Rhodes

I am just back from a holiday in the Greek island of Rhodes. Even after the fine summer we had this year, Roma and I still fancied a few days in the sun. In the past I have blogged nearly every evening while on holidays - mostly because I knew my father would be reading the posts the next day. Nowadays its one just post covering the whole holiday!

Rhodes Acropolis.

We spent the first few days in Rhodes city close to the old walled city. This is a tourist trap and was very crowded, particularly when giant cruise ships visit. Nevertheless it was great fun and we enjoyed the many jewelry, ceramic, and souvenir shops. Lots of nice restaurants and cafes to visit too - even though it was close to the end of the holiday season in Greece, there were lots of other tourists about. The city walls are fantastic and while I visited the Museum of Archaeology (boring) - there's not a lot else to see. The Acropolis outside the city is definitely worth a visit. We also took a day trip to the nearby island of Simi - not much different from Rhodes. At least I can say I was island-hopping in Greece!

Rhodes city is reasonable value for food and drink and everything is within walking distance. It is not a city suitable for people in wheelchairs or with buggies - paths are either very small, non-existent, or blocked. Also watch out for speeding scooters!

Where the Aegean and Mediterranean meet.

We spent the second part of our holiday in the town of Pefkos about 50km south of Rhodes city. This is a popular location for the British - almost no Irish people here. We were very close to the beach and went for a swim three or four times a day. The town of Lindos was a short drive away and we went there two times. Parking is a bitch and the narrow streets become very crowded - sometimes you can't move as there are so many people. Lindos is good fun and is in a spectacular location with a magnificent Acropolis overlooking it.

We also took a day trip to the very south of the island at Prasonisi where there is a very large beach. The water was lovely here and we also got to swim where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet. This also coincided with a break in the weather when spectacular thunderstorms hit for our last few days.

Cheers from Lindos!

Rhodes is a beautiful island, but I don't think I'll be back - I feel it is a "been-there-done-that" type of location. The flight is four and a half hours and I'm not getting any younger. It is a long way to go for fine weather and there are lots of other places to see. I loved the food and the friendly Greek people - tourism is the economy here and they know it. 

Retirement is great - where to next!