RHODES

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RHODES, GREECE 19.10.14. Clear weather



Today was a travel day, travelled only a relatively short distance that took over 8 hours. The airport queues are long, very long, and the waiting at departure gates is monotonous. The entire world seems to be travelling, all our flights have been FULL and cramped.

We travelled to Rhodes via Athens. The weather on route was clear and sunny. Landing at Athens, the difference in landscape to Istanbul was dramatic. The scenery was of low barren hills and there were fields of trees that looked to be olive plantations. The airport is relatively new, but small by comparison to many of the airports we have passed through. Didn't really see anything of Athens on the flights, so uncertain of our large it's sprawl is compared to Istanbul's 11 million population.

The flight on to Rhodes was brief, 45 minutes, and flew over sparkling blue water of the Aegean and Icarian seas which looked like they were being whipped by wind, as there were many white caps. The islands were barren, mountainous and populated by small towns. They each looked appealing. Rhodes was the largest of all and is about 90 Kms in length.

The temperature was much warmer on landing, and good weather is forecast for the next 5 days. We are staying in a pleasant pension, the home of the former French consul, in the new town, at the tip of the island. Whilst it's called new, it seems quite old, with myriad narrow and picturesque lanes devoid of cars running down to the sea.

We ate dinner of lamb chops, salad and felafel washed down with mythos beer, delicious. The chops were sizeable, not the mouth size lamb bites sold by Woolies and had some fat adding flavour. May partake again tomorrow!

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