Above the village of Kakopetria, on the slopes of the Troodos mountains in the middle of Cyprus, the Church of Ayios Nikolaos stands under a roof of its own. The name Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis means Saint Nicholas of the Roof, and the explanation is simple: the little Byzantine church was so precious, and the Troodos winters so wet, that a second, steeply pitched timber roof with tiles was built over the original to protect it. The church dates from around the eleventh century, and inside its walls are covered in frescoes from several different periods, from the Byzantine to the later Middle Ages.
It is one of ten painted churches of the Troodos that UNESCO listed together in 1985, and the paintings are what you come for. The figures of saints and scenes from the life of Christ are painted in earth colours, red, ochre and deep blue, and the effect in the half-light is intimate and strangely moving. The church is a working place of worship, so dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and be quiet. A custodian is usually on hand, and if the door is locked there is normally a number to call.
For riders, the Troodos is the best reason to visit Cyprus. The roads climb from the plain through pine forest, with long, flowing curves, tight hairpins and shaded stretches that smell of resin. The surface is mostly good, but gravel and a few potholes appear on the minor roads. Remember that traffic in Cyprus drives on the left. Weekends bring many cyclists and day-trippers, and mornings are quietest. Snow can fall on the upper slopes from December to March, and Mount Olympus, at 1,952 metres, sometimes has skiing.
Kakopetria is a village with a well-preserved old quarter of stone houses and wooden balconies, a stream, and trout restaurants along the water. It has cafes and a shop, and probably a fuel pump, though Lefka, fifteen kilometres away, is a larger town with a certain supply. In the villages around, you can find local halloumi, honey and carob syrup, and in the autumn, the grape harvest and the sweet wine of the area, including Commandaria, are worth tasting.