A very large group of Strollers, including several newcomers, accepted Ian’s invitation and explored the treasures of Lofou and Silikou villages, both natural and cultural. Highlights included the restored water troughs where the village women used to wash clothes, and a visit to a commandaria wine place. Compliments to Ian for leading the outing and to Stathis for the photos. Join us on 24 Nov. at Petra Romiou https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/petra-romiou-24-nov/
The hike at Platania on Saturday 10 November took us into a beautiful forest, along a dirt road. The road was cut-off to vehicles at two points, owing to erosion from past heavy rainfall. The colours of autumn interchanged with the green of pine trees, and the red fruit of the ivy and strawberry trees. The meal that capped the day was a superb parade of dishes, at the club’s taverna of choice, in Kakopetria. Compliments to Stathis for the photos. Join us on 18 Nov at Lofou https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/lofou-hike-sunday-18-nov/
Should we attribute it to pure chance? Or was it one further proof of the paradox in life, which tells that people enjoy most those things asking for our patience and perseverance? Indeed, the dedicated party of Strollers, who accepted the organizational challenges of the excursion to Stavros Agiasmati and Panagia Araka, beamed the maximum of enjoyment throughout the hike, the fruit picking, the driving, the waiting and the meal.
This outing will cling to memory for one more fact: the presence of teams of Teacher-Student, a remarkable display of loyalty to the club from Nana and George! Compliments to Taline, Maria, Daniela and Nana for their photos. Join us on 10 Nov. at Platania https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/kakopetria-agios-nicolaos-platania-10-nov/
Teacher Nana Students Stefano Marine Ulash
Teacher George Student Deborah
29 months after the large fire of 2016, the slopes over Kourdali are showing distinct signs of rebirth. The visit and hike of Saturday 27 October took place in sunny conditions and Strollers enjoyed the forest, the very clear views and the challenges of some tough uphill. Compliments to Neophytos for picking a large mushroom, and to Maria and Stathis for the photos. Join us on 4 November at Stavros https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/stavros-agiasmati-panagia-araka-4-nov/
Sunday 21 October will be remembered as a day of irony. Many chose to stay behind in Nicosia, for fear of possible rain on Troodos. Yet, the two dozens of brave Strollers at Prodromos dam enjoyed a wonderful day out, at an altitude of 1500 m, and not a drop of rain! At same time, the capital was experiencing a heavy downpour with fierce winds. A lucky day for the club, no more, of course. The rewards were plenty for participants who carried along their rainwear, and had a second set of clothes in their car boot, should they be needed. The dam had quite a lot of water, the pines and other trees were resplendent, the buffet lunch delicious. Compliments to Francine, who commented on the new gabion, at a spot where the slope was experiencing soil erosion, and to Taline and Stathis for the photos. Join us on 27 Oct. at Spilia https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/kourdali-spilia-27-oct/
We hiked for the love of hiking on Prodromos on Saturday 13 October; but it was the love of the dense forest of black pine at Stavroulia, perhaps the most beautiful of its kind in Cyprus, that made us push to the very end of the trail, despite the rather sharp slope and oncoming thunderstorm. The feeling of completion was fulfilling, as was the meal that followed, by the fire, in joyful company. Compliments to Christos for leading this outing and to Maria for the photos. Join us on 21 October, again on Prodromos https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/troodos-prodromos-dam-21-oct/
The Club kicked off its 9th season of activities on Troodos; a very large gathering of Strollers, including many newcomers, walked Artemis, the highest trail in Cyprus on 7 October, under ambient weather conditions, away from the heat of the cities, and under the shade of friendly clouds for most of the time. A superb buffet lunch followed, which elevated the spirits even higher. All diners sang their birthday wishes to Eleni, and enjoyed her cake. Compliments to George for leading this event and Taline for the photos. Join us on 13 Oct. on Prodromos https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/prodromos-zoumi-stavroulia-13-oct/.
To wrap up the season that started January, in which we realised 20 excursions and covered a total of 206 km in 75 hours of hiking, a well-deserved celebration was held during lunch on 27 May. This was a time for reflection, for thanking and for giving. George contributed a delicious chocolate gateau, with a lit candle on top. Then Ian H (who turned out to be camera shy) followed with surprise gifts to the club’s Founder and Director. There was a greetings card, signed by dozens of members, bearing the central message “Thank you for your organisation and your inspiration” and other touching messages from all. A second gift was a large 94X64 cm frame bearing a selection of past photographs from our hikes; this now adorns a wall in Xenophon’s apartment. Yet a third gift was an album bearing many colour 30X21 cm printouts of photographs from past activities.
Xenophon was for once lost for words, immersed in a sea of warm sentiments. The feeling now is that this club has grown enough, to be an important part of the leisure and creative life of so many wonderful persons, past, present and new members, from all Continents! Have a nice summer and join us again in October for the next season. Compliments to Ian H and George. Compliments also to Koula, Christos and Clara for the photos.
A large, cheerful group of Strollers, including newcomers, walked the 2 trails at Almyrolivado on Sunday 27 May, under a sky which offered us only the shade of clouds, but no rain. The outing offered many memorable experiences. Among them a stream which we liked to claim was a mini waterfall; a lizard/ kourkoutas, some 30 cm long, which rapidly crossed our path, making us grateful that dinosaurs are extinct; barber’s brush, Cypriot slang for the flower of the day; a 500-years-old Juniper tree; the artificial lake in Amiantos; and a seesaw which younger members enjoyed in action. There has been also a remarkable initiative in play, Sheri’s efforts to pick up litter found along our path. Such are the delights of hiking with your favourite club! Compliments to Christos and Clara for the photos.
A large group, made up of Strollers from ten different nationalities* and once more including several newcomers, walked Atalanti trail, high up on Troodos on Saturday 19 May. On our way we encountered eagles flying above, heard the rare cuckoo song and were accompanied by harmless swarms of coleoptera of two sorts, for several kilometres. Compliments to Clara and Maria for the photos. Join us at Almyrolivado on 27 May for a joyful finale to this long season https://cyprus-strollers.org/activities-description/troodos-almyrolivado-2-hikes-27-may/ *England, USA, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Greece and Cyprus
The Cyprus Strollers 