Читать книгу The Journey: How an obscure Byzantine Saint became our Santa Claus - David Price Williams - Страница 61

moment he directed the stern anchors be thrown over the side and with the ropes slowly paying out he brought the ship to a gentle halt prow-to along the dock wall. A crewman jumped ashore with a rope to make us fast to a bollard on the wharf.

“Did you know that Paphos is the city of Aphrodite?” asked Polios. “The story goes that she came ashore here when she was first born, riding on a wave of foam. There used to be a huge temple to her in the centre of the city. It’s gone now, but the idea of the home of the goddess of love still remains. Paphos has some of the best houses of love in the world and many seamen calling in here run off and sample the delights of the local ladies! But Paphos is very much a Christian city too. St Paul, one of the leaders of the early church, came here and is very much revered by the local people. Many pilgrims make the trip to Paphos to see where he stayed. Paul is very important to us Christians”, he said.

That was the first time I realised that the captain was an adherent of the Christian faith. I was surprised he was so open about it, but I suppose he felt he knew me and didn’t worry too much about keeping it secret.

“I have to go to a house in the middle of the city near the market place. Perhaps you’d like to come with me.”

Having nothing better to do I walked down the gangplank after him and we strode purposefully off into the crowds along the quay

DAVID PRICE WILLIAMS