| Entering the village either from
Nicosia or from Limassol you will realize the unique
graphic environment that characterizes every small community
in the region of Pitsilia.
Narrow streets with houses built with stones that maintain
the traditional architectural character (lower neighborhood),
vine-arbors, flowers at the balconies, splendid almond
trees that at the end of every February give a splendid
banquet in white and pink colors. The houses that are
found in the utmost ends of the village, extinguish
slowly-slowly in the green valley of the hazel trees
that every August give unique tastes while at the same
time, the houses of the upper neighborhood succeed the
pine trees that constitute a small forest.
However lets begin however from a concrete direction
in order to have common points of report.
Coming from Nicosia you will first meet from all the
chapel of Apostle Andreas. It cowardly
pops up through the olive trees and the wild vegetation.
Simple, small, concise and at the same time magnificent
due to the fact that the real beauty is found in its
simplicity. It was probably built during the 12th AC
century always according to written and unwritten testimonies.
It is a chapel that causes immense awe to the pilgrims
as long as they enter with contrition its faintly lighted
interior.
The amazing wooden engraved iconostasis with its important
archaeological importance, certain small icons of saints,
certain candles, few seats and the immortal Christian
Spirit, embellish and decorate this small chapel that
is dedicated to the first student of Jesus Christ, the
Apostle Andreas. Time, which changes everything as it
passes, did not make an exception in the case of this
chapel. Around in 1869 the chapel presented some cracks,
it was destroyed and built again with the same old architecture.
In the older years, few monks were living there, functioning
the church daily. Today it remains dumb even though
it speaks with the birds, the wild flowers and the stars,
but every 30th of November it opens festively its eyes
and its hands in order to welcome its faithful people
that with devotion run in order to pay their respect
to the saint and his charm and exchange certain conversations
with their protector. May his charm have you all in
good health.
For conducted tours, you should take the key from the
priest of the community, Papageorgio Xenofontos. (Tel.22652061)
As you proceed in the village, you will see two very
old oak trees, a real natural beauty of the village
and then the first houses are popping up (lower neighborhood).
Here, it deserves to spend fifteen minutes for an impressive
walk that combines nature and traditional architecture.
In your right you will see small stone built houses,
some of them devastated and abandoned and some other
that are used up to today by few residents. Some of
these houses have ovens and courtyard and 2-3 of them
they have cauldrons for the distillation of "zivania".
The balconies are decorated with different flowers and
at the left side of the street you will see the immense
valley of Hazel trees unfolding like
a green ocean, stealing impressions and looks.
In May, the concert of the nightingales begins and in
August the harvest festival also. The walk in the old "popular" neighborhood of
the community finishes at "Vrysi". A beautiful
tap that throughout the year gives to the visitors or
to the tired farmers its cool water that springs from
the natural sources of the region.
Going up, you can walk in the beautiful narrow streets,
enjoy the beautiful vine-arbors in the streets, the
balconies with the flowers, the landords cleaning their
houses and if you are lucky during the period of Autumn,
you will admire them making "palouze" and
"soutzoukko" immediately afterwards the festival
of vintage where they all collect the grapes from their
vines.
Make a stop at Stavroullas' cafe for a coffee and continue
your ascendant course up to the crossroad of the village.
At your left you will find the church of Agios Nicolaos
that functions during the weekends and during big feasts.
Going straight you will reach the Krya Vrysi (tap)
that is found hidden in the hazel trees. Do not hesitate
to drink its splendid water.
If you continue walking in a straight way for about
15 minutes, you will enjoy a course having different
sorts of trees –hazel trees, almond trees, apple trees,
walnut trees and you will reach the Community Park "Laouda",
where you will see something impressive. A panoramic
view of Polystipos that looks like an amphitheater.
For romantic people, this walk during the evening leads
to a banquet of light, due to the fact that Polystipos
and the magic stars carry away the observer.
Next to the community center it is found the monument
with the statues of the heroes of the EOKA Fight 1955-59
against the English troops, Christos Tsiartas and Andrea
Panayiotou.
Returning back to the crossroad and taking the right
street from where we began before, you can see the other
neighborhoods of the community. It deserves to go up
the stone steps that lead to the area of the Municipal
School and observe this beautiful building
that was built during the English domination. Today
it remains closed and recalls the old seasons before
urbanism affected the life of the countryside.
A beautiful small pine tree forest starts where the
last houses of the upper neighborhood finish.
If this tour made you fill tired and also hungry, make
a click to the next page ("SERVICES") for
the "menu".
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