Eden Hills Polis - Lysos - Stavros tis Psokas

Hello everybody,

Leaving the house in the morning time, wondering where you will end up spending your day, sometimes can take you to the most wonderful corners on the island.







Going towards the sea is not certain that you will not end up spending your day in the mountains. This is one of the reasons for which Cyprus makes it all different.
Around 14 km far from Polis, Lysos village is another small paradise in Cyprus. The old fountain, the church and the village central plaza makes you wonder if today is a day from the past like there is no way you are not going to be surprised by the beauty of the stones, water and stairs lying in front of you.










The small but modern playground has the most incredible view which makes this place an oases of relaxation.




If you get very hungry you can stop at Paradisos Hills Hotel for a lunch or even for a night. Sisters Soulla Charalambous and Niki Chrystodoulou the owners of the hotel will be happy to welcome you in the most pleasant and restful ambiance you could ever find.





After a stop here you can continue your trip towards Stavros tis Psokas and the road will take you on Eden hills unlike any other places on the island. It is a completely different perspective to be able to change the entire view in just a few km.
Getting out of Lysos you can stop to Caroline for a ride or simply to admire the unique landscape of the area. Ride in Cyprus is like one of the hidden pleasures that you can discover by chance! 6 horses will be waiting you there to admire and you can book by calling Caroline to take them out for a guided ride. A beautiful ride across spectacular varied country - from forest tracks to deserted Turkish villages, mountains and valleys, wide open plains to deep gorges. Everybody is welcome to join.








Leaving Caroline behind us we will continue to our destination Stavros tis Psokas the place where you can see the Cyprus Muflons. The mouflon is an indispensable part of Cypriot natural heritage and one of the symbols of Cyprus. The mouflon is the biggest animal of the Cyprus Fauna. They are very shy and agile; move very fast on the steep slopes of the Paphos forest and are very difficult to approach, especially when they are frightened.




Located in the heart of Paphos Forest, Stavros tis Psokas it is a picnic place with a nice playground, and a big camping place. The playground has swings, slides, see sour and roundabout. Here it is a enclosure were the kids will be able to see the Cyprus Muflons. If you did not think about the food here is another nice place to eat and drink a nice coffee or the traditional frappe.











A very long road can take you up to Kikkos Monastery.
But this is another story!
Lots of sunny days from Izzy the Cypriot Lizard!


Locations: Lysos village

Paradisos Hills Hotel
Phone no: +357 26 322 287
Webpage: www.paradisoshills.com

Ride in Cyprus
Phone no: +357 99 777 624
E-mail: caroline@rideincyprus.com
Address: 8800 Lysos Cyprus
Webpage: www.rideincyprus.com


Location: Stavros tis Psokas

Cyprus Motor Museum - for the Big and the Small - Limassol

Hello everybody,

A father's passion could become a son's passion and when we succeed to see in their eyes that sparkle of happiness and joy we would know that we gave something to them that nobody can take. A pleasure for life, a memory for eternity.



Cars are not just a small business. Cars are beautiful, you can spend lots of your time travelling, driving and fixing them. Just opened two months ago the Cyprus Motor Museum is a new place ready for lots of visitors. Big and Small :) !





Even if I would love to write you what you could find inside, I always say that better to give this opportunity to the one on charge and this time is Mrs. Annita Kyriakou Marketing Manager of the Cyprus Motor Museum:

Izzy: Dear Annita, I am very happy to discover a different type of museum here in Cyprus a place where fathers and sons can build relations and offer entertainment in the same time and for the girls of course to discover new opportunities. How did this happen, so we would enjoy such a museum in Cyprus?
A.K.: The idea of a motor museum was captured by the veteran Rally Racing champion of International and Cypriot rally competitions, Mr. Dimi Mavropoulos. After he stepped down from rallying he started collecting cars, classic, historic and limited edition cars. As many people were asking to see them, he understood that Limassol and Cyprus in general is missing a motor museum. He gave his personal collection of 70 historic, classic and collectable cars and launched this museum especially for their display.








Izzy: A museum has to offer a lesson of history, combine learning with pleasure, entertain. Is this what could we expect from a visit at the Cyprus Motor Museum? What we will be able to see?
A.K.: The visitors of the museum can admire an inside collection of 70 cars all in excellent condition, about 35 old objects for example old telephones, the first pocket phone and the first Hoover vacuum cleaner ever made. Also there is a mini cinema, a boutique with souvenirs of the museum and car toy models. Moreover, there is a small coffee shop were people have the chance to relax and have their coffee after their visit to the museum. 









All the tours in the museum for our little friends are tailor made according to their age. We use interactive ways of providing information and combine pleasure with knowledge. Our targets are to make them question and extract information of what they see.

Izzy: You have there something that I am definitely sure kids will love it. What could you tell us about your Double Decker bus? Could the kids go in?There is a story behind?
A.K.: Yes the double Decker bus! The double decker is our latest acquisition. It is a 1983 Leyland Titan. It came from England last week and everyone especially the kids are very excited about it. We decided to add in our collection a British bus because the kids don’t see them in Cyprus very often and to give them the chance to get in. The bus used to belong to the London Transport and after that used to be an exhibit in a museum in Preston, Lancashire.






Izzy:  Between the exhibits of the museum there are some of them that I believe will make kids and grownups very interested! Which one are these?
A.K.: One can admire the armored presidential «Cadillac» donated by the U.S. government and built especially for the President Makarios III in 1977. It weighs 4.2 tons, has bulletproof windows that do not open, and features air conditioning with protection from harmful gases. You will also find, officially certified, the famous and well known green «Mini» with the lock on the side from Mr. Bean’s movies and one of the Rover P5 cars of 1973 used by the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, previous Prime Minister of the UK. 
Last, but not least, the oldest car in the collection at the moment is a Ford "T" roadster from 1912, which currently has 102 years of life on the road.





Outside of the museum the visitors can see the first tractors brought to Limassol in 1938, the old Bedford bus used in Cyprus and connected the villages with the towns and an original London double Decker bus. 

Izzy: What educational programs could be provided for our small guests?
A.K.: For group visits of kids we offer a road safety seminar especially designed and according to their age. For younger ages, from about 4 to 6 years old Furthermore on our mini cinema all visitors can watch a movie about the history of the cars. 





Izzy: Thank you very much for this opportunity to discover the insides of your interesting museum and before we let you go I will not forget to ask you for a story as is the tradition on our webpage.
A.K.: Some people don’t believe that all the cars in the museum are in working condition. Recently, two visitors were questioning if the cars could start, especially the Ford T of 1912 and the rest from the ‘20s and ‘30s. So Mr. Dimi – the owner- said he could start the Ford for them so they believe it is working. After a few minutes the car was started. Then, the guests started questioning about the cars next to it. “How about this one?” And Mr. Dimi was starting it... “And how about this one?” they asked about the next car in the row. And again Mr. Dimi started the car. So they started laughing and believed that are all the cars are in working condition. Their final question was “So, now we have started them...Can we take them for a ride?”.




Lots of sunny days from Izzy the Cypriot Lizard!

Cyprus Motor Museum

Entry Fee: 9 euros, pensioners - 7 euros, under 18 - 5 euros. Family ticket - 20 euros for 2 adults and 2 kids or 1 adult and 3 kids.
Kids under 3 years old are free. 
Opening hours: 10:00 - 17:00 daily 
Address: Epimitheos & Vertical Port Rd roundabout, 1st Limassol Industrial Area, Limassol, Cyprus
E-mail: cyprusmotormuseum@cytanet.com.cy
Phone no: +357 70 009 000 / +357 99 252 626
Contact Person: Annita Kyriakou

Map Location:

Cyprus Theatre Museum - open world to imagination

Hello everybody,

Theatre is a world of imagination and dreams. Puppets, mask, costumes, lights and sounds.. people, emotions,  changing the way we think, the way we are.




Cyprus Theatre Museum is a new gate to reflection. Part of history, part of beauty, part of creations, the roads are open to introspection. There is nothing more beautiful then to be introduced in the past as part of our present. It is a place for everybody, but children will be able to transform themselves trough this visit in new personages. They will be part of the theatre, part of a dream. Mrs. Natalia Kouhartsiouk will be our guide today in our magical trip.





Izzy: Cyprus Theatre Museum it is a place for history and art. Mrs. Kouhartsiouk what you could tell us about the beginning of this museum in Cyprus?
N. K.: The history of the Cyprus Theatre Museum is closely connected to the personal life story of Nikos S. Nikolaides (1909-1989) who was an optician by profession, based in Lemesos, but also an amateur actor, director, writer as well as a passionate collector of theatrical memorabilia. His decision to bequeath his rare theatre collection and archive to the Municipality of Lemesos was the beginning of joint efforts carried out by the Municipality of Lemesos and the Cyprus Theatre Organisation for the establishment of a Theatre Museum. The main focus behind the creation of the Museum was to preserve the history of theatre in Cyprus and house not only Nikolaides’ collection but also other archives from other individuals and organized theatre bodies (professional theatre groups, theatre professionals etc) that are active in Cyprus. After years of hard work towards the establishment of the Museum, which included also finding the right space to accommodate it, Panos Solomonides donated the Kouvas printing factory building to the Municipality of Lemesos. His donation allowed the Municipality to gradually transform the old factory into the Panos Solomonides Cultural Centre that was inaugurated in 2010. Today, this venue houses the Cyprus Theatre Museum, which officially opened its doors to the public on the 26th of March 2012, on the eve of the celebration of the International Theatre Day.




Izzy: Creativity is what makes people different giving them power. The theatre includes a multitude of aspects. What we could discover inside the museum and which is your role inside this play?
N.K.: Printed material, costumes, scale models, props, set and costume designs, as well as photographs and posters constitute the exhibits of the permanent collection of the Cyprus Theatre Museum, giving visitors the opportunity to take a virtual tour in the island’s history of theatre. The Museum consists of three main sections: History - a journey through the major stages of theatre activity in Cyprus, with an emphasis on the periods that mark the changes in the development of the island’s theatre scene; The Contributors –.A section about the collaboration and joint efforts of a number of professionals and artists (playwrights, directors, actors, set and costume designers, composers, lighting designers, choreographers, technicians) contributing to the production of a theatre performance and finally The performance – this section hosts costumes from significant and emblematic performances of the island’s theatre history.
Apart from the collection of Nikos S. Nikolaides, the Museum also includes Giorgos Filis’ archive with material of the Organisation for the Development of Theatre (OTHAK), Giorgos Vatyliotis’ photographic archive, material belonging to the Cyprus Theatre Organisation, as well as exhibits from many theatre professionals and companies that donated or lent various objects from their unique collections. From the above archives, some objects are exhibited and others have been placed in the Museum’s library and archive. Among those, one may find the large collection of books on theatre from Nikos. S. Nikolaides and the continuously updated theatrical poster collection. Visitors can enjoy both the exhibition and also ask to study books and other printed material from the library and archives.
Apart from its beautiful exhibition and very interesting archives and library material, the Cyprus Theatre Museum offers a series of educational programs. My role as a theatre practitioner is to design and implement the interactive workshops of our educational programs along with another colleague. The two of us form the team for the educational programs of the Museum.






Izzy: Children love to make discoveries, to listen stories, to be part of a world of imagination. What has the Cyprus Theatre Museum to offer to the kids they wish to come for a visit? How old you can be to enjoy the visit?
N.K.: The Cyprus Theatre Museum has a few stations in its space designed specifically for children and young people. For instance, the museum has a corner where one may find the Dressing Room area. Here, a small wardrobe is available for children (and adults!) who can put on bizarre or classical theatrical costumes as well as hats and masks. By encouraging children to put on a costume and take on a role, they can try various outfits in front of the characteristic dressing room mirror and also step on a stage. The Museum’s stage is a space of play for children where they can do small improvisations while trying on different roles. Next to the stage, a light designing console is available for the young visitors who wish to experiment with adjusting the intensity and color of the lights. In the Museum’s corridor of deforming mirrors, children can see themselves and others be transformed into somebody else, taking various heights and widths.






Izzy: On the Cyprus Theatre Museum website www.cyprustheatremuseum.com  I've noticed that there are many interesting activities that kids can be part of by visiting the museum. What can you tell us about these activities and how kids can be part of them?
N.K.: Our educational programs’ initiative is an interesting and fun experience for any child aged from 4 years old onwards to have in our Museum. Our educational programs aim towards allowing children to become familiar with the space and with the history of Cyprus theatre and the art of theatre in general, through interactive methods, developing at the same time children’s creative expression, imagination and ability for collaboration. The educational programs are based on the students’ capacity for observation and association of information, the exploration of space and discovery. We employ empirical and active learning, focusing on drama techniques, making the tour of the Museum an enjoyable, playful experience for our young visitors. Beyond the interactive tour, the educational programs also include a craft making part. According to the age group, young visitors can make theatrical posters, theatrical masks, hats as well as costume and set designing. Our educational programs are designed for children and young people aged from 4 to 18 years old and they are mostly designed to accommodate the needs of organized children and youth groups from schools and other educational establishments.



Izzy: What about kids visiting the museum with their parents? Can be a visit at the museum part of a family day out?
N.K.: Smaller group visits, such as a family visits, are definitely encouraged. We can offer interactive tours of the Museum with the use of theatrical play for the children and parents together, as long as the tour is booked in advance. Also, we regularly organize events that may interest parents and children such as theatrical performances for children and young people, storytelling workshops for children or for parents with their children as well as theatrical crafts workshops. Also, the Museum collaborates periodically with external collaborators who offer their expertise in implementing workshops with children on a variety of themes. To stay informed about such events, one may visit our website or send us an email to include them in our mailing list.



Izzy: A museum can be a place where people can meet and enjoy various activities. Is this the case of the Theatre Museum?  What other activities are you organizing on the premises of your museum?
N.K.: The Cyprus Theatre Museum is definitely a space where theatre researchers and enthusiasts meet, artists meet and collaborate, families and children come to enjoy an afternoon, learning and having fun. Beyond the educational programs we offer and the various workshops and theatrical performances we offer regularly for children, we also organize activities for adult audiences as well. We have an open call for collaboration with artists who would like to exhibit their work (parts of a theatrical performances for instance) in the Museum spaces. This collaborations result in the realization of performances inside the Museum, which are open to the public. Also, we just recently started to collaborate with theatre practitioners who offer professional workshops for adult training such as teacher training on the use of theatre as a tool in their work.


Izzy: As it is a custom now on our webpage I would like to ask you to tell us a story about Cyprus Theatre that we will enjoy reading it.
N.K.: “1934. We are at Xenos village in Cyprus. At the village kafeneio the theatre group of Aggelos Vazas is about to perform. However, the theatre group has not paid the owner of the kafeneio the rent for the previous performance they put up in his property last time they came to the village. During the performance, the owner – out of ignorance or spite, we cannot tell for sure – invades the stage space. The actor, Kostas Metzitis, who was playing the role of a rich Conte, desperately tries to save the scene. He includes the owner in the action as a waiter and asks him to offer a drink to the lady (played by Marika Baza) who the Conte was flirting with according to the plot. The owner, then, in his heavy Cypriot dialect exclaims “If you don’t pay me what you owe now, I am not bringing anything to anyone!” (as accounted by Achilleas Lympourides in his book Istorikes Pragmateies).

Thank you very much for the fantastic opportunity offered to discover the insides of the Cyprus Theatre Museum.
Lots of sunny days from Izzy the Cypriot Lizard!

Cyprus Theatre Museum
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9.00 – 13.00
Tuesday - Friday: 16.00 – 19.00
Sunday: 10.00 – 14.00 For pre booked visits only
Closed Saturday and Public Holidays
Entrance Fee: 3 euro / 2 euro concessions / Children under 12 for Free.
Address: 2-8, Panos Solomonides Street (former Androutsou str) 3032 Lemesos
Phone no: +357 25 343 464
Webpage: www.cyprustheatremuseum.com
E-mail: theatre.museum@cytanet.com.cy
Contact person: Mrs. Angelina Moridou

Map Location: