342 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



— on its march from Troodos to Polimedia, and sub- 

 sequently met the officers at our host's dinner-table. 



After thoroughly enjoying our well-earned rest we 

 left at nhie next morning, and making a short cut, 

 struck the carriage-road again at Platroes. Every few 

 yards we met stragglers (of course I mean stragglers 

 from reasons of duty, such as handing over barracks) 

 and invalids of the detachment, on mules and in 

 carriages, till at last we finally left the road and 

 struck a rough track leading up, by a fine house at 

 Asprokremnos, into the pine forest. Through this we 

 wound for many a weary mile, catching glimpses at 

 one time of the Troaditissa Monastery below us, and 

 at another of all south-western Cyprus as far as the 

 salt marsh beyond Limassol, and finally of the sea 

 itself 



At last we reached the village of Prodromos — one 

 of the hiofhest in the island — and halted to lunch' 

 under the verandah of its little church. The vintage 

 was in full swing here, and the people brought us 

 some magnificent grapes. In fact the Cyprian grape 

 is more like our hothouse fruit than any other that I 

 have come across in my wanderings. 



On leaving Prodromos our road led up again, and 

 along a ridge covered with vineyards to the highest 

 dividing crest, from which we could see at once the 

 whole southern view already described, and the plain 

 of Lefka to the north. To our right Cape Kormakiti 

 ran out into the sea, and beyond this across the 

 blue water rose the frowning cli£fs of Taurus. Such a 

 double view I never recollect seeing before. 



The vineyards on both sides of the ridge were full 

 of labourers busy loading mules and donkeys with the 

 grapes. There is nothing pretentious about a Cyprus 



