July saw me head to Rhodes, one of the many Greek Islands. It was a long weekend in Scotland, so I booked and paid for flights and accommodation on the Thursday and left on the Friday!
It was super hot, with temps in the late 20s / early 30s and made for a lot of water consumption! While it was cheaper to buy large bottles of water, they'r too heavy to be carrying around and any of the water I bought went from being beautifully chilled to be luke warm in a matter of minutes. Fortunately there are places everywhere to 'buy as you go'! Travel Tip #101!
Some observations while in Rhodes;
loads of cats, but not so many dogs - think most of the cats were semi-feral.
kids living here have probably never experienced cold or rain in the same way we do in NZ.
while I loved the heat, to be a 'tourist' in the midst of summer, especially one who loves walking as much as possible, probably save the Mediterranean countries for autumn, winter and spring.
the Greek people were very friendly and helpful and spoke really good English.
Greek is a lot harder to learn, compared to Spanish or Portuguese.
saw lots of dopple gangers here - see my Albufeira Blog.
Rhodes was previously under Italian rule and this was reflected in the food - lots of pizza and pasta.
there were loads of lovely community gardens providing shade from the hot sun, and you'd find many of the locals sitting in them, often bringing their own chairs
the restaurants at night did not need to 'pack up' their outdoor seating and on the beach the deck chairs/loungers and umbrellas were left there till the next day - suggests crime is low
driving - they drive using their horns and pedestrian crossings are invisible! Mopeds and quad bikes are all the go for getting about and all forms of transportation using cell phones.
wonder why people travel with teenagers, the girls were all pouty and the boys all sullen - like they all had somewhere better to be - I'm sure I was NEVER like that!!!!!
the teenage girl tourists had pouty botox lips, false eye lashes and their arse cheeks hanging out of their shorts or they had mumble pants on hanging out with their boyfriends or in a pack taking selfies - god I sound as ancient as the history of Rhodes!!!!
there were still loads of people with masks on - if your that worried about COVID, stay at home!
unlike my feeling that only certain body types can wear a bikini at the beach in NZ, anything goes in Rhodes (and was the same in Alicante and Albufeira), so I did, this 50 something lassie with a 'mum bod' vs. a 'model bod' went beach and poolside in a bikini!
I had to slow my speed of walking down in the heat and had to admit defeat during the heat of the day, when it came to some places I had to get to - I'd have needed a rescue helicopter!
the food was sublime, so fresh, simple and uncomplicated.
The Old Town and other historical sites, were just mind blowing - such rich history and wonderful a lot of it is still there to experience. Felt very humbled and privileged to experience it.
I will definitely be back to Greece, many more Islands to explore, but Rhodes will definitely be a place I go back to.
Sara (aka Miss Sassy) 😘 🦋 💌
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