
House of Dionysus: Room 10 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:50:36 (rotated 180°)
House of Dionysus: Room 10 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:51:12
House of Dionysus: “Room 12”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:51:22
House of Dionysus: Room 12 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:51:34
House of Dionysus: Room 12 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:51:50
House of Dionysus: Room 12 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:52:02
House of Dionysus: Room 12 — Hunting scene mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:52:30
House of Dionysus: “Room 13”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:52:48
House of Dionysus: Room 13 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:53:14
House of Dionysus: “Room 14”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:53:30
House of Dionysus: Room 14 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:53:38
House of Dionysus: Room 14 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:53:50
House of Dionysus: Room 14 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:54:00
House of Dionysus: Room 14 — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:54:18
House of Dionysus: “Room 15”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:54:42
House of Dionysus: Room 15 — “Peacock” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:54:52
House of Dionysus: Room 15 — “Peacock” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:54:52 (detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 15 — “Peacock” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:55:24
House of Dionysus: “Room 16”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:55:58
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Pyramos and Thisbe” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:55:58 (detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Pyramos and Thisbe” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:56:14
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Icarios and Dionysos” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:56:14 (detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Icarios and Dionysos” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:56:26
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Icarios and Dionysos” mosaic; (right:) “The First Wine Drinkers”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:56:26 (detail)
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Icarios and Dionysos” mosaic: “The First Wine Drinkers”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:56:52
House of Dionysus: Room 16 — “Apollo and Daphne” mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 15:58:14
House of Dionysus

There were more rooms that we could have seen, but time was getting on. We left and went south to visit the “House of Aion”, much smaller than the “House of Dionysus” but similarly enclosed in a protective modern structure.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:04:08
“House of Aion”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:10:00
“The House of Aion (3rd–5th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:10:00 (detail 1)
“The House of Aion (3rd–5th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:10:00 (detail 2)
“The House of Aion (3rd–5th cent. A.D.)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:04:40
“House of Aion — Reception Hall: Triclinium (Room A)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:05:42
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:05:52
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:06:12
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:06:26
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:06:26 (edited detail)
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:06:36
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:06:36 (edited detail)
House of Aion — Reception Hall

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:10:50
House of Aion — Reception Hall, seen from the far end

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:10:50 (rotated and edited detail)
House of Aion — Reception Hall, seen from the far end

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:11:04
House of Aion — Reception Hall, seen from the far end

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:11:04 (rotated and edited detail)
House of Aion — Reception Hall, seen from the far end

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:08:00
“House of Aion — Geometric mosaic (Room C)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:08:22
House of Aion — Geometric mosaic

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:08:46
House of Aion — semicircular niche

At the rear of the “House of Aion” was the very extensive “House of Theseus”, exposed to the elements and unprotected by any sort of cover.

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:11:56
“House of Theseus: Roman Period”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:12:26
“House of Theseus: Roman Period”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:12:46
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:13:00
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:13:18
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:14:18
House of Theseus: mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:14:26
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:14:34
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:14:46
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:15:04
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:16:00
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:16:16
House of Theseus: mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:16:16 (edited detail)
House of Theseus: mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:19:26
House of Theseus: mosaic of Theseus and the Minotaur

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:20:06
“House of Theseus: Mosaic with Theseus (Room 36)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:21:38
“House of Theseus: The first bath of Achilles (Room 40)”

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:22:38
House of Theseus: mosaic of the first bath of Achilles

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:22:38 (edited detail)
House of Theseus: mosaic of the first bath of Achilles

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:23:18
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:26:14
House of Theseus

Thursday 24 November 2016 — 16:32:00
Kato Paphos Archaeological Site: reproduction in the ticket office of part of a mosaic; cf. “16:06:36”

The sun was setting as we went our way[vi] and it was getting towards dusk when we approached the hotel. Janet wrote: “It was breezy and quite cool. We were both knackered and I was cold, so we stopped off at a Starbucks near the Annabelle.” I had a large Americano (€3.90) and Janet had a large hot chocolate (€5.50) (“4:51:28” — i.e. 16:51:28 — on the till receipt). When we got to our hotel room I lay on the bed. When dinner time came I had no appetite, so at 6.30pm Janet went down on her own. “I was very tired,” Janet wrote, “and could hardly be bothered when I got there. I had a drink in the lobby bar afterwards (Fanta lemonade) and was back in our room by 7.30pm. Had a shower, did my exercises, etc., and was in bed just before 8.30pm.”