Wednesday 4th March 2026

Up at seven again, and after a shower and getting dressed, we go down to breakfast, each table has an attendant cat, to clear away any unwanted food. This morning we had a very meowy ginger cat, who was very keen to help dispose of any food.

We sat on the terrace to eat, having lots of coffee, fruit, and for me, pancakes with chocolate spread.

We left the hotel at nine. Jools was going to find a boat to take her on the high seas, where our first port of call was a seaside limestone pavement where we hoped to see a Blunt-nosed viper or two. But after half an hour’s searching, we drew a blank. A large group had visited the day before, and probably spooked the snakes, as their leader had snapped a large adult basking on the pavement.

So back in the bus for a run of about an hour to a secluded valley with a couple of new orchid species, growing on the wooded slopes above the road.

Through ever smaller villages, and up narrower roads until we turned up the valley road. Halfway along the tarmac gave way to a dirt track, but we pressed on.

The road soon wound its way along a steep valley, with banks rising sharply on the right hand side, which had supplied numerous boulders of various sizes which Richard had to serve to avoid.

Richard sees the orchids on the slopes above, so her parks up, and we get out and make sure we have our climbing legs.The slopes were steep enough to make footing tricky, but we saw Dachtyoriza romana and Orchis troodi, the former a custard yellow and the latter, pink and white. After climbing up the slope to the path, I walk along trying to find easier plants to snap, so I am not concentrating. So, it should not be a surprise that when I came to a small gully, I stepped on the edge of it, my foot slips, and over I go onto my backside. All others are concerned, but I am embarassed, and refuse offers of help, and get myself to my feet. No damage done. We stay longer to hunt butterflies and other plants, before driving further up the valley to a ruined monastery, where we did more butterfly chasing, as well as looking at the ruins.

The monastery was dedicated to St George, and it seems the country of Georgia pays for its upkeep and so must be its Mother church. Anyway, the ruins had icons and shrines on many walls, the whole site protected by a steel-framed roof.

After eating, I chased butterflies for a while, capturing a male Orange Tip at rest, for once.

Another hour run to the lunchtime site, a picnic site high above Paphos town, where among the woods were at least three species to be found, as well as in the case of Ophrys, some indeterminate forms that could be a new species, or a hybrid.

Who knows?

We walked round the site for two hours, racking up the steps to over 10,000, before driving further up the hill where we stopped at a small coffee shop for refreshments, then to a site right on top of the hill, with panoramic view over Paphos and the coastline.

We found another new species, Ophrys israelitica, and some over familiar ones. But a re-finding of Orchis punctulata, a species not seen on the site for over a decade was made.

Truth is we were orchided out, and then ice cream was mentioned.

We drove back to the hotel, stopping at a beachside Italian ice cream shop, so we could eat the ices sat on a terrace overlooking the beach, while the sun set away in the west.

Finally, back to the hotel, where there was a power cut, just to make life interesting for an hour, before it was restored in time for dinner, where the wine flowed well.