We got up early this morning, had breakfast and walked over to catch the public bus to Lindos. It was 5 euros per person rather than lots more for the tour bus. The trip took about an hour and 20 minutes and was one beautiful sight after another. I tried to take some pictures, but pretty much got window glare. The bus was not at all full when we left the city, but we picked up people along the way until it was standing room only. Quite a few school children, including the driver's middle school aged son were on their way to exams at a school quite far from the city. I didn't ask why they went so far. Maybe it was a particularly good school or something. There were beautiful resorts along the way and even a scruffy looking golf course, most of which looked like the rough, as best as I could see, but people were playing. The coastline was beautiful as were the rock formations.
When we got to Lindos and looked at the donkeys available for the trip up to the acropolis, it did not look at all fair to the donkeys to have us ride, so we walked to the top. It really wasn't a bad climb. Lots of steps, but broken by lengths of path slanting upward. Much better than that moderate hike we took with Tom and Sharon at Fontana Dam years ago. That trail was only about 18 inches wide a good bit of the way, had holes and was a sheer drop down the mountain if we had stepped off the path. If anyone had gotten hurt it would have taken a helicopter to get them. We were so dehydrated by the time we got home that after he sat in a chair for a few minutes, Del's legs stuck up like a June bug on it's back, and I was sick on my stomach as Mother used to say. I had told the person in charge that my walking took place while shopping in a mall, and she assured me I would be fine. Thank goodness I didn't have the strength to strangle her afterwards, though I did give her most of my mind. A piece would not have done it for me. But I digress.
The views were amazing. Del got some pictures that I will post eventually. When we got ready to come down, a donkey wrangler insisted we ride down. We refused for the health of the donkey. He sent his fellow wrangler to get two bigger donkeys and we headed off. The donkeys certainly had minds of their own, so we just held on tight to the front of the saddle like thing. There was a wide path, but they preferred to walk beside the path on a narrow rocky earthen trail. They also did not at all mind running down small children if they got in the way. The wrangler pointed out that parents should have been watching out for the small child and that all is well that ends well. Some man scooped him out of the way just in time. I was not so fond of the going down steps part of the ride, even after telling the donkey that he had a Democrat on his back, and should treat her carefully. He tended to hug the wall and bump my leg against it from time to time. In any case, no donkeys dropped dead during the ride. I don't know what happened after we left.
We had lunch at a little taverna, calamari, Greek salad and saganaki. It interests me that each time we have the salad, it is a little different. This one had a few shreds of cabbage and carrot and a pickled herb called capari, if I understood correctly as well as the typical ingredients. I'm hoping the cucumbers in Rhodes are not carrying the ecoli germ, because if they are, we are doomed. It is also interesting that the feta and the olives taste a little different each time. How many meals can you eat calimari without overdosing? We aim to find out.
The bus home was packed and hot, hot, hot. Forget all that stuff I said about it being cooler here in June.
As it happens, our walk back to the hotel passed a McDonald's and we went in for huge cokes. Thank you Ronald. Not as good a syrup fizz ratio as Prague, but still good. We came home, looking forward to turning on the air conditioning, but could not figure it out. I went down to ask and found out that the energy saving strategy is quite complex. We understood that the door key has to be inserted in the electricity slot, but the maid had left the door to the balcony open about an inch and it had to be closed to complete the circuit for the air conditioning. Is that as fascinating to you as it is to me?
After showers and a rest, we went back to our restaurant, Rodofagia, for a late dinner - late being 7 o'clock. Del had fish with eyes and I had a pork chop, most of which is in the fridge. It must have been a giant pig. Everything was lovely. The cook came out to tell us no stuffed squid because the delivery man delivered the wrong size for stuffing. Del admitted that he was kind of glad.
When we got to Lindos and looked at the donkeys available for the trip up to the acropolis, it did not look at all fair to the donkeys to have us ride, so we walked to the top. It really wasn't a bad climb. Lots of steps, but broken by lengths of path slanting upward. Much better than that moderate hike we took with Tom and Sharon at Fontana Dam years ago. That trail was only about 18 inches wide a good bit of the way, had holes and was a sheer drop down the mountain if we had stepped off the path. If anyone had gotten hurt it would have taken a helicopter to get them. We were so dehydrated by the time we got home that after he sat in a chair for a few minutes, Del's legs stuck up like a June bug on it's back, and I was sick on my stomach as Mother used to say. I had told the person in charge that my walking took place while shopping in a mall, and she assured me I would be fine. Thank goodness I didn't have the strength to strangle her afterwards, though I did give her most of my mind. A piece would not have done it for me. But I digress.
The views were amazing. Del got some pictures that I will post eventually. When we got ready to come down, a donkey wrangler insisted we ride down. We refused for the health of the donkey. He sent his fellow wrangler to get two bigger donkeys and we headed off. The donkeys certainly had minds of their own, so we just held on tight to the front of the saddle like thing. There was a wide path, but they preferred to walk beside the path on a narrow rocky earthen trail. They also did not at all mind running down small children if they got in the way. The wrangler pointed out that parents should have been watching out for the small child and that all is well that ends well. Some man scooped him out of the way just in time. I was not so fond of the going down steps part of the ride, even after telling the donkey that he had a Democrat on his back, and should treat her carefully. He tended to hug the wall and bump my leg against it from time to time. In any case, no donkeys dropped dead during the ride. I don't know what happened after we left.
We had lunch at a little taverna, calamari, Greek salad and saganaki. It interests me that each time we have the salad, it is a little different. This one had a few shreds of cabbage and carrot and a pickled herb called capari, if I understood correctly as well as the typical ingredients. I'm hoping the cucumbers in Rhodes are not carrying the ecoli germ, because if they are, we are doomed. It is also interesting that the feta and the olives taste a little different each time. How many meals can you eat calimari without overdosing? We aim to find out.
The bus home was packed and hot, hot, hot. Forget all that stuff I said about it being cooler here in June.
As it happens, our walk back to the hotel passed a McDonald's and we went in for huge cokes. Thank you Ronald. Not as good a syrup fizz ratio as Prague, but still good. We came home, looking forward to turning on the air conditioning, but could not figure it out. I went down to ask and found out that the energy saving strategy is quite complex. We understood that the door key has to be inserted in the electricity slot, but the maid had left the door to the balcony open about an inch and it had to be closed to complete the circuit for the air conditioning. Is that as fascinating to you as it is to me?
After showers and a rest, we went back to our restaurant, Rodofagia, for a late dinner - late being 7 o'clock. Del had fish with eyes and I had a pork chop, most of which is in the fridge. It must have been a giant pig. Everything was lovely. The cook came out to tell us no stuffed squid because the delivery man delivered the wrong size for stuffing. Del admitted that he was kind of glad.
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