|
|
Lindy's Tenth Birthday
There was no birthday party. There was no ice cream pie. No party hats, no waffles, strawberries, and ice cream. She even got a sunburn. 
As a birthday surprise, we flew to the Greek island of Rhodes for a week of sun, sand, and ancient temples of Athena, goddess of wisdom and war. The island has the longest summer of any Greek island (300 days of sun!) and lots of beaches.  In ancient times, the sun god Helios chose the island as his bride and gave her light, warmth and vegetation. Rhodes town was once the site of the Colossus of Rhodes, a 32 m statue and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Built over 12 years beginning in 294 BC, it was toppled in a 225 BC earthquake. Being a laid back beach culture, it took them eight hundred years or so to get around to cutting it apart and selling it for scrap in AD 654.  Rhodes town is medieval walled city and is considered one of the most important historical sites in the world. Somewhere in the narrow, winding streets was a great castle built by the Knights of Saint John. The town also contains a 16th-century Mosque, a 15th-century knight’s hospital, a 3rd-century Temple of Aphrodite, and a 2nd-century stadium that was once used as preparation for the original Olympic games.  Lindos was established in 2000 BC. It is now full of dazzling white 17th-century houses in a village with narrow streets and a ban on motorized traffic. Above the town, on a 116 m high rock, is the Acropolis of Lindos. The acropolis houses statues, a 20-columned Hellenistic stoa (no relation to a goat), a propylaeum (don’t add chlorine), and a temple to Athena, all somewhat the worse for wear. Helen of Troy and Alexander the Great supposedly visited the Acropolis; we did too! Afterwards, we swam and played at the calm and sandy beach below the town.  Most of the town was destroyed by an earthquake 2200 years ago. However, you can still see the remains of houses, a Doric temple, another stoa, and a Temple to Athena. The city used to be known for its figs, oil, and wine. Today it is known for pale, balding Englishmen.  After a day of driving on windy mountain roads to do a bit of chocolate (okay, wine) tasting, we happened upon a 15th century Turkish castle. Whilst the castle could no longer hold off the hordes it was designed to hold off, and could scarcely have kept a drunken Irishman out, it was still very impressive. One of the most impressive things is the apparent lack of fear of lawsuits, as we were able to walk all around crumbling walls above huge vertical drops without a safety barrier or sign telling us not to. We all made it, except for our son, Jake, so I suppose it was safe enough.  We ended our trip in a most relaxing fashion – swimming at the beach, a lovely birthday dinner in an outdoor café, and a gorgeous sunset. Our time in Greece was wonderful. We met lovely people, enjoyed good beaches and great culture, ate well, and had superb weather.  |
