We set off from the abandoned, wistful-looking monastery climbing up along the winding ridge towards Kionia, through a riot of wild flowers and panoramic views. The clear day presented us with beautiful open vistas of pine covered slopes, angular rock formations and distant views of the sea. The higher we climbed, the more impressive became the jagged rocks with their clumps of delicate, purple Arabis Purpurea flowers, known by the more romantic name of Tears of Jesus’s Mother. During our hike we moved from bright sunlight to dappled shade, from Golden Oaks glistening in the sun, to the stillness of the forest where tall pines spread their aromatic scent and whispered in the gentle breeze. The last couple of kilometers downhill were more challenging but we eventually sat down to a veritable feast at Steki tou Marinou to enjoy home-cooked starters, delicious vegetables and fish and, more importantly, very convivial company. The red wine flowed and Xenophon called upon a number of the group to say a few words to capture the highlights of the day. All Strollers cheered Ian, our very capable leader on this rather tough, yet most enjoyable hike. Compliments to Mary for this write-up and to Christine, Marios and Patrick for the photos. Join us on 2 April on Pitsilia https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/pitsilia-stavros-tou-agiasmati-panagia-tou-araka-linear-trail-sunday-2-april/.