Saturday 10th

A long, busy, eventful, fruitful and most joyful day. 

Trying to shake off the nuisance of a cold, induced by my temperamental air conditioning I suspect, I gathered myself for a tight schedule of visits. C arrived at the hotel at 11.00. 

He was my guide, chauffeur and auditor on our many visits. Thank you, C.

Our planned itinerary of several monasteries had no relation to what took place. Our first visit however was to the Monastery of Mavrovouni and an audience with Geronda Symeon the translator being monk Porphyrios.

A beautiful Monastery is next to the fields where St Spirydon kept his sheep and goats. They are building a new church made completely of stone. A stone cutter was working whilst we were there.

C’s car overheated and we stopped. I could understand it because it was a hot day. I shared some sympathy with the automobile, indeed I was overheating a little also! We made it to the garden centre and the car overheated again. I bought two olive trees in line with St Amphilochios’ 11th commandment “Love the trees.” We were in Nicosia when the car decided to overheat again. We tried to make it to C’s’ parents’ house but the car had had enough and so we called C’s father to come and collect us. We had an amazing meal…the first of many that day…