Today we set off for a three night break in the tiny village of Kavalasos, in the Cyprus hinterland between Limassol and Larnaca.  Bob and I stayed here for a week a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it.  The village is very quaint and traditional, lovely old stone houses, very floral and centres on a tiny square with a number of tavernas.  It’s nice to be able to just walk out of the door to eat without needing the car.

We’d taken John and Sue for lunch here on the way back to Larnaca airport on a previous visit and they’d suggested we stay here as part of their trip to Cyprus this time.  Not a problem!  We wanted to come back.  Last visit, we stayed at the Stratos Art Deco House website which was just amazing but it was unavailable this time, so I booked us into the Library Spa and Wellness Hotel. website I booked John and Sue a junior suite and Bob and I took a deluxe double room.  Bed and breakfast.  It cost us about £220 for the three nights for our room and about £250 for their suite.  Everything was confirmed and paid for and the agent (LoveHolidays) rang me a couple of weeks ago to just check the names on the bookings “because you have booked two rooms”.  This didn’t seem odd to me at the time and she told me it was just administrative.

Anyway, we left Ilgaz at about 1130.  We waited with Habibi the gardener as he was taking the tops off our large pepper tree, so we wanted to ensure he was safe.  It was an ideal opportunity to pick some more pepper berries too.  Sue and I both filled containers to take home.  It was a gorgeous day today, back to peak Cyprus weather.  Blue sky, hot sun and about 29C.  It took around 2 hours to drive to Kalavasos.  The border was busier than usual due to lots of Greek Cypriots crossing to fill their cars up with petrol in the north, which is hugely cheaper, despite the lira issues.

Kavalasos was as lovely as ever on arrival and we parked in the upper carpark which is a two minute walk to the hotel.  It was very disappointing to be informed when we arrived that due to a mix up with the booking (you booked two rooms in the same name!???), they had the junior suite but not the double available.  But we have booked you into a cottage resort in the village and you will still come here for your breakfast!!!  We had lunch in the hotel courtyard.  John and Sue’s suite was very lovely and well equipped.  Amazing marble jacuzzi bath that would take four people!!!  We walked down to our cottage resort which is on the other side of the village.  It is very nice, very traditional and we have a two room cottage with a full kitchen, right by the pool.  If I’d booked it, I’d be quite happy.  However, we’d booked to be in the same resort, not on either sides of the village so this is a disappointment.  I have written to Love Holidays accordingly.  I mean, I booked two rooms, I paid for two rooms, two rooms were confirmed.  What the hell is so weird about that????  There is no excuse.  I feel they should have upgraded us into a junior suite if all the doubles were booked, not shunted us out.  We shall see what the response is.  The most inexcusable thing is that they did not contact us beforehand to tell us that the hotel was fully booked and they could not live up to their side of the booking.

Anyway, unpacked and I had a lovely dip in the pool and then lay out and had a bit of a nap.  Bob just turned in and slept for a few hours!.  It’s very peaceful here.  Literally no noise.

Met up again for drinks at the hotel and then went down to one of the tavernas on the square for dinner.  We went to the Retro Taverna which had been our favourite on our previous visit.  I had a fabulous slow cooked pork and lamb stew, as did Bob.  John had massive king prawns and Sue had souvlaki.  We washed it down with a jug of village red wine.  We had dips, bread and a wonderful salad.  The food was good, the service was poor.  I have to say that we wouldn’t return to this one based on tonight’s showing.  Off sightseeing tomorrow.