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Ahhh, to be back in the Greek Islands! We're doing 6 islands this time. The first 3 were Lesvos, Chios, and Rhodes. Then it was on to Crete, Santorini, and Mykonos.
Lesvos (aka - Lesbos) was a new island for us. As with the majority of Greek Islands it had quaint towns, some nice beaches, and lovely blue water. We were based in the capital city of Mytilini on the south coast. It was a cute little town with its own Statue of Liberty and a Venetian Castle overlooking the town and the harbor. By renting a car we were able to see the rest of the island in a day. There were winding, mountainous roads across the center and interesting towns on the north and west coast. The town of Molyvos, which was once the capital, also had an impressive Venetian Castle overlooking the village. Near the town of Sirgi, there is a true petrified forest. It's one of the few that are outside of Arizona. We had too little time to explore it thoroughly, since it was closing in a half hour. Still, we managed a quick hike to the largest of the petrified rocks and saw the
Mytilini Castle
A Venetian fortress built in the mid 1500s to protect the south coast of Lesvos.rest from a distance as we hiked.
Our ferry to Chios was 5 hours late due to mechanical problems. Not a good omen for our future ferry travel. The main features of Chios are the mastic groves and the geometric designs on the houses in the village of Pirgi. Mastic trees only grow on the island of Chios. It is the primary ingredient in chewing gum, is also used in cosmetics and to make Mastic liquour. There are several towns that have mastic groves, but the main one is Mesta. It is a true medieval walled village built in the 1400s. It was been continuously inhabited since that time.
In the village of Pirgi the house are decorated with intricate geometric patterns. The designs vary from house to house, but all follow a general accepted pattern. The scraped designs are called Xysta. The technique is done by hand with plastering sand that is tinted in black and white.
Our ferry to Rhodes was canceled due to mechanical problems and wouldn't be returning to Chios for several days. This was the same ferry that had left Mytilini 5 hours late. So "Travel Master" Ron got to work!! Within
an hour he had booked us a flight to Rhodes, booked a hotel, we packed, checked out of our hotel, and grabbed a cab to the airport. We arrived at the airport 45 minutes prior to departure. It was a wild time!
Rhodes is always a favorite stop. We enjoy the history, the walled Old City, the modern New City, the waterfront, the food and the people. We did our visits to the Palace of the Grand Master, walked the Avenue of the Knights, drank coffee at the kafeions, shopped the stores in the old city, walked the moat, climbed the clock tower, went to the movies, and took the scenic bus ride to the ancient ruins of Lindos. I don't usually write about the food, but we found an awesome restaurant in Rhodes. It was called "Louis", was right next to our hotel, and was outstanding. We had some of the best Greek food ever. It was so good and so convenient that we ate there 4 times. I can't recommend it enough to anyone headed to Rhodes.
We are now in Santorini. Our week in Crete was most interesting and will be covered in the next
Cookware Chandeliers
Greek salad and pizza for dinner. The chandeliers were just too funny. blog along with Santorini and Mykonos. The ferries are being more user-friendly and getting us where we need to go. And so, the journey continues...........
Yassas, RPM
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janis durham
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Love your pics and comments. I think Greece was my most favorite place to see and experience. I remember Jennifer and I met you there. Love that mastica liquor. Enjoying your blog.