Pipedream's Web Diary - 36 26.860N 028 13.596E Mandraki Marina, Rhodes, Greece

36 26.860N 028 13.596E Mandraki Marina, Rhodes, Greece

Pipedream

Sun 24 Oct 2010 10:04

We have all had time to explore Rhodes and are quite impressed. This was another one of those places I had penciled in as quick stop over between travel legs which turned out to be very charming. We came in through the harbor entrance where the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of liberty forerunner made of cast bronze and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, that was later destroyed by a major league earthquake - Greek/Turkish urban renewal..,. The 'old town' here is neither Greek or Roman but I guess Norman, maybe 1400 or so it was built mainly by the Knights of St. John during the crusades and later rebuilt by the Italians when they occupied Rhodes. The old walled city is very well preserved/restored... practically new compared to what we have been seeing everywhere else.

Our further explorations produced a Chicken filet type place, a Starbucks, and a McDonalds. I was able to buy some Columbian coffee at the Starbucks. I asked to have it ground for a drip pot but alas after I though it was clear, they proceed to grind it to a pumas fine grind like all the other espresso type blends available here. We had dinner at the chicken place and then the Martins went back for breakfast biscuits the next morning. Something tells me they were ready to go home... They were packed and ready to catch the taxi to the airport a couple of hours early and we decide on one last lunch in Greece ... at McDonalds. We all said our good byes with a couple of sniffles and Katie and I were off to pick up the four loads of laundry we had dropped off that morning. 6 Euros a load washed, dried and folded after we were paying 8 Euros to wash and 8 euros to dry the stuff ourselves in Italy.

We then stored stuff did a general heavy duty clean. Getting ready for the next part of the trip. I shelved the Greek waters pilot and broke out the one for Turkey. This morning I did most of the navigation and checked the weather to go with it. We still don't have solid internet. I have a bunch of official captain stuff to do checking out of Greece and into Turkey I am trying to figure out.

Katie and I dined in on some monster pork chops I marinated in soy sauce and grilled. After dinner we read /blogged for a while and headed for the Old Town where Foders said there was a 'vibrant' night life for some people watching. It was about 11 pm when we got to the main square. Lots of discos and clubs/ really nice looking restaurants. A Greek waiter told us things really didn't get going until after midnight. Katie was marveling that the women were mostly wearing high heals and were able to walk in the coble stone streets. (medium sized river stones tuned on end in concrete?) As we were leaving we saw several women and couples on their way in carrying their shoes and walking bare foot heading to the club section.

After we got back to the boat I took a stab at finishing the Odyssey before we leave the Greek Islands. I read until about 3 AM and finally caved with only two chapters left - looks like almost everyone dies in the end... Anyone got a suggestion for some light reading in Turkey - don't think I ever got through 1000 and 1 Arabian nights, or maybe I should re-read the Iliad? We both slept in this morning. We will likely spend the day getting ready for tomorrows passage. More later...