#palia pun

[littlemxhoney]

Cozy Cuties & Maji Mayhem

I'm going to miss the Maji Market & all the cute details like these photo booths! I have never seen anything like this in a game & I love how the decor subtly encourages interactivity in this event!

Whenever someone misses a cow joke, I ask, 'Ormuu not in on the pun?'

[heartdrop]

so i drew the bRETHtaking soup man and i am kind of proud not gonna lie <3

here’s also without the background

closeups

and the ref that is actually my screenshot form the game (yes i MADE him look at the camera)

[kawakona]

[fastbrain]

I couldn't resist creating some dad content for Fathers' Day here in Aus yesterday.

(The Reddit post with more Palia-related puns)

[awellboiledicicle]

I need more highly qualified perverts to get into Palia so I can pose the question "what's the dental care scene like?" Or "Do you think midwifery is a separate thing from doctoring? Is surgery? Would Chayne have scalpels" and get a two page minimum response where someone sat up straight and said "my time has come".

Every fandom needs an array of highly specific perverts.

And like. Sexual perverts because I've seen staggeringly little smut. Which is baffling for a variety of reasons. Make your blorbo fuck nasty, folks. Live a little. Its okay.

Give Jina objectum for artifacts. Make Sifuu decide she needs to lean into how horny her book was and she needs more research. Write Nai'o and Kenyatta fucking in the stables bc that's 1000% what they're up to. Write Reth jacking off to the player bc he doesnt have time to get frisky but he has a few mins to rub one out. Write Barduu and Delilah where he's worshipping her body and making bad puns. Write Hassain jerking off to the player and getting mad at himself bc he let his little crush get this far before they've shown interest. Ainar.

Theres possibility here people!

[artemis-moonsilver]

Opinions No One Asked For™️: Palia NPC Edition

Auni: I love this kid. I want him to think of me as a cool older sister or cool aunt. I bring him bugs every chance I get

Ashura: I want him to be my dad. Genuinely love him. Serious contender to be my Shepp

Badruu: He really turned the puns up to 11. I love him. Also want him to be my dad. And possibly my Shepp

Caleri: I wasn't too sure about her, but after getting to know her, I feel like we have quite a few similarities. Definitely want to be her friend. Could she be my Shepp? 👀

Chayne: I find him so calming. He also feels dad-like to me. 100% want him as a support figure/father figure regardless of who I choose as my Shepp

Delaila: Love talking to her. Really want to get to know her better at this point (but 100% want her to win all the prizes at farmers markets/festivals)

Einar: Absolutely adorable and I love him. Only platonically tho. I will give him as many Gils and shiny rocks as he wants

Elouisa: I wasn't sure at first, but I LOVE her unhinged theories. I want to be her best friend. I will investigate all the paranormal things with her. Contender for my Shepp. Girl let's go ghost hunting

Eshe: So snobby. So bougie. So bitchy. I wish she could be my Shepp 😫 (if only because it would be entertaining)

Hassian: First impressions? What an asshole. After some time, I am...intrigued. I want to figure him out. I want to know why he is the way he is. Also fucking love Tau, the gooodest boi

Hekla: Honestly... she freaked me out a little for a long time. I'm slowly coming around though

Hodari: Listen, I get it. I see where you all are coming from. But man's just not my type 🤷🏻‍♀️

Jel: Oh Jel, my beloved. I'm not exactly subtle about it. This man is my husband. Sad, skinny, pathetic, dramatic, goth guys are My Type™️. Would marry him like, yesterday 🥀😫🪡🖤😍

Jina: At first I wasn't sure, but the more I talk to her, I'm like, "Jina, my bestie." I'm a PhD student. I feel you. Also, WOMEN IN STEM, HELL YEAH!!!! I have a feeling we're gonna be great friends

Kenji: Not a fan of your extremely privileged life ("Have you tried inheriting property?" 😐😐😐) or the invasive chapaa situation... but I also don't dislike him as much as I thought. I feel like he's playing a role he doesn't really want to, but still enjoying/expecting the high life for little to no effort

Kenyatta: She should be my best friend. I was put off at first, but she is the coolest. I see quite a few aspects of myself in her

Nai'O: I feel like he's the sweetest boi ever. I'm both like, "He deserves better than Kenyatta" and "Kenyatta is good for him." Perhaps the most wholesome NPC

Najuma: I also want to be the cool older sister and/or cool aunt that she never had. This kid is a badass and smart as hell. I wish my friendship with her was better already

Reth: This man. I love him. I'm not sure if it's platonic or romantic yet. All I know is he's one of my favourite NPCs to talk to. He's funny, he's flirty, he's got a Tragic Backstory™️. I'm here for this soup boi whether he wants it or not

Sifuu: Two words: Bad. Ass. It's a crime that we can't romance her. I really want to ask her to be my Shepp, but I'm not sure it's a good fit

Tamala: I'm sorry, Tamala besties, but I just don't like her 😭 I really wanted to like her so bad, but her aggressive flirting paired with her unwillingness to consider me a friend/equal just rubs me the wrong way

Tish: Absolutely beautiful person. I want to be her bffl. That is all

Zeki: Crime Cat, my beloved. He is the most entertaining Shepp option (imo). He's got an eye patch, a gold tooth, and shady practices. I find him amusing. I want him to like me. Share his (dubiously acquired) riches with me. Please accept me into the black market. I won't tell, but I can't promise I'll participate (I probably will 👀)

[muraplumleaf]

Badruu! Auni's Dad and the resident gardening expert in Killima Village in Palia. His puns aren't that funny, but he's still adorable.

[nikolaidelphiki]

Since a total of zero people asked me: here are my opinions on Palia non-romancable NPCs after playing the game for about 100 or so hours. And as always SPOILERs:

Ashura: You are my dad. You're my dad. Boogie-ooogie-oogie. I actually don't take to him as much as I should.The fact that he was the chill one in his family makes so much sense. He's such a calming presence. But of course there's the Regrets.

Delaila: Ok but why is she the few Older adult Majiri OG in Kilima? Like have you noticed that she's kinda the only one that's originally from the village? Like, where did she come from? Is she the real leader? Did she secretly take everyone out that she didn't like and replace them with people lured in my her homecooking? Things to think about.

Kenli: What happens when you don't give a nepotism baby a coming-of-age redemption arc. This guy is just trying his best. He likes sandwiches and cute fluffy animals. His best friend is the town priest. But despite it all man understands capitalism like no other (see Maji Market).

Caleri: She's a fav. Maybe I'm projecting but I too would die for my books and eat sleep and breathe in the library. Intelligent, unbothered by village happenings. Yet, keeps a detailed leger of each book bowers status upon the borrowed book's return. However, deeply unhappy with the cards life has delt her. I try to bring her all the glass bulbs so she can read into the night.

Elouisa: The only real G's out there. Sending me on impossible tasks to prove her theories and beat to cryptid allegations. Of course she's the older twin. Intelligent, bothered by village happenings when it comes to her projects. Still watches over her sister and cares in her own way. I love her.

Badruu: Comedic genius. I'm pretty sure when he gave up the bard life for farming, he realized he needed to put his funny guy hat on and has been spitting puns ever since. And yet despite the dad jokes, he asks me me, the amnesiad human for parenting advice. The absolute honor. Also, I just need to see him talk with Einar, PLEASE. The comedic fallout would be unmatched.

Najuma: I make the journey to Bahari Bay every day just for her. Because 1) thanks for the glider I use that every day 2) we are besties and 3) it's good to keep a genius that can blow stuff up on your side idk. We may have different types of Momma Trauma but we are still going to bond over it.

Chayne: I don't interact with him much idk. His dad's raised him right I think. Basically, caretaker for the entire village. Also my Shepp-in-law, grand-Shepp?? idk

Hekla: Jina's caretaker. A bit aloof at first. I also don't interact with Hekla much, but one day I'mma find out what's in the tent.

Sifuu: That's my Shepp! Also a problematic mother that doesn't really understand her child and yearns for days of adventure. And ripped. There's something to be said that she gave me an ornamental sword as a gift. Like insta-loyalty from me even if I wasn't romantically pursuing your son.

Auni: We babe who needed someone is his bug hunting club but mysteriously sucks at hunting most bugs if his item requests are anything to go by. The fact that he ran away from home for the exact length of time that his delivery shift is and wondered why no one was worried is absolutely hilarious and yes I read his journal and laughed.

Zeki: First of all, why is Zeki the only one selling toilets and they are contraband? Has anyone asked this? Is it like illegal to use indoor plumbing and Zeki has the monopoly?? Secondly, I know this fool is scamming me and when I finally get enough gold I'ma buy out him and his whole underground establishment. Respectfully, of course.

Eshe: If Eshe has zero haters, I'm dead. Just because she didn't get with the politically powerful sibling, she makes it everyone else's problem while somehow still efficiently running the village. Even I gotta admit no one's doing it like her. Another member of the problematic mom club but don't tell her she's been grouped with Sifuu. She'll pitch a fit.

Tau: The fact that there's only one of him is a crime. The only good boy.

[melonpalooza]

So… how many channels are there in Ronin’s discord server, what’s their name and their function?

well from the ones that have appeared

#general - yeah just general

#trauma-dumpster - talk about the more heavy topics/gets purged daily

#ventilation-shaft - for less heavy topics/venting/ranting (not in the main fic but has made an appearance in a spin off. it's there tho!)

#count-deez for the counting channel. for just... counting

There's private channels for all each brother + one for the eldest

#eldest-daughter-syndrome for the eldest turtles

#leaders-in-blue for the leos

#magnus-rushes-in for the raphs

#masterchefs for the mikeys

#moderators for the donnies

There's also an art channel for 2012 raph and rise mikey. it's not private tho but those two uses it the most.

#pun-chbowl-line for puns. enter at your own risk.

So far Ronin has made two private channels to talk to groups separately (because the DM function doesn't work on the server)

#the-baby-ones (Rise)

#stop-dying-you-fools (2012)

And there's probably like a #space-heroes channel (or maybe just #space-shows to group them all in) and other misc channels in appropriate categories about comics and shows and games. Like how one of the most recently added channels is #palia-pals so 2012 Mikey can info dump about palia without spamming #general!

In the future there might even be a #homework-help channel for the mm turtles lol

[micerhat]

Can I add you on Palia? :D

Go for it! I’m Abigale Kuss and I generally make too many tree and rock related puns in general chat!

[spiculicious]

you can't marry the dude that makes dad jokes and puns on palia. 0/10 game

[seansilv25]

Direct review time (6/21/23)

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet DLC: Neat

Sonic Superstars: It’s so weird seeing a completely 3D Classic Sonic game, but I’m listening...

Palia: FARMING SIM FARMING SIM FARMING SIM

Persona 5 Tactica: So Persona but XCOM? Okay

Mythforce: BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL... IIIIIIT LOOOOKS FIIIIIIIIINE!!!!

Splatoon 3 Splatfest: Mint Chip gang all the way

Detective Pikachu Returns: Like Crash 4, it’s about damn time!

Super Mario RPG remaster: YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Untitled Peach game: Huh... I was not expecting that

Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon remaster: oh neat!

Batman Arkham Trilogy: Nananana nananana nananana nananana SWITCH POOOOORT!

Gloomhaven: It looks fine

Just Dance 2024: It’s Just Dance... I don’t think there’s anything to say about it

Silent Hope: Taking that “Silent anime-RPG protagonist” trope to a whole new level, are we?

Fae Farm: FARMING SIM FARMING SIM FARMING SIM

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 - Turbocharged: It looks fine

Manic Mechanics: So Overcooked but cars? ...okay

M+R Sparks of Hope - The Last Spark Hunter: As someone who just recently beat the main game, I’m listening, though not as intensely as I am to the Rayman DLC

Dragon Quest Monsters the Dark Prince: Dragon Quest but the protagonist is V from DMC5

Pikmin 4: ...So Ghost Pikmin basically?

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1: Snake? SNAKE?! SNAAAAAAAAAKE!!!

Vampire Survivors: So... is it like a top-down Warriors game?

Headbangers Rhythm Royale: ...Well that was a thing...

Penny’s Big Breakaway: Cool

MK8D Booster Course Wave 5: Good to finally see Kamek in a mainline Mario Kart. Bro has been waiting since 64 for this. And looks like those leaks about a bathroom track were real!

Star Ocean the Second Story R: So does this count as an isekai or...?

Warioware Move It!: Didn’t we literally just get another Warioware game last year?

Nintendo Live 2023 Seattle: It looks fine

Tears of the Kingdom Amiibo: It looks fine

Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Whoa, man... I think those shrooms are finally kicking in...

That was a good one. It was nice to finally see a decent chunk of Mario content in a while. Now to wait for Papagenos’ stream reactions so I can see him “Papa” off at the SMRPG remaster (I am in no way sorry for that pun)

[ikakuinita]

2005

Lagi ngumpul-ngumpul di Jl. Anggrek rumahnya Ayu (lokasinya dekat dari sekolah SD). Oia saya sama Rara sekolah di SD 247, Ayu di SD 189 tapi sekolah kita satu kompleks alias SD Tiga Serangkai dan berteman baik sejak seragam merah putih karena sering sepedaan sama-sama. Ayu lain sendiri, dia lanjut di SMP 1.

Jadilah topik perbincangan kita didominasi sama pengalaman masing-masing di sekolah baru, peraturan sekolahnya, orang nakalnya, orang pintarnya. Saya sama Rara meskipun satu sekolah tapi beda kelas, Saya 7.6, Rara 7.4 tapi kita sering satu angkot kalau pulang.

Kata Ayu di kelasnya ada teman yang pintar sekali matematika namanya Inna. Tapi, ada di kelas lain yang juga piiiintaaar sekali namanya Rahmat. Ohhhhh... sedikit banyaknya saya Sama Rara familiar dengan nama juga kejadian di SMP 1 pun sebaliknya begitu.

Oia stigma yang menempel di masyarakat masa itu (entah sekarang) semua yang angka 1 itu artinya paling bagus. Seperti SMP 1, Kelas 7.1 dll hehehe. Nah, beberapa kali kita ketemu langsung sama temannya Ayu atau ketemu sama Anak SMP 1 di acara Kabupaten seperti acara 17an.

SMP 1 itu lokasi persis di tengah kota tapi tak ada angkutan kota ke sana, jadi kalau kekeuh mau lanjut di sana paling tidak punya kendaraan pribadi, ada langganan becak, ada orang rumah yang siap antar jemput atau lokasi rumahnya dekat dari sekolah terjangkau jalan kaki.

SMP 2 lokasinya di Palia jadi kebanyakan teman-temanku tinggalnya di area Pinrang bagian sana (susah jelasinnya wkwkwk). Pernah sekali waktu saya datang langsung ke SMP 1 dalam rangka Olimpade Fisika ngerjain soal beeeerlembar-lembar untuk seleksi Kabupaten. Sempat penasaran, perwakilan siswanya SMP 1 di bagian Fisika itu siapa?

Eh tapi malas juga tanya-tanya hehehe. Waktu itu saya dag ketemu Ayu mungkin karena acaranya pas di jam pelajaran padahal kepingin ketemu karena lambat laun intensitas ngumpul bertiganya berkurang, sudah jarang dengar kabar sekolah satu sama lain, sekali-sekali saja karena pergaulan makin luas, teman dekat makin banyak :)

##

[liputanviral-blog]

Gempa 7,7 SR di Donggala dirasakan warga hingga ke Gorontalo

Liputanviral - Gempa berkekuatan 7,7 skala richter mengguncang Kabupaten Donggala, Sulawesi Tengah. Gempa itu turut dirasakan warga di wilayah barat Kabupaten Gorontalo Utara, Provinsi Gorontalo, tepatnya di Kecamatan Tolinggula. "Warga sempat panik dan keluar rumah akibat guncangan gempa dirasakan cukup kuat," ujar Camat Tolinggula, Rizal Kune, di Gorontalo, Jumat (28/9). Dia mengatakan, gempa berkekuatan tinggi dirasakan warga sekitar pukul 18.00 WITA atau saat warga selesai melaksanakan salat Maghrib. "Durasinya sekitar lima menit dan dirasakan berulang-ulang sekitar lebih dari empat kali terasa seperti guncangan gempa susulan," ungkapnya, seperti diberitakan Antara. Gempa sebelumnya terjadi pukul 15.00 WITA. Namun tidak begitu terasa seperti gempa kedua. Dia mengatakan, gempa kecil berulang kali masih dirasakan hingga saat ini, pukul 18.19 WITA. Oleh karenanya, warga masih banyak berada di luar rumah untuk menghindari hal-hal yang tidak diinginkan. Gempa juga dirasakan warga di wilayah Kecamatan Kwandang. Yayu Incekaya, salah satu warga Desa Moluo mengaku sempat panik merasakan gempa yang cukup kuat. Hal yang sama dirasakan Rusni Palia, salah satu pasien rawat inap di Rumah Sakit Zainal Umar Siddiqi di wilayah Desa Bulalo. Dia mengaku, kaget merasakan gempa sama seperti pasien lainnya, namun memilih berdiam di ruang perawatan. Sebelumnya, gempa susulan terjadi di Kabupaten Donggala, Sulawesi Tengah. Gempa kali ini berkekuatan besar mencapai 7,7 skala richter. BMKG menginformasikan, gempa terjadi sekitar Pukul 17.02 WIB. Gempa ini terjadi di lokasi 0.18 Lintang Selatan, 119.85 Bujur Timur. Tepatnya, 27 km timur laut Donggala. BMKG pun melaporkan bahwa gempa ini berpotensi terjadi tsunami. Kedalam gempa berada pada 10 KM. "Potensi tsunami untuk diteruskan pada masyarakat," tulis BMKG. Akibat gempa ini, puluhan rumah rusak. Satu orang dilaporkan meninggal dunia. Pada pukul 13.59 WIB tadi, Donggala juga diguncang gempa. Pada waktu itu, kekuatan gempa hanya 5,9 SR. Read the full article

[zillowcondo]

Troodos Mountains and Lofou – Rural Cyprus at its Best

Cyprus is blessed with year round sunshine, fantastic beaches and a rich archaeological heritage. Yet it’s also one of the top ecotourism destinations worldwide. When deciding where to stay in Cyprus, consider combining a beach stay with a trip to Troodos Mountains and Lofou village. Rural tourism is well established here and you’ll be surprised by the variety of accommodation and activities on offer. Take a look at some of the highlights here.

Troodos Mountains

Troodos is the highest range of Cyprus mountains, situated in the centre of the island but within easy reach of the coast. Dotted with cedar and pine trees, it was nominated Best Emerging Rural Destination in Cyprus. Troodos weather can be a bit unpredictable so make sure to pack warm clothes for the evening and a waterproof jacket. In fact, those heading to Mount Olympus, the peak of the Troodos Mountains at 1,952 meters, should even take a ski jacket as there are four ski slopes! If you’re looking for a charming Troodos hotel, then Ambelikos Agro Hotel is a perfect choice. Driving through the scenic forest towards the hotel, we were impressed with the quality of the roads.

Ambelikos Agro Hotel

This traditional agro hotel is located in the heart of Troodos in Potamitissa village. The sense of calm is all-encompassing and the views over the surrounding mountains are stunning. We met the owner of Ambelikos at the hotel reception who checked us in speedily. Our room had a balcony overlooking the valley with a lovely four-poster bed. We dined twice at Ambelikos and the river trout is particularly good so try that if you go. A simple salad of fresh tomatoes and feta cheese was elevated to something special by the quality of the ingredients. Troodos is well established as a wine making region and we sampled Tsiakkas wine with our meals. This family run winery in nearby Pelendri is known for the quality of its organic wine. We also enjoyed a hearty breakfast of local cheese, meat, bread and jam in the courtyard under the vines.

Agros Village

Agros is renowned for its rose water distillation and cultivation of roses. The Tsolakis family chose this region 70 years ago for its nutrient-rich soil, cool climate and high altitude as the ideal location in which to plant its roses. They’re not any old roses though, they’re beautiful pink ones known as Rosa Damascena or damask roses. Since then, The Rose Factory has established a complete range of skin and bodycare products using rose essential oil and organic rosewater, Venus Rose Cosmetics. They also produce rose candles, chocolates, vinegar, jam, tea and liqueur! There’s a Rose Festival in the village in the first half of May which sounds like great fun.

A few minutes away from the Rose Factory on Triantafyllou St. you’ll find Nikis Sweets workshop. Housed in a picturesque stone building adorned with paper roses, it’s a cottage industry that employs many local women. They use only pure ingredients with no added preservatives to make the most delicious spoon sweets and jams including hawthorn, which you only find in Cyprus. We’ve tasted it and it was superb! On our factory tour, we saw the distinctive Cypriot Soutzioukos sweets drying on racks. They’re made with a mix of local white grape juice, rosewater and wholewheat flour, into which strings of almonds or walnuts are dipped. Nikis Sweets are sold all over Cyprus and exported to Asia, the USA and Europe.

Fikardou Rural Museum

Fikardou is a picture perfect village that has been protected by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and transformed into a Rural Museum. It was deserted in the early 19th century and the traditional Cyprus houses have now been preserved, with two of them being converted into museums. The house of Achilleas Dimitri is now a weaver’s workshop, whilst the House of Katsinioros has many agricultural tools on display. We spent a few hours strolling around, seeing cats basking in the sunshine and people relaxing at a local taverna. It’s open from 8.30 am to 4 pm, Monday to Sunday.

The Painted Churches of Palaichori

The village of Palaichori is fortunate to have 4 surviving Byzantine churches. The Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is UNESCO listed as one of the painted churches in the Troodos Region. In all, there are 10 painted churches in the Troodos region included in the list. Mr. Kyriakos Lagos kindly showed us around the church and gave us a potted history of this impressive site.From the outside, the building with its steep wooden roof is fairly typical of local churches in the 16th century. Its the interiors that are truly exceptional, with stunning Byzantine wall paintings. On the upper section, the Cycle of Christ is depicted, whilst the lower level comprises paintings of apostles, monks and saints. The identity of the artist is unknown and the exact date is also unclear, although there is an inscription dated 1612 on one of the porticoes. The opening hours are 10 am to 1 pm, Tuesday to Thursday and if you need assistance, you can call: +99 79 33 62 or +99 97 42 30.

Farmakas Village

In Farmakas village, we met Daniel Anastasis, the owner of Farmakas Living, 5 comfortable guest houses in the village, the Farmakas water factory, Santa Irene Winery and Ierambelos Restaurant. The latter is a very stylish place overlooking the vineyards, known for its fusion cuisine cooked on a Josper grill. Children will love visiting the donkeys nearby who were rescued by Daniel and his wife Theoni. We tucked into a selection of superb hot and cold Cypriot mezze before taking a tour of the winery with Mr. Anastasis.

You can spot the earthwear pots where wine used to be made from a glass peephole in the restaurant floor. These days, they’re used for maturing sherry and the wines are matured in stainless steel vats. Santa Irene winery has won several awards for its wines. The vines have been restored and a modern winery built which now produces up to 50,000 bottles a year.  There’s the blanc de noir Daniel wine, a dry white made from the red mavro ambelisimo grape, as well as rosé, shiraz and other red wines. This wine label is designed by the owner’s daughter.

Daniel also showed us around Eleni’s Homemade Sweets in the village. We watched as soutzioukos were prepared by boiling fruit in sugar and water. Once the syrup had set, the sweets were hung up to dry on racks. As you can see, they also had a tempting selection of spoon sweets!

Kyperounta Adventure Mountain Park

One of the best things about the Troodos Mountains is the huge array of outdoor sports and activities on offer. From hiking to cycling, there’s something for everyone. At the Adventure Mountain Park in Kyperounta, you can try all sorts of things including paintball, laser tag, Tyrolean traverse, ice skating and orienteering. It’s popular with children, adults and also for team building activities. We tried our hand at climbing and archery. Our patient instructor, who is also the owner, first showed us the ropes (pardon the pun) on a beginner’s wall before we progressed to the main wall. Anyone over the age of 8 can sign up for this activity, which we certainly enjoyed although we found it challenging to progress upwards! Archery was easier to get the hang of and Paul was soon hitting the target like a pro! There’s a restaurant with an outdoor terrace which serves up delicious homemade apple pie, in case you fancy a break or would simply rather watch from the sidelines.

Kakopetria Village

The traditional village of Kakopetria has two rivers running through the centre. The old area, known as Palia Kakopetria is a charming place with picturesque little houses, wooden balconies and cobbled streets. Classed as an ancient monument, its under the protection of the Department of Antiquities. The houses and a local wine press have been carefully restored and its a good place to find hand crafted lace and wood souvenirs.

At the entrance to the old town, you’ll find the Stone of the Couple or Petra tou Antrogynou. It used to be a tradition for newly wed couples to walk around the stone and then sit on it. However, according to legend, the stone moved and crushed a newly wed couple. It’s a strange tale but it’s securely fixed in place now, in case you were tempted to walk around it!

The Mill Hotel in Kakopetria is renowned for its warm welcome and award-winning Mylos restaurant. Lunch at The Mill is a gastronomic delight, from the homemade bread, to the locally sourced river trout, the fresh salad and naughty but nice fruit sundae with pomegranate. Our waiter had lived many years in the UK and was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

A Unique Cyprus Monastery

There are some superb monasteries in the Troodos Mountains including Kykkos which we visited on a previous Cyprus trip. We were keen to see Machairas Monastery, which houses the icon of the Virgin Mary of Machairas. Just outside the monastery itself, we came across this charming little church.

It’s not permitted to take photos inside the monastery itself but you can take a photo of the exterior from a distance. One of the highlights of our rural Cyprus visit was meeting the monks themselves. One of them spoke perfect English and approached us with a smile, explaining that we could stay for the mass if we wished. Machairas Monastery is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm or for groups by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 12 noon.

Lofou Village

We had a great time exploring the Troodos Mountains but it was time to head to our next destination, Lofou. It’s located less than an hour away and only 30 minutes from Limassol. We passed through some picturesque Cyprus villages on the way. We soon reached Apokryfo, a collection of traditional houses whose Greek name means well kept secret or hidden away. It’s been beautifully restored by the owners, interior designer Diana Hadjikyriacou and her architect husband Vakis and is considered to be one of the top boutique hotels in Cyprus and one of the best hotels in Cyprus, full stop! The Schoolmaster’s House is the largest property in the collection and boasts a huge private courtyard garden with barbecue, double height living area with a stone arch, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It’s well equipped with complimentary high speed broadband, air conditioning and flat screen TVs. The bathrooms have fluffy monogrammed towels and Korres organic toiletries. There’s even a jacuzzi in the master bathroom.

The decor of Apokryfo is a pleasing combination of traditional and contemporary style. There’s a beautiful swimming pool, rooftop terrace, gym, sauna and steam bath as well as a library with local maps, board games and DVDs.

We hear that Agrino restaurant at Apokryfo is particularly good but didn’t get a chance to try it. Up to 30 guests can stay at Apokryfo, so it’s handy for multi-generational get togethers or holidaying with friends, or you can simply book a room individually.

For dinner in Lofou village, we enjoyed traditional Cypriot food at Lofou Tavern, an atmospheric local eatery. It’s part of the Agrovino Group which also own a farm, hotel and wine bar. The owner greeted all diners and brought us some lovely mezze to sample. It’s quite a family affair with the grandchildren happily assisting and it makes for a very convivial atmosphere.

Car Hire In Cyprus

We arranged our car rental in Cyprus via Manos Cars, and the owner Marios Manoli kindly greeted us upon our arrival at Larnaca International Airport to explain how the car worked.

Getting to the Troodos Mountains and Lofou

There are regular international flights to Larnaca International Airport and it’s then a pleasant 1 and a half hour drive to the Troodos Mountains or 1 hour and 20 minutes to Lofou. However, why not do as we did and combine both the Troodos and Lofou into one visit to see two different sides of rural Cyprus.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into agrotourism in Cyprus. What really stood out for us was the hospitality of the local people, the fantastic food and cultural sights. You can find out more about nature holidays in Cyprus here. Have you ever been to Cyprus and if so what tips would you give for first time visitors to the island?

Thanks to Cyprus Agrotourism for hosting us

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