I’m trying to decide if I want to pay 2.5 Euros to enter the Pafos Castle.
It’s a small castle, and from the outside, it looks like people are merely walking around the top of the wall, pointing their cameras at the sea and the city, not inside the castle itself, which leads me to guess that there really isn’t anything interesting inside.
At the entrance, I read the kiosk narrative, which is an adventure in itself since tourists simply step in front of me, without so much as a ‘pardon me’, blocking my view.
The castle was built at the end of the 14th century during the Frankish period, on the harbour of Nea Pafos, as part of the coastal defence system of Cyprus.
There is no mention of heroics or battles or whether the castle was used for anything other than a salt store and a prison in its long history.
Some visitors walk straight past the kiosk and pay for an entry ticket, but return fairly quickly.
A young couple steps in front of me, reads the kiosk narrative, goes to the counter to pay the fees, and enters the castle.
They return in four minutes and twelve seconds – yes, by this time, I’m timing it out of curiosity – the woman leading and the man yawning behind her.
I hum and haw, but in the end decide to save my 2.5 Euros.
