Kakopetria

Over the weekend I visited one of many Cypriots' favorite mountain villages, Kakopetria. It's a charming mountain village tucked away in the Troodos and is only 45 minutes by car from Nicosia. A Cypriot friend told me that Kakopetria used to be a resort for many Middle Eastern sheikhs and businessmen. As one of my Swiss friends said, it's like a little Swiss village in the middle of Cyprus. It's the site of an old mill that now houses a restaurant famous for its trout. It's also got beautiful water falls, lovely hiking, and a sweet downtown section. I visited with my friend John and his friend Roya, who was visiting from Pakistan on her R&R, and brought along my puppy, Sam. We stopped for coffee right on the town square, at a place with a roaring fire inside. I liked it so much, I went back the next day by myself to wander around and explore! While I was there, I ran into a woman named Eleni, who sold homemade jams and fresh rosewater and who gave me a delicious olive pastry and fresh clementines-- the sweetest I've ever tasted.