From the castle we start inland towards the main square stopping at a few souvenir shops along the way. This is lucky as we are able to find some nice souvenirs that otherwise we haven’t seen on the island. Before reaching the Church of Lazarus our attention is diverted by an Old Market sign that looks promising, as the building seems to be really old.
Surprisingly the courtyard though is quite modern and there are no shops or market in sight. So we exit the old market and continue towards the church, our main goal.
The Church of Saint Lazarus is impressive but not as impressive outside compared to the Gothic cathedrals in Western Europe. Likely this is due to the fact that this is an older church, the country is smaller and the whole island was under Ottoman control for a few centuries. The whole architecture in fact is different from the Gothic cathedrals and we enjoy the difference in style.
Inside however is a different story. It is quite opulent with everything covered in gold (or at least golden) as befits one of the most important saints in Christianity.
You can go down in the crypt where multiple tombs are exhibited including one that is open that we assume must be Lazarus’? The signage is confusing to non-existent so we are not sure but still it is interesting.
Now it is time for a few minutes of relaxation. We spot a coffee shop on the Central Square and decide to buy some sweets and coffee, including the locally famous Freddie one.
Then it is time to return back to the AirBnB but inland this time. We walk on narrow roads passing a mix of ruined or near ruined homes as well as restored ones. Quite an interesting mix to observe.
We also pass a few supermarkets where we buy some provisions and wonder at the ubiquitous water tank heaters on top of the houses. Supposedly 95% or so of the houses have them, quite different from Arizona. And then we arrive at the AirBnB and spend the rest of the day relaxing on the terrace and talking with our relatives and just in general enjoying the nice weather.
