|
Date: May 1, 2004
Cities: Rhodes, Lindos
 After a 7:00 buffet breakfast we assembled to leave at
7:50 and took the English speaking bus for our tour. We went to the
old city of Rhodes first, in large part because the rest of the buses
headed to Lindos first. The old city is very picturesque, with
fortified walls mostly intact and a rebuilt citadel which the Italians
had planned to use as a residence for Victor Emanual II. World War II
prevented him from occupying it, but the restoration was
completed.
 The bombings during the German occupation did not
damage the structures much. The Hotels of the eight tongues of the
Knights of St. John are still standing, and now they house the Greek
ministry of antiquities and related groups, including the French
cultural attache. The Hospital is now a museum, which was undergoing
renovations and planned to re-open in June 2004.
 Between Rhodes and Lindos we stopped at a ceramics shop
where we watched a very skilled old man throw a pot on an electric
wheel. He had great technique, and when he finished throwing the pot,
he sliced it in half to show off the thin and even cross-section of the
thrown vessel. A few others bought token pieces in the shop, but there
was nothing simple and functional enough for our tastes.
 Acrolindos was closed for the May Day strikes, but we
drove down to the Bay of St. John and saw the church of St. John,
built in 1951. We also went into Lindos and saw a church with 18th
century artwork on a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The church was
reminiscent of the lower basilica of St. Francis in Assisi in feel,
though newer and less primitive in many respects. We also saw the
donkeys which you can hire for the ride up to Acrolindos. Since the
site was closed, tourists were having their photos taken on the
donkeys and letting their children ride.
Allan was concerned that we would miss lunch because we were running
late, but since we were on a ship-run tour, they opened the lunch
buffet line again when we got back at 13:15. That's the advantage of being
on a ship-scheduled outing.
We slept away the late afternoon before going to the 18:30 early
seating of dinner. Some people had appropriate dress for theme and
formal nights, but we were travelling in carry-ons, so we went casual
both nights. The children we expected at the early seating all wound
up in the late seating, so dinner was quiet and peaceful.
After dinner we lay on the top deck, and then watched the end of
the Greek evening show. Later we went to the Duty Free shop and bought
Jane some Disaronno and a necklace, and some chocolate for Allan. Jane got
one last decent-sized glass of Macallan Cask Strength out of her
flask, and then refilled it with Disaronno.
Since we had a relatively short distance for the 12 hour voyage to
Patmos, the Triton cruised slowly, with only one engine burning at
full steam. The chop was much more noticeable for lack of
headway. Jane took Dramamine twice a day for the whole voyage and her
stomach stayed relatively steady.
|
