Orthodox methods

One of the treats I was expecting on our first visit to Cyprus was the chance to see some 4th century orthodox church in its original decorated state, all icons and wall paintings.

I don't know where I got that idea, because your average Cypriot Orthodox church is nothing like that. Apart from the monastery at Agios Neophytus, all the churches we came across looked brand new...

The stonework seems crisp, clean and, for want of a better word, recent. (The image above is from Ayia Napa in the south east, while the church below is Agios Pachyammos on the north west coast).

Up in the Troodos mountains, the tale is the same. A mountain village may look tumbledown and shabby, but the church is always clean, crisp and looks quite new.

Its quite a contrast to the UK, where churches are often in grave need of repair and restoration through neglect and falling numbers. You can see that your average Cypriot treats the local priest with suitable reverence and they clearly care for the churches a great deal. In my opinion this reflects in the moral stance of the population as well. They seem to be more trusting and trustworthy than we are here in the UK. Rural Cypriots leave their cars unlocked, often with the keys inside, sometimes with the engine running(!) while they pop in a shop.

By contrast, Countryfile on the BBC ran a feature recently about the ever rising tide of rural crime here in the UK. Apparently farmers should be locking more stuff up and fitting security to their farm yards.

I wonder: Is there a lesson here?