Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Rhodes, Greece. Excursion: The Acropolis of Lindos

A day at sea gave me a bit of time to recover from my two day trip in Israel. It was good to have a bit of a break.

Today was sunny as we docked at the Rhodos cruise terminal on the island of Rhodes and I was excited to get off and stand on terra firma again.

I was assigned to a small tour group and we were soon on our way, driving past old City walls along the east coast, passing Kalithea thermal springs, Faliraki beach, the remains of the Colossus; Afantou (which is also called the "invisible village") which has the only golf course on the island, past the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, Teamnka Church and of course much more along the way.

We stopped at Bonis Ceramics where we attended a pottery casting demonstration from a handful of clay. It was interesting to see this muddy mess take the form of a beautiful vase under skillful hands. We also watched students and their teacher etch patterns into the newly formed, still damp, clay items and then paint them. We were also shown the finished article prior to it being glazed and fired in a kiln. It was nice to see both 'before' and 'after' versions. The colours seemed much brighter once out of the kiln. We had time to look at pottery items and make purchases if we wanted to. Seeing the skill and time involved in making such beautiful items - it is no wonder that they can be expensive.

We continued our journey towards Lindos where it was time to stretch our legs and do a bit of walking. As we walked towards the Acropolis high on the hillside we went through narrow streets, past quaint shops selling pottery, clothes, jewellery, etc. We also stopped briefly outside the Byzantine church but didn't go in as it wasn't part of the tour. We were encouraged to go in and visit it if we had time afterwards.

Taking a cobbled stone pathway up the hill to the Acropolis there were good views of St Paul’s Bay. Donkeys were available if needed, for a fee, to get up to the Acropolis instead of walking but everyone decided to stay with our guide (Emma). The pathway was narrow and a bit steep in places but it was a lovely walk. On the outside the walls of the Acropolis our guide talked about the history of the Acropolis and its surrounds and what to look out for. After that we had time on our own to explore the Acropolis under our own steam or go back into the village. I had a nice wander around the Acropolis with its fantastic views over the surrounding area; and then headed back down the village of Lindos.

I enjoyed walking through the narrow streets of the quaint beautiful village; and browsed around a few shops. I managed to pick up a pair of felt slippers for myself - suede under-sole with felt top and a pompom on top near the toes. With different colours to choose from - I allowed the shop keeper to pick the colour for me which turned out to be a modest browny gray with orange, green and blue stitching. Were the slippers a "need" or a "want"? They were a need. My travelling sock-like slippers are in Paul's trunk on the Maasdam, and my slippers at home are well worn with holes in the toes. I keep patching up but I think it is time to let them go into retirement.

It was time to get back on the bus but one or two people ran late. Nearly 15 minutes later, and a run-around from Emma to try and find them, they arrived - to the applause of the other guests.

We had a nice drive back to the ship. All in all it was a lovely day, almost 'heading back in time', and Lindos village, itself, was beautiful.

When I got back Paul was able to take a break away from the ship for a few hours so we headed into medieval city of Rhodes, walking through the old city gates and through the town. It is in a wonderfully preserved state. The narrow cobbled streets, quaint shops and the huge surrounding fortifications gave the place a wonderful feeling. There were quite a few cats around so we had a bit of 'cat therapy', stroking and cuddling a few willing felines.

Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the castle but at least we had a nice walk; easing Paul's 'cabin fever' and allowing him time to have a breath of fresh air.

Rhodes is a place well worth coming back to visit on our own at some stage.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Bonis Ceramics