Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation

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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- Apr 27, 2019, 6:12am
- 🌧 6 °C
- Altitude: 95 m
- England Loughton Lodge Lake 52.03833, -0.8016752°2’18” N 0°48’6” W
Day 1
Preparation is EVERYTHING
April 27, 2019 in England ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
Packed? Check
Loaded car? Check
Got passport? Check
Locked back door? Check
Right, let's hit the road to Luton Airport! .....

....return to house....

Find Di, put in passenger seat? Check

Right, let's hit the road to Luton Airport!....Read more
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- Apr 28, 2019, 11:01am
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 5 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Niokhóri Saint Paul's Gate 36.44667, 28.2283336°26’48” N 28°13’42” E
1 1
Day 2
First day!
April 28, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Lovely weather. We discovered that our B&B is, in fact, just a B, so we pootled to an adjacent square (or as Greek mathematicians would have it, two right angled isosceles triangles sharing a hypotenuse) where we had breakfast.

We then further pootled to the seafront and along same, stopping as the fancy took us for beer and Bacardi. And the fancy took us quite often!

We are not alone in visiting here. In fact, most wanderings around the Mediterranean end up here. As reflected in the well known saying, all roams lead to Rhodes.

(I've been saving that for weeks, and now it's out and published I can die happy)

We have booked ourselves onto the first cruise of the season on Wednesday on a boat travelling down the east coast to Lindos. And back.

Just relaxing back in the courtyard before a return to one of the local tavernas for dinner.

See attached pics, which have explanatory captions if required.Read more
Traveler That was SUPPOSED to say picturesque...
4/28/19Reply
Traveler Lol...I got the hint! :D Good to see you in your 'comfort' clothes. Lovely weather. Enjoy!
4/29/19Reply
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- Apr 28, 2019, 6:26pm
- ☀️ 23 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Rhodes Rhodes Ferry Port 36.44167, 28.2283336°26’30” N 28°13’42” E
1
Day 2
If only the Greeks had discovered Tarmac
April 28, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We have spent the day wandering around Old Rhodes Town, which is where we are staying. The streets are cobbled which gets a bit painful on the feet after a while. Luckily there is a bar every 20 yards so although progress was slow at least our feet got plenty of chances to recover!

Not a lot else, except some enterprising glass boot salesman has made a fortune here...Read more
Traveler ...catapulted in error. Didnt realise that there was a limit on caption text!
4/29/19Reply
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- Apr 30, 2019, 11:31am
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Niokhóri Archaeological museum of Rhodes 36.445, 28.2266736°26’42” N 28°13’36” E
1 2
Day 4
There's hydration and HYDRATION
April 30, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
On the blooming hot scale, today was deffo at the upper end. Having already guzzled a litre of water in double quick time, I made the mistake of asking for a "large" coke. Rhodes does not do mediocrity. Still, being a MAN and British as well, I finished it. In only twice the time it took Di to drink 2 vanilla milkshakes.

There was so much gas that I metamorphosed into a BLIMP, but valiant wife tied a bit of string to my ankle and I floated along to See the Sights.

Which were very seeable. We sat at a table with a German couple, whose only question was "Brexit, why???" to which of course there is no answer. Retaking control of the allowable shape of our own cucumbers without interference from meddling Brussels bureaucrats suddenly didnt seem such a great reason.

Anyway, enjoy the pics...Read more
Traveler Two bloody litres!!
4/30/19Reply
Traveler Boots of beer, boots of Coke...? Must be a thirsty lot there.
4/30/19Reply
Traveler Well spotted!
5/2/19Reply
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- May 1, 2019, 2:14pm
- ☀️ 21 °C
- Altitude: 3 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Lindos Port Lindos 36.095, 28.0883336°5’42” N 28°5’18” E
Day 5
Other towns are available
May 1, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Today we ventured out from Rhodes Town on a boat trip to Lindos (if you expand the map you will see the route)

Lindos is a picturesque village built on a steep slope and wholly populated by people selling tat. Except during the daytime, when it also has thousands of people looking at tat. And, one assumes, occasionally buying tat.

At the top of the hill is an acropolis. The guidebook says it is a long hot and arduous climb. However, it is made easier if you sit on one of the many donkeys. Di, being vegetarian, objected to doing this. I pointed out that eating the donkey was by no means compulsory and, giving regard to the complete absence of eg 4 legged aubergines to sit on, we were stymied.

Fortunately we knew something that our ship mates didn't - the acropolis was shut. We had seen a sign yesterday indicating that no Greek monuments and museums open on Mayday. So we sat near the beach eating mezes and drinking beer. Far more sensible!Read more
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- May 2, 2019, 11:33am
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 15 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Niokhóri Port Mandraki 36.45333, 28.2233336°27’12” N 28°13’24” E
Day 6
The Greeks have a word for it.
May 2, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We had a very relaxed day, wandering northwards along the seashore to the tip of the island, from where Turkey is easily visible. In 1522, Suleyman the Magnificent shipped 100,000 soldiers across to besiege the Knights Hospitallers. All 300 of them. Guess who won...

We saw some good examples of votsaloto, the Greek art of pebble mosaic.

We also, by stopping at bars every few hundred metres, followed the ancient Greek rite of Megabeerikon...

And we passed Mandraki harbour again. This is where some legends maintain the Colossus stood, with a foot on either side of the entrance. It didnt, mainly because it would have immediately sunk into the sand, but there's also a big clue in that it was well documented that for hundreds of years the ruins of Colossus laid on top of a nearby hill.

Anyway... heard two tourist ladies ask Greek man if this was where statue stood. Yes, said he, one foot either side, that's where Colossus stood. At which point the dimmer tourist said Colossus?, like the Colossus of Rhodes, the Wonder of the World? We are still wondering where the f*** she thought she was.Read more
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- May 3, 2019, 3:26pm
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Greece South Aegean Rhodes Rhodes Virgin Mary's Gate 36.44333, 28.2336°26’36” N 28°13’48” E
Day 7
The day before the day we come home
May 3, 2019 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
We wandered along to the restaurant where we have had breakfast several days and dinner at least twice. Every eaterie one walks past elicits cries of come in, coffee, beer, souvlaki etc, no matter what time of day. But at "our" place, we are greeted with handshakes, enquiries after our health, given huge portions of yummy yoghurt with honey and walnuts, and also a shot of "is wine made by the monks". I cannot imagine a long life for any of the brothers if they regularly imbibe their own produce. But they would die happy, shame about the liver.

More wandering, beering, philosophising in the sun and sea breeze. Had the compulsory paddle. Bought the compulsory owl. Made the mistake of asking for a large beer, hoping for a pint, got another sodding 2 litre glass boot. Which costs more than dinner does 😱

Probably returning to "our" place (I'm sure it has a name but meh who cares) for dinner as their feta-stuffed calamari is to die for.

But tonight I shall not try to rekindle memories of Greek holidays 40 years ago, when Metaxa 5 brandy tasted pleasant. After last night's slug, I shall stick to drinking Nitromors paint stripper as it's slightly less caustic.Read more
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Traveler Di & Tim's Colossal Vacation
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- May 5, 2019, 5:54am
- ☀️ 2 °C
- Altitude: 94 m
- England Loughton Lodge Lake 52.03768, -0.8023452°2’16” N 0°48’8” W
Day 9
Home, eventually
May 5, 2019 in England ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C
The guys in Archipelagos offered to look after our cases, so, after breakfast there we simply wandered around town again stopping frequently for coffee, beer, coke, vanilla milkshakes etc. Then back to A for a late lunch/early dinner and Vangelis the owner said his cousin was s taxi driver and called him and Stavros carried our bags to his car and drove us to the airport. A bit early (7ish for a 23:30 flight) but what the heck. That heck manifested itself in the form of a text from EasyJet saying the plane was delayed 2 hours. So we settled in. Other than lateness, no great problems with the trip. Now at home having had a few moments dozing in the last 24 hours. Di has gone to bed, but I cannot sleep without watching last week's Game of Thrones. I know I shall slumber as soon as the title music starts, but I've got to try. And then collect Baileybonce.

Hope you've enjoyed these Penguins, which I hope reasonably accurately reflect a rather smashing week!Read more
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