Gun’s Travel Log: Greece – Rhodes Island 14 (TBT)

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Gun Roswell

Posted in the Throwback Thursday weekly series
Poetry, photography, tales and things that nature!

“You know, it is said that we Greeks are a fervent and warm blooded breed. Well, let me tell you something – it is true” Melina Mercouri

Ancient Kamiros

Gun’s travel log, stardate: Greece, Kamiros EET (GMT +3)

Kamiros, City in Greece

Kamiros (/kəˈmaɪərəs/; Greek: Κάμειρος) is an ancient city on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. It lies on the northwest coast of the island, three kilometres west of the village of Kalavarda.

This archaeological site contains ruins of the Hellenistic and Roman city of Kameiros together with the neighboring necropolis, which although first discovered in 1859 was mainly excavated during the Italian occupation of the island (1912-1943). Of the classical city, only the façade of a late classical fountain and some walls from the agora (market) remain.

The settlement was constructed on three separate levels of the hill. At the bottom was the first terrace with public buildings, market and temples, then on the second terrace was the main settlement and finally in a dominant position at the top of the hill was the acropolis with the Temple of Athena Kameirados (6th century BC), a reminder of the former wealth and historic significance of this ancient city.

Gun’s Travel Diary: Greece – Rhodes Island (Two)

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Gun Roswell

Posted in Travel /Photography /Travel Diary /TBT

In Greece, a place isn’t “really far away”…it’s “by the devil’s mother” (στου διαὀλου την μἀνα)

Lift Off

Gun’s travel log, stardate 08.08.2015, 04.00 EET (GMT +3)

Flying through the air
On the wings of Finnair
Keeping on smiling
As the beautiful island
Of the Goddesses and Gods
Hoping to beat the odds
And have a great vacation

Lift off: Finland, Espoo, via Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
Destination: Greece, the Island of Rhodes

The day was Saturday and the first day of this year’s short vacation time (a full week for this year ;P). So as you can imagine, the time was precious and not a second of it could be wasted.

Wake up call at four am and arrival scheduled for 06.00 at the aeroport. No later than that
to avoid having to run through the baggage drop (yes we were too lazy to drive there the night before and drop them off, which by the way, is an great option to do to avoid the morning hassle).

So after three hours of “sleep”, it was time to get up, shower, shoes and shove off. But, as Mr Murphy would have it, things never go as planned.

The taxi driver got lost and was delayed. He also was new at his job and apparently did not know the gas pedal was supposed to be used for faster speed of the vehicle. Luckily we arrived non too delayed for the original planned time and thanks to Finnair <finnair.com> they have a very organized and smoothly running operation at the airport. Therefore the baggage check, security check and the loading of the aeroplane ran as clockwork.

Although, a few minutes were lost on what we now call the “lighter incident”. Due to a simple error of carrying not one, but two lighters in the carry on bag, and thanks to a very anal security officer, one of the carry on bags was tossed over. After a few words and getting rid of the offensive lighter, we finally got through to the other side.

The gate was not far away, but unfortunately even if you are organized and briskly walking trying to get to your goal, some of the other passengers are not. They tend to stop abruptly without any visible reason in the middle of the passage way and if you are lucky, you won’t collide. After a few swear words later and quick maneuvering, the gate was reached with a few minutes to spare before boarding.

The plane ride was nice and easy, despite the scheduled four hour flight. The Finnair crew was generally in good spirits and customer orientated. Of course there are always a few rotten apples, who are waiting for retirement and just counting the days until when it all ends… Luckily we had reserved seats beforehand and had a nice comfy setup and the flight attendant checked up on us every now and again. After eating a small breakfast and some onboard shopping, there was also time to record a few memories on the smart phone.

Gun’s Travel Diary: Greece – Rhodes Island (One)

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Gun Roswell

Posted in Travel /Photography /Travel Diary /TBT

A Greek doesn’t say “I have no idea what’s going on”…she says “I’ve lost my eggs and baskets” (ἐχω χἀσει τα αυγἀ και τα καλἀθια)

Introduction to the destination

Gun’s travel log, stardate 08.08.2015: 00.00 EET (GMT +3)

Today we started our journey to Greece, namely the beautiful resort of Rhodes island.

Google.com

Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and structural remnants of its crusades-era occupation by the Knights of St. John. Rhodes City features the medieval Street of the Knights and the castle like Palace of the Grand Masters, once a Turkish prison and now a museum. The city’s bars, clubs and cafes bustle during high season.

Gun’s Travel Log: Greece – Rhodes Island 16

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Gun Roswell

“Leave no stone unturned” Euripides

Gun’s Travel Log: Greece, Rhodes: Day Six: Down Town Rhodes

Gun’s travel log, stardate: Greece, City of Rhodes EET (GMT +3)

The island of Rhodes is located at the crossroads of two major sea routes of the Mediterranean between the Aegean Sea and the coast of the Middle East, as well as Cyprus and Egypt. The meeting point of three continents, it has known many civilizations.

Throughout its long history the different people who settled on Rhodes left their mark in all aspects of the island’s culture: art, language, architecture. Its strategic position brought to the island great wealth and made the city of Rhodes one of the leading cities of the ancient Greek world.

Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese. Its capital city, located at its northern tip, is the capital of the Prefecture with the Medieval Town in its centre. In 1988 the Medieval Town was designated as a World Heritage City. The Medieval Town of Rhodes is the result of different architectures belonging to various historic eras, predominantly those of the Knights of St. John.

On today’s agenda; a road trip to the City of Rhodes. Grabbing a taxi and off to the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Rhodes city we went.

Strolling on the beach boulevard and on the shopping streets can be exhausting after a while, especially since the day seemed hotter than the previous days. Upon a small conversation about the weather – always a good subject where ever you go – we were informed the wind had changed, and the degree was therefore higher.

Walking down the street towards the museum in the harbour, admiring the view and trying to avoid the “bouncers” offering the various boat rides available there. Tempting, but not on today’s agenda. The main goal was to snap a few memories of the architecture and seashore.

After a hard day’s excursion, it was finally time for a break with some nourishment and cold drinks: Yes, you guessed the choice of food: Greek salad, what else is there when in Greece?