THE VILLAGE OF LEFKARA

This beautiful traditional small village is just 40 kms from Larnaca, 8 km from Skarinou, off the Nicosia -Limassol road .
(Nicosia is the English word for Lefkosia, and Limassol is the English word for Lemesos).

It is a picturesque village, famous for its local lace known as
"Lefkaritika" and for its silverware.

According to tradition, Leonardo Da Vinci visited the village and bought an altar cloth, which he donated to the Milan cathedral.

The beautiful House of Patsalos, houses the Lace and Silverware Museum of Lefkara.
The church of Archangelos Michail in Kato Lefkara is of the single aisled domed type, and has wall paintings of the late 12th century.

At Pano Lefkara -(upper) there is the church of the Holy Cross with a beautiful 18th century iconostasis and a unique 13th century silver cross.

A religious fair takes place on the 13th -14th September, in celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.


OUR VISIT TO THE VILLAGE:

The choir is arriving early this morning, and I am at the airport waiting for them to come off the plane, together with Mr . Koutsoulides Dimitris- a member of the host choir.
For many of them, this is their first trip to Cyprus, and every time I am here in Larnaca I promise myself to do everything possible for the people from Greece to feel this hospitality and the personal touch - as if I am responsible for everything - but still this is how I feel because I am coming from this island and I want every single visitor coming here, to go back with the best memories ever!

The choir arrives exactly the time we expected them to be here, and Mr. Koutsoulides hands a bunch of flowers to our choir conductor. We all get in the coach where some gifts are waiting for everyone on each seat.

Our first destination is a visit to Lefkara.
It is the 28th of October, and every single village in both Cyprus and Greece is celebrating. It is a National holiday, and is the big -Ohi- or "No Day",( the refusal of Greece in 1940 to allow Italian fascist troops into the country). 
On this day, all public schools organize a parade where the best student of the school carries the Greek flag .

The streets are bedecked with flags, people wearing their formal clothes, parents with their younger children, all waiting for the parade to come, to admire their children, and feel this unique moving moment.

We are out in the streets and free to have a stroll in this beautiful picturesque village of Lefkara. My Greek friends are interested to see this popular embroidery, others want to visit the museum, while some wait for the parade to start. We are all scattered here and there, and I am busy taking pictures, knocking on doors to see the inside of houses and gardens, taking photos of women working on their embroideries, and talk with the locals. Everywhere I see happy faces and hospitality. Women seeing me taking photos insist upon offering me a homemade dessert or a cup of coffee. Of course I have no time for such luxury! Men are sitting at the village coffee house, also waiting to hear the drums and music, a sign that the parade is coming .
Soon it is a fact. We hear the drums and all drop what we are doing and get to the side of the narrow streets to watch the parade coming.

You can see that pople are moved to tears. As the drums and parade approach, the beat gets louder, and the moment the parade passes from each one of us, it is so special. I see my friends getting out tissues to wipe their tears, and I , too, am moved by this parade. A friend of mine said that he has never had such a moving moment in his life, on any 28th October ever!

It is time to leave, and we are ready for our second destination this day. Women show each other what they have bought, and they are all so happy to have had such touching moments out here. Everyone seems to be excited and a good sign of a successful trip!