Sometime in June/July 2022 I decided I wanted a proper summer holiday. I looked at some destinations and mentioned to my sister that I was considering going to Rhodes, Greece in September and she quickly jumped onboard. A couple of days later the trip was booked.
We left home in the afternoon on a Sunday and arrived in Rhodes town in the middle of the night. It was a strange feeling; the hot night air, something I haven't really felt in a while. On Monday morning we started exploring; first up was a walk in old town. It’s a pretty cool place with really old buildings, restaurants, bars and little shops. Obviously it’s become a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s still beautiful. We walked around old town for an hour or so and then went to the harbour where I decided I needed an ice-cream before we headed towards the “middle” of town, the new town that is. My sister was getting a tattoo done and she needed to book the appointment. After that was done we headed towards the beach for a few hours of relaxing in the sun. We were lucky and got sunbeds close to the water, we got Bacardi breezers, which means summer to me, and just relaxed in the sun. We took little dips in the water, I had some fun trying out my waterproof camera in the very salty water, and we just enjoyed the heat for a few short hours. Then we walked back into “town” looking for a place to have lunch, we also did a little shopping before heading back to our hotel to get ready for the night.
We showered and got dressed for the evening and then went down to the northern beach to watch the sun set and get a few photos. This beach is really windy, it was generally quite windy while we were on the island, but the north beach was worse than the rest. After seeing the sun disappear in the sea we started walking along the water on the northern side looking for a place to have dinner.
We ended up at a place with a beautiful view of the sea, where we could enjoy the remains of the sunset. The food, however, wasn’t that great. Our medium/rare stakes were over cooked and mine was swimming in a strange sauce thing. (I don’t really like sauces.) After the food we decided to go back to a place where we’d had a drink earlier in the day, while waiting for the tattoo studio to open. And the guy at the front of the restaurant, Jay’s Burger House, remembered us from earlier. We had a drink each, and got a shot on the house, before we went to check out the bar street. This wasn’t really supposed to be a party night, but rather a night to just check out the options and have a few drinks. But at the first bar we sat down at we got one drink each, and ended up getting two shots. At the second bar my sister complained about the drink prices, but when we got our drinks we also got a coupon for a second drink and two shots each, so that’s why the drink was slightly more expensive. This also meant they got us to stay at this bar for a while.
They had some cool swings along a table and we ended up sitting down there after a bit and started talking to a British girl sat next to us. She was a little more drunk than us, but it was cool to just talk to someone new. And she and her friend got drinks and gave us the coupon for the free drink, we saved that for later. After we’d finished both our drinks and our shots we moved on to another bar. We got drinks, no free shots here, and my sister started dancing in the street. We had a good time dancing, got to choose the music before it got late and the real DJ took over. An employee danced on the bar, tried to get my sister up there too. Then the British girl showed up and we danced with her as well. It got a lot later than we had planned on, but it was a fun night. The next morning we had to leave the hotel around 9:30, which is why we weren’t supposed to stay out so long. We managed to drag ourselves down to breakfast first though and then headed towards the harbour. We had booked a day trip and would spend the entire day on a catamaran with about 20 other people. My sister spent the day lounging in the sun on the front net on the boat. I talked to some people, made a friend who I had fun swimming and taking photos in the water with. Not that the underwater photos of me turned out too good, but that’s my own fault. I did get some cool photos of others in the water though. The boat trip lasted for about 6 hours with three swim stops. We also got lunch and as much we wanted to drink of water, beer, wine and pops (soda). The lunch wasn’t really my thing but there was pasta so I got enough food in me at least and was delighted when we got a cup of fruit pieces a couple of hours after lunch. Having access to cold water was great and I did get a couple of small glasses of wine as well (which I mixed with sprite).
On the way back towards Rhodes harbour my sister and I were both on the net at the front of the boat, and throughout the day there had been moments where it would splash up a little, but it had never been that much and not over a period of time. Well, that changed as the boat was turning towards the harbour. Most people at the front got pretty wet, but there were three of us that got the worst of it. We had the water coming from under the net and from above, and it wasn’t just a little. It felt like a bathtub full was dumped on us, several times. I think maybe one of the other passengers filmed it, but I didn’t end up getting the video, I’m sure it was entertaining. My sister and I had planned on going by a couple of shops on our way back to the hotel but we were completely drenched, and so were our towels, so we had to just go back to the hotel.
We showered, and got ready for the evening then headed towards the old town. We sat down at a restaurant pretty fast after entering the old town, and that might not have been the best idea. This far on the trip we hadn’t had much food luck and it didn’t get any better here. Also, the wine I got was full of little insects so I had to point that out. If my eyesight wasn’t so good, I might not have discovered it. This was also the first time we felt cats were watching us as we ate. The cats on Rhodes (and Symi) seem to be taken care of, they don’t look sick or starved and they’re mostly not bothersome, which I was really glad to see. Actually most of the cats on these islands are quite beautiful and I might just share some on Instagram too. I didn’t like that the cats seemed to watch me at this restaurant, one that stayed close by was really beautiful though, with long fur and big almost turquoise eyes.
After the meal we wandered around a bit, exploring the old town and the little shops. After a little while we sat down at a restaurant/bar by a square and had a drink while people watching. After the drink we headed back to the hotel as we were getting up fairly early again the next day. We were picked up a little before 9am for a daytrip to Lindos and seven springs. After picking up people for 30 minutes or so we headed towards Lindos. We had a quick photo stop of the view of Lindos and Acropolis before we were driven as close as the bus could go. Then we started walking. We had a few hours but wanted to do Acropolis first and then find lunch. So we made our way through the small town of Lindos and then up the "mountain" side via a stone path. After exploring Acropolis and taking our photos we walked back down to town and started searching for a place to have lunch.
We found a place with a rooftop where we could enjoy the view. And finally we found food that we were both pretty happy about. Unfortunately, the big wasps also thought so and decided to crash the party. My sister’s gyros was especially popular. Luckily she was just about done with her food before the wasps decided to take it over. We ended up standing next to our table for a while waiting for the bill. They did try to burn coffee, which is supposed to get them to stay away, but it did nothing.
After the meal we explored a little, I got ice cream, and we wandered around the charming little town. I love getting lost in streets like these. We then walked down to the beach and walked back up to the bus another way. By the time we got back to the bus we also both needed something to drink, it was a very hot day. After Lindos we went to seven springs, where we got a guide. We were led through the forest to a tunnel where everyone who wanted could walk through, the rest could walk around. Had I known about this beforehand I would have brought water shoes. I don’t feel comfortable walking through water not seeing what I’m stepping on (or rocky beaches) barefoot, and I had sneakers and socks, so would have had to take them off. My sister decided to take her sandals off though and spite her claustrophobia, so she walked through while I walked around. She came out of the tunnel straight into a beautiful clear lake. We walked along the lake towards the seven springs waterfall and it was all really beautiful. After spending some time by the lake we walked back towards the start of the tunnel, where there was also a restaurant, and loads of birds. There were swans on the other side of the river and peacocks roaming free all over the place. And as the guide pointed out; there were peacock babies too, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. I had some fun trying for some long exposure photos and photos of the birds before it was time to get something to drink and head back towards the bus.
When we got back to the hotel we got ready for the night and went to the old town for dinner. After seeing the square the night before we decided to try one of the restaurants there. I’d seen one I thought looked good with a balcony above the square so we looked at their menu and decided to give them a chance.
We got a table right at the edge so we could overlook the square while enjoying our wine and food. And we were both pretty pleased with our meals too. So it was a good start to the evening. After the meal we were ready for some drinks, but the “club” we’d been recommended wasn’t open yet, so we wandered a little and then found a tiny little bar that was recommended by people on google. This was a strange little bar. It had a lot of character, there was a small older dog in the bar and a cat had taken up one of the chairs around a table outside. One of the google reviews claimed the drinks were amazing, so I decided to give their cosmopolitan a chance, even though it didn’t taste like a cosmo at any of the other bars I’d tried in town. And it turned out this was the strangest yet. There was a cocktail cherry in it, and the drink tasted like cherry, not cranberry. So we didn’t get more than the one drink. Then we moved on to the club we’d been recommended. They’d just opened, or so google said, they didn’t really seem to be ready for customers yet, but we ordered a couple of drinks and soon there were a few others at the outdoor tables as well. But when the music seemed boring and we got some chain smokers next to us, we decided to move on to another place. (I’m unfortunately extremely sensitive to smoke, especially since an operation a few years ago.) We decided to check out the bar street again, and when we got there some guys tried to get us into a bar we’d visited a few days before. My sister thought the prices of drinks was a little higher than she liked so she decided to let them know that. And after a little bit of chatting and a promise of a better price we sat down for drinks. We did get a nice discount, and a shot each. Then we decided to give another bar a chance, they had a two for one thing so we ended up getting two drinks each, for €9. At this bar we also saw a few older people having fun, and these 80 year old ladies (guessing at their age here) could drink, I was quite surprised. We finished the night at the bar we'd danced outside of a few nights before.
The next day we went to the beach. We didn't go very early, but we got some sunbeds and spent a few hours there relaxing, and got a bacardi breezer from one of the guys selling them on the beach. Then we walked along the shoreline for a little to find a place to have lunch before checking out some shops. And to get the tickets for the next excursion, but it turned out we didn't need to show up at their office, even though the email from ferry hopper said so. We just had to show up extra early the next day, oh how fun. After this unnecessary detour we found a pretty cool and cheap shop. Everything was €3, and honestly I have no idea if it was a vintage shop or a shop that bought batches of unsold clothes from shops like H&M and Only. Either way; both my sister and I found some things we liked. Happy with our finds we went back to the hotel and got dolled up, I really wanted sunset photos and I have to say I'm pretty happy with the photos. Our hats did not want to stay on though, it was seriously windy. But the sunset was beautiful. After the sunset we went for dinner and a few cocktails, but we had an early morning so we couldn't stay out late. The boys at the bar had fun deciding what my sister should drink though, it seems they thought it was only right they'd choose for her.
The next morning we left the hotel around 7:30 in the morning. We had a bit of a walk to do before reaching the harbour where our boat was leaving from. It was a beautiful morning for a walk, though I wish we hadn't been in a hurry. But, as always, I end up being a bit slower in the morning than I should be. We got to the harbour in time though and got on board nearly an hour before departure. I really don't get why one has to get the tickets that early, but at least we got seats on the boat, not everyone did.
Our destination for the day was Symi, a smaller island close to Turkey. The boat ride took a little over an hour. And when we could finally see the town of Symi I knew we'd made the right choice going there. It's such a beautiful little town with charming houses in wonderful colours. I loved it right away. We went for a walk exploring a little as soon as we left the boat. We walked along the water, crossed a stone bridge and looked in some of the little shops on our way. There was a little tourist train that went the same way we explored, but I really wanted to walk and take it all in. We walked a little away from the town and ended up finding some really cool lizards, and I got some of my favourite photos from the trip. Then we walked back into town to find some food and drinks, it was a really hot day and I was so thirsty I ordered two kinds of soft drinks. After lunch we contined our exploration. We checked out some more shops and ended up walking all the way up to a church which looked out over the little town. The walk up was pretty cool, although you get a little tired of all the stairs. I love narrow streets, wide stairs and colourful buildings though, so it was perfect. We met some cats on the way as well, and that just put the cherry on top for this cat lover. (I don't actually want cherries though.)
When we got back into town our first order of business was to find the small pharmacy that my sister had spoted earlier. In addition to the heat I was having really bad stomach cramps, so although I was loving the town and the walk, I was struggling. When we got to the pharmacy a lady was locking the door, but luckily she saw that we'd wanted to go in and opened it up again so I could get my pain killers. We still had a little time to kill before we had to get to our boat so we sat down at a cute bar where the menu was handwritten in a note book. I had a lovely chocolate milkshake with baileys, because that's allowed mid day when you're on holiday, and a sprite, bacause I was thirsty.
When we got back to Rhodes town we stoped by McDonalds for a little snack before getting ready for the evening. It ended up being an interesting evening. We started with dinner at the restaurant/bar where we'd gotten to know the staff a little bit. The boys kept up their fun little antics. And we found out the girl who'd taken our orders a few times was actually half Norwegian. We ended up talking with her for a while after that, in Norwegian. It also turned out we basically have the same name. After the restaurant we went back to the bar street. We had a couple of coupons to use. My sister was in her element this evening and before I knew it we, and a few others, were doing zumba and some guy was singing. We didn't stay out too late though, because my sister was getting a tattoo the next morning.
After helping my sister with the placement of the tattoo I left to wander the old town by my self. The tattoo would take hours, and since she hadn't been too eager to geocache I thought I could use this time to explore and try to find a few. It turned out some of them were quite difficult to find. There were a few I didn't find and one I found pretty easily. And by one cache I was about to give up when two people with their noses in their phones stepped into the same ruins I had been looking around in. So I asked, and they were Swedish geocachers. They actually hadn't found the previous one that I had found, but they found this one so I got to log it too. After that I didn't find any more geocaches, but I did walk around in a cool area on the outside of the old town and found cool lizzards.
My sister got back to our room not too long after me. We got ready for the evening, and I got some sunset photos before we went for food and a drink. It was our last full day in Greece and having to check out the next day we didn't stay out too long.
On our last day we packed our suitcases and checked out in the morning, but our flight wasn't until late so we left our luggage at the hotel and went exploring. We walked up to Acropolis of Rhodes; saw some of the old structures there, and some cool cats that were clearly being taken care of by some locals. Then we walked back towards the city via a main road with a great view of the islands northern coastal line. When the road met a foot path along the shore we took that for a while. It was a very hot but also lovely walk. When we got back to the hotel we relaxed a bit by the pool, in the shade. The cat that had clearly decided this hotel was it's home walked around the pool, sniffed my sisters shoes and then jumpet up to the first floor to have a rest up there. I would guess the guests with rooms on that side sometimes gets a little visit, it really wasn't a clingy cat though, it was just there and I love that.
I got photos of our last sunset in Greece, for this time, we had dinner and said goodbye to the lovely staff at Jay’s Burger House then we got back to the hotel to get our suitcases ready for the journey home. I don't think I've ever felt as warm as I did while packing the rest of my suitcase, other than when I've been ill naturally. I had changed into jeans and it was incredibly hot where we'd opened our suitcases. We made our way down to the main road and was picked up at 9:30pm. Our flight wasn't until after midnight, it was chaotic at the airport (my impression is that all Greek airport are chaotic in the summer, but I've only been to a couple so I could be wrong), and our flight ended up being an hour delayed. But we got home eventually, in the early hours on a monday morning. Conclusion: This trip was a bit different from my normal outings, but it was what I needed at the time; summer. I loved exploring Rhodes town, Lindos and Symi, it was a different vibe to what I've done lately and I wasn't alone. Now my sister and I don't agree on all things and it can get a bit heated at times, but we really did have a great holiday and made some good memories together. This was my only trip with someone in 2022 and it was a welcome change, it was also the only trip where I stayed in only one hotel for the duration of my stay, but that sure doesn't mean it was boring. It is what you make of it and if you want to spend a week on the beach you can, but if you, like me, want to see the sights, explore, experience, and take photos then that is definitely also possible with some planning. I hope to explore more Greek islands in the future.
Comentários