Stonehenge and the Mayflower Steps

After London, our tour group, along with our guide Ann Marie, left for Wiltshire in England. Because there were over thirty people in our group we rode an air-conditioned bus (not that we needed it) all around the UK. It had wifi so that was awesome! It took a few hours to get to Stonehenge, our first tour stop. I have always wanted to visit, and I'm glad we got that chance. There is a visitor center with parking and shuttle rides to and from Stonehenge. We  also received an audio guide to tell us more about this famous tourist attraction. 

Seeing pictures of Stonehenge growing up, I imagined it would be bigger. Don't get me wrong, each stone weighs about 25 tons or more, but I thought the stones would be taller. The construction of Stonehenge is dated over 4,000 years old.  Some archeologists believe it could have been a burial ground for the cremation of the dead in its first stages. It is definitely worth a visit! 

From Stonehenge we took a shuttle back to the visitor center which also houses a small museum. Here you can find some interesting information about the people that lived during the construction of Stonehenge and their housing. 

By now, we were pressed for time, so we rushed over to the nearby cafe. There is also a little souvenir shop connected to the cafe so you can pick up a little memento of your visit. After this, we boarded our bus to head to Plymouth, where we stayed for the next two nights. 

Before stopping at our hotel for dinner that evening in Plymouth, we were able to visit the Mayflower Steps. This is the site where the Pilgrims left England and landed in what is known today as Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA. The Mayflower Steps was nice to see because you never think of the place where the Pilgrims set sail from. Now I will always picture it! 

Afterwards, we walked around the old town, and Zach and I purchased some fudge made with clotted cream. It was delish! There is definitely more to do in Plymouth, like seeing Smeaton's Tower, but after arriving at our hotel and having dinner, we were exhausted! 

Arriving in the UK

We had a lovely thirteen days in the United Kingdom! It was so great, so much fun, that we plan on going back for sure. There was so much to do, but we had so little time. You can't see all of the UK in thirteen days. This trip was great because we were able to stop in some quaint, little villages, so for future trips we plan on visiting them again and staying for a few days! 

Most flights from the states to London fly into the London-Heathrow airport. But because we are a little less than five hours from England, we took a cheaper airline called EasyJet, and flew in to London-Gatwick airport, which is about an hour from the London center. It was a non-stop flight which is always a plus. EasyJet is one of those airlines that you have to pay for every little thing. For instance, make sure to print your tickets before heading to the airport, otherwise, you'll spend a few extra pounds having them printed out for you! 

We took a tour with a company called Globus. This is our second trip with them. Our first trip was in Italy, but more blog posts about that later. Globus booked all the hotels and dinners, and for lunch we got to do whatever we wanted. There are also optional excursions that you can book to enhance your trip which we did. Unfortunately, Zach got sick halfway through our trip, and we couldn't do some of the excursions. 

The trip was originally twelve days, but we tacked on another day so we could see Avengers: Age of Ultron (which was AMAZING) in IMAX in London and visit Selfridge & Co. We have been watching the show, Mr. Selfridge, and we just had to visit. The London Eye was on our list as well, but not something I would do again. We paid a little over twenty-one pounds per person (about 32 USD) and it just seemed too pricey to stand in the pod for thirty minutes. I was really only interested in seeing Big Ben and Westminster from above. The views of the city from up high were great, and some people may totally love it and want to ride again, but once was enough for me. 

St. Paul's Pillar and the Fish Spa

On Monday, we relaxed at the beach for a few hours. It was nice to get some sun since the weather's been pretty chilly and rainy. We then headed to Paphos to see St. Paul's Pillar. Local tradition says the people here tied Paul to this pillar and whipped him 39 times. In later writings, there is no mention of this pillar but only of an underground prison for the apostle. 

There is also a small church called the Church of Agia Kyriaki. It is named after a young lady named Kyriaki, who refused to renounce her Christian faith, and was beheaded because of it. 

A small wedding had just ended while we were there. I couldn't get close enough without wanting to invade their privacy. But the couple looked so very happy! 

On Tuesday, we did some last minute shopping in Limassol and ate lunch before heading to the airport. But first, we visited a fish spa...you know, where they eat the dead skin of your feet! The owner first washed our feet. We then put our feet in the tank and they attacked my right foot immediately! They must have been really hungry...

I had wanted to take Julie and Debbie to this small village called Lefkara where the locals hand make the lace. But we didn't have time and with it being a holiday, I figured it would be closed. Before we stopped for lunch, I noticed a sign with "Lefkara Lace". I was so happy and took the ladies inside. They did some crazy shopping in there. I spoke to the owner of the shop and she also lives and has another shop in Lefkara. Her shop is right next to the Noodle House, in case you're interested! And then we had some delicious lunch at the Noodle House. Why not, it was right there ;) 

Then, we were off to the airport for our next destination, Vienna!

I have to break here because Zach and I are going to the UK for 13 days! I am so excited and looking forward to it. Stay posted for more adventures to come! 

Aphrodite's Rock

The next day I took Julie and Debbie for a scenic drive along the coast. It being Easter I knew everything would be closed except the beach. We drove to a little village called Pissouri. We discovered the restaurant, Captain's Bay Fish Tavern, was open for business so we had a little snack and some drinks.

Afterwards we continued along the coast to Aphrodite's Rock. According to mythology, this is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. The weather was absolutely beautiful. It was clear, blue skies, but also very windy! 

As we were driving back home we saw a goat. We pulled over to the side and took a few pics of a mother and her babies. It was such a sweet way to end our trip for that day!

Cyprus With Friends

Since I last wrote my entry, I've journeyed on some new adventures. I have been to Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, and Rome in the past two months and haven't had time to breath! Catching my breath now...

I have had such a marvelous time! I went to Paris with some girlfriends. It was mostly a shopping trip but we did get to see the Eiffel Tower and visit the Louvre. Another blog post on that later.

Zach and I had some visitors the past few weeks. Zach's mother, Julie, and her friend, Debbie, visited us on our little island. After spending a few days on Cyprus, we flew out to Vienna, with a side trip to Salzburg. My mother-in-law and I continued to Rome and we said our goodbyes to Debbie, who flew back home to Texas. 

Easter for the Greek people was actually a week later than the States this year. Many businesses were closed, but we still got to do a lot. We visited Kolossi Castle then we enjoyed a meze, made British style, at a local restaurant Zach and I frequent called Cava. The owners are so nice and they do have a Greek meze for anyone who wants to try it! A meze provides the backdrop for a social gathering, whether it is 2 people or 20 people. It is a lot of food starting from appetizers to main dishes, but they are all served on small plates to be shared. Be warned...it is A LOT of food! So when the salad comes out, sample it, but then move on because there is so much more good stuff comin'! 

Have you ever tried a meze? How was your experience?