Blogs from South Aegean, Greece, Europe

By far the largest and historically the most important of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes abounds in beaches, wooded valleys, and ancient history. Whether you’re here on a culture-vulture journey through past civilizations, or simply for some laidback beach time, buzzing nightlife, or diving in crystal-clear waters, it’s all here. The atmospheric Old Town of Rhodes is a maze of cobbled streets that will spirit you back to the days of the Byzantine Empire and beyond. Further south, in the picture-perfect town of Lindos, capped by an ancient Acropolis, sugar-cube houses spill down to a turquoise bay. While both Lindos and Rhodes Old Town get very crowded in summer, Rhodes is large enough to allow plenty of room to breathe that pure Aegean air. A Little Bit of History: the island was inhabited in the Neolithic period, ... read more

Santorini is probably the most popular island destination for tourists in Greece. It is actually the smallest of the Cyclades island chain, but it is special because it was formed by volcanic eruption. The three cities of Santorini sit high on top of the cliffs that form the caldera of the volcano, with three small uninhabited islands in the middle, one of them an active volcano. There are three other volcanoes near Santorini, all undersea, so they are not visible. Since they are all active, with the last eruption in 1950, I was a bit uneasy the whole time. One of our drivers said that when the experts begin to see activity, the locals will have three days to completely vacate the island and hopefully make it to safety before it erupts. It is geologically very ... read more

Today’s the last full day of the art tour, which is making us both feel very sad. But what’s even sadder is not being able to enjoy it with the rest of the Rembrandts. Issy’s almost back to 100%, but we’re still feeling just slightly nervous about passing on the dreaded virus to others in the group. We decide to stay put while they head off on a boat to produce yet more masterpieces at a small garden over on the other side of Telendos Island. We spend the morning in the now familiar confines of our COVID isolation balcony. My itchy feet eventually need scratching so I head off for a wander. First up is the village harbour which is well populated with cute little fishing boats. The road around the waterfront is a tad ... read more

So here we both are, stuck in COVID isolation in our hotel suite. Issy’s thankfully feeling a bit better today, but not really well enough to go anywhere. And anyway, I think she still needs to be avoiding crowds for a day or so yet, and then only with a mask for a few days after that. So what to write about when by far the most exciting event for the day was a thrilling trip to the supermarket, with mask on of course, to stock up on a few essential supplies. Actually that wasn’t the day’s most exciting event, but more about that later. My throng of faithful subscribers, all five of you, will be pleased to know that in order to fill in a few hours I’ve formulated a new law. Some other bored ... read more

We awake to see our surroundings in daylight for the first time. The spectacular soaring rocky peak of the small island of Telendos is only a few hundred metres offshore. I opt for a lazy morning while Issy joins the rest of the Rembrandts for an art session at a bar a few hundred metres down the road. … well I thought that’s what she said, but I was half asleep when she left. An art session in a bar? Hmmm. Issy and I have been allocated the hotel’s penthouse. It’s about twice the size of all the other rooms, and it’s got a massive balcony, and a jacuzzi. Our fearless leader Diana booked the whole hotel out about a year ago. She told us she had to put someone in the penthouse and we just ... read more