Rhodes introduction by Maria

We got up very early for our Ryanair flight, and made our way to the airport. Normally, I try to avoid flying Ryanair since they are, in my mind, taking the low-cost concept way too far… But, this time, Ryanair was just so much cheaper than the other options, that we decided to go for it. So, off we went, with our highly optimized luggage. Actually, the Ryanair experience was pretty painless this time, and we arrived in Rhodes, ahead of schedule!

We were greeted at the airport by our dear friend Maria (Mathilde used to study with her during her Erasmus exchange in Perugia) and her friend Vangelis (who was temporarily staying in Maria’s flat). Maria and Vangelis both work as teachers in Rhodes (there are worse places to be based, I suppose!). After dropping off our things at Maria’s place, we headed off to the beach. What else – it was too darn hot to do anything else!

We headed down to a very nice beach south or Rhodes town, on the east coast, called Charaki. It was just what the doctor ordered, a bit of relaxation, and swimming. Not only were we blessed with crystal-clear water (clearer than what we get on the Cote d’Azur, that’s for sure), the views were also great (the beach being overlooked by a medieval castle). After chilling out for a few hours, we made our way back, stopping by at another beautiful beanch called Anthony Quinn Cove (so named, I suppose, since Guns of Navarone, which starred Mr. Quinn, was shot there), where Maria treated us to a delicious, home-cooked Greek meal. Yummie!

After the meal, we made our way to Rhodes old town, which was quite a revelation – both in a positive and negative sense. Positive, since the old town is very well preserved, a true medieval labyrinth of winding, cobble-stoned streets and charming stone houses (surrounded by some very sturdy walls, with watchtowers ‘n all). Negative, since it’s one of the most touristy places I’ve come across – and shockingly the place seems to be positively overrun by Nordic people (especially Finns – never have I seen so many menus in Finnish outside my home country!). But the final impression remained positive – especially after a couple of beers (at rather more reasonable prices than on the Cote d’Azur). After the old town, we made our way to the new town, where we crossed a street that was totally overrun by drunken Swedes (wow, they are nearly as bad as us Finns!).

The next day, after a good night’s sleep, it was time to hit the beach again (again, it was too hot to do anything else!). This time, our hosts had selected a beach closer to Rhodes, a sandy one this time. What followed was yet more chilling out, enjoying the gorgeous beach and sea. It’s not the sort of thing we normally do a lot of during our holidays – we tend to be rather active. But I have to say, it was all very relaxing, and well-needed.

For the evening, we were in for a real treat. We made our way into a small mountain village just north of Rhodes town, where Maria and Vangelis took us to a very nice little tavern, run by a friendly and very busy chap called Napoleunicus (or something like that). The concept is simple – you order the drinks, and he brings the food. This being Greece, and a place for locals (rather unusual in Rhoders, that!), we ordered tzippuro. The food he heaped on us was simple, but delicious, mostly meat from the grill. We absolutely loved the place – the atmosphere was just great and laid back. And nice to see a few locals as well (even the local priest was there!), apart from just Finns and Swedes ;-). We finished off the evening with a couple of cold drinks in the old town.

The next day, it was unfortunately time for Maria and Vangelis to take off to Thessaloniki, which was a real pity. We’d have loved to spend a few more days with them. Oh well, such is life. Perhaps we’ll see Maria in Kos next time (she’s transferring to teach there this autumn).