Omodos

 

This is the extravagance of the monastery of Omodos in Cyprus. The brilliance of the gold/gilt doesn't quite come over. Often within the icons some bits, usually faces & hands, are painted, some gold- or silver- plated. the faces of the saints tend to be rather flat, & yet often very serene. It's all quite awesome.

Within the monastery there is a small lace museum. The ladies of the village used to be famed for their lace. The lace here was made with needle & thread, rather than bobbins, as I associate lace-making.

As for the village, that abounds with shops even today, selling tablecloths, cushion covers etc. In many ways it is a bit of a tourist trap, but going on a damp day in spring we were virtually the only tourists there that day. That caused some difficulties. The shops were so quiet that if you stopped to look at the goods on sale, you were instantly pounced upon. I felt literally like a sitting target. There is nothing more likely to stop me looking further or buying!