Out and about on Rhodes--driving to Lindos and around the island

 

Aegean and temple, Lindos

Rhodes is the largest island among the 12 eastern Greek Islands (the Dodecanese), but you can drive around it in a day.  We drove to Lindos to visit its ancient Acropolis and temples this morning and continued across the mountains to a small town high up in the mountains that is home to several wineries.  It’s not a very exciting town unless you want to go wine tasting, but has a pretty location overlooking the mountains and valleys of central Rhodes. 

yachts in the bay below Lindos

The drive to Lindos began in too much unkempt development and traffic and ended at the brilliant turquoise and blue bay beneath what remains of Lindos.  Finding parking in Lindos in the midst of dozens of tour buses, hundreds of cars, thousands of tourists and tiny streets was a bit daunting, but we succeeded. 

Tenple of Athena

You have to climb to the Acropolis, up a long series of steps to the top of the cliff, or take a donkey ride to the ticket kiosk near the top.  Don declined both options, so I joined the bevy of tourists on the steps.  While the site itself has been poorly restored, and not even a lot of that, the views are spectacular up and down the Aegean.  The water is clear and brilliant blue, shading to turquoise in the shallower bays filled with yachts.

Lindos has carved reliefs from the 3^rd century BC and gates from the 4^th century AD in addition to its temples to Athena and 14^th century castle built by the Knights of St. John.  The swarm of tourists detracts from the charm of the site, but nothing can spoil the location and views. 

view of the Aegean Coast from atop Lindos

Fortunately, by the time we left about 2:00 pm, the crowds had returned to their buses and cruise ship, so we could actually get our little purple car out of the parking lot and up a narrow street to the main road.  The drive into the mountains was peaceful, with no traffic, lots of hairpin turns, a good road and pretty scenery.  It looks like the islanders have replanted trees because the trees tend to be similar in size.  But, there is some variety of species, including lots light green pine trees that I have not seen before.

Olive orchards are everywhere and, higher up, there are bushy vineyards.  No vines strung along wires to form tidy rows.  The soil is so rocky that it can’t always sustain the vines.  We saw a lot of abandoned vineyards.  But, the olive trees seem to thrive.  As do the orange trees that produce delicious juice on every corner and in dozens of shops. 

ancient Greek boat carved into cliff

As we drove back to Rhodes (the city) along the Aegean Coast, we saw many abandoned and rotting greenhouses plus a few new ones.  Agriculture is difficult in this rocky, windy, salty environment.  Tourism is the big industry, but is a 7 month business.   The owner of our hotel told me that by November 1, when hotels and restaurants close, there will be no traffic and few people wandering the streets.  That makes for a precarious existence during times of recession and war. 

Rhodes is just 8 miles from the mainland of Turkey.  The day we flew into Rhodes, it felt like you could reach out and touch the clear coastal mountains of Turkey.  Since then, though, it’s been too hazy to see much.  Relations between Turkey and Greece are good enough right now that you can take boats between Rhodes and the coastal cities of Turkey.

temple at Lindos

Tomorrow, we fly to Athens for a day before continuing on to Tirana, Albania.