I’ve found Wonderland. It was totally unplanned, we just ended up there. And it was so beautiful that, two weeks later, it feels dreamlike.

Am I romanticizing? Totally. I blame this horse:

I drove past it at a point in our journey where the Troodos mountains were flattening out into the Mesaoria Plain. It was like a scene from a fairy tale. I had to turn the car around to check it didn’t have a unicorn horn between its ears.

We were on our way to the Mitsero mine. It took two hours to get there and 10 minutes to visit. So instead of going home the way we’d come, we thought we’d do some exploring. We were surrounded by sun-kissed barley fields and the horizon was lined with mountains. I just needed to grab a princess dress and go for a gallop on that beautiful white horse and I would have been in The Princess Bride.

We drove east towards Tamassos, past more beautiful fields. Surreally, next to one was a cute wicker armchair. The perfect spot for reading a good book (ideally a fairytale . . .).

This amazing church just outside of Arediou only added to the atmosphere.

We visited the tombs of Tamassos, the ancient city kingdom (more on this another time), then started to head south in the general direction of home. I wanted to check out the tiny mountain village of Fikardou – not only because it has a storybook name but because it’s in a remote location and I wanted to know whether it was worth visiting properly another time. We studied the map and found a road that would take us from Klirou village to Fikardou. But just as we were about to set off, I spotted another route that would also take us past the hideout of EOKA second-in-command, Gregoris Afxentiou, as well as the Machairas Monastery. It was a longer route and on an ‘unsealed road’ (a track), but what the heck?

This route took us through Wonderland, as I have come to call it. The flat plain became hilly and then mountainous. The valleys were lined with bright green meadows and the sides of the hills with trees in blossom.

There was colour everywhere; yellows, reds, rusty oranges, lime greens. All topped with a bright blue sky.

Unexpectedly we came across a bright blue pool – probably an old mining lake. I wondered whether it would offer a good swimming spot for ramblers in the summer.

We drove around tight bends that double-backed on themselves. Between one bend was a dried-up creek that would have been idyllic if there had been water. As we drove past we disturbed two hoopoes who flew over the car and into a tree opposite. Hoopoes are my favourite birds in Cyprus. They are so distinctive, yet migratory, so they don’t visit for long.

Further on, we drove through an area that was filled with tall white flowers – hundreds of them on all sides, stretching up above us and down below into the valleys. Amidst the sea of white were red-leaved trees – it was totally stunning.

As we continued onward, the track climbed higher and the valley fell away steeply on the other side. The landscape became more dramatic as we drove through more mountainous terrain.

And the trees became more majestic.

Seriously, there were times when it was hard to believe that we weren’t driving through a National Trust property. Everywhere looked so well-landscaped – as though someone had consciously decided to plant the red tree next to the yellow bush with the contrasting deep green pine behind.

As we got higher, we began to catch hazy glimpses of the Machairas Monastery on the far mountain. The closer we got, the more magnificent it appeared. The Palace of Wonderland.

About a kilometre before the monastery we saw a sign pointing to Gregoris Afxentiou’s hide-out. We parked the car and followed steep steps down the side of the mountain. The steps ended at a little burrow draped in wreathes and flags.   We had a look inside. This was where Gregoris Afxentiou had hidden from, and eventually been killed by, the British during EOKA’s fight for independence in the 50s. He is considered by many a national hero and streets are named after him.

We followed the road to the monastery and took in how impressive it was. It is huge, with small churches dotted here and there in its grounds on the mountainside. It is bigger than Kykkos Monastery and I must return for a proper visit to see whether it is as impressive on the inside.

It had taken us an hour and a half to drive through Wonderland. One day I’d like to walk it. It was getting late and it was time to push on. We drove past the monastery and through Lazanias. To the left of the road just before entering the village is this:

An entrance to an underground goblin kingdom? EOKA hideouts? Some sort of drainage system? I have no idea what this is and I haven’t been able to find anything about it online. The tunnel is narrow with a slightly pitched roof and turns the corner at the far end. I wish I had the guts to go in, but it looked so old and claustrophobic – and I didn’t want spiders falling on my head. I’m going to send the photo to an archaeologist I know to see whether he can throw any light on it. Failing that, perhaps I can ask in the village tavern next time I visit.

We drove on through the very picturesque Gourri village and did a quick detour to have a look at Fikardou. It seems to be a TINY village, unless there’s more to explore on foot. It looks like something from a storybook. For today, it was too late to stop but I will visit it again when I go to the Machairas Monastery.

It took two hours to get home from Fikardou. Goobie slept the whole way – dreaming of fairy tales? I certainly would have been. Yes, I’m romanticizing, but Wonderland felt touched by magic. The colours, the light, the dramatic landscape. We went at a colourful time of year, during springtime blossoms. And we went during late afternoon when the light makes everything look its most magical. Would Wonderland feel so wonderful at any other time? Dunno. But for me, this was the most beautiful drive I’ve been on. So far.

If you are interested, this was our route. Click on the images to enlarge them.