Arrivederci Roma...

My direct flight Rhodes to Rome was not...but we got there eventually

in the clouds

Piazza di Spagna....back in Rome!

sun setting over the Tiber

Since I last wrote, I spent a couple of days in Rome with my dearest friend and brother-in- law John and then flew to London Gatwick.

I’m hanging out with a gorgeous family friend Tammy, and her “handsome” Gordon, in her little pad.

In Rome I stayed in Fascist EUR at the Shangri La Corsetti with John. The best thing about staying there was the abundant breakfast which John and I lingered over while solving the world’s and everyone’s else’s problems. The highlights were a pistachio and cream gelato, going to Mr Beaver (latest Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson movie) at the Italian movies sans sub titles (well done John), reading in the very quirky Ristorante Canona Tadolini on Via del Babuino while John sketched, Prosecco at John’s enoteca and going to a performance of the best Arias at the Anglican Church on Via Babuino with the best acoustics in Rome on our last night and then walking back to Termini station.

The low lights were waiting in the queue at the Post Office EUR trying to send some excess luggage back to Perth, having computer problems and the very low mood which enveloped me, which I think was a combination of homesickness (where is home anyway?), feeling trapped by all the “technical” problems related to staying in touch with family and friends and dealing with the “flip side” of living for such a long period out of a suitcase when you are on your own.

So, I have decided to sign off for a while, and focus on what this year was supposed to be all about….

A presto

Mon x

lingering over breakfast with John!

One of the lovely gardens near Clapham Junction London where I am hanging out for a few days

the local cemetery

stately London homes

Signing off for a while....see you soon  mon x

Marmaris...a little bit of Turkey!

The port with its traditional wooden gulets

we're in Turkey!

one castle I didn't visit

Statue of Ataturk, father of the modern Turkish Republic

his quotes adorn a number of public monuments in his honour

Marmaris has lots of funky cafes and night spots

Don't miss local specials like the delicious spinach and cheese pide bread

cruises cater for everyone ...even those who don't like music!

The castle bar where I spent some time

views from my castle

lots of quirky little corners

Turkish apple tea

I would have liked to curl up too...it was really relaxing

no bazaar shopping for me

but I was treated to a fashion parade at the leather factory on the way back to the boat. You could pick up a new season leather reversible jacket for a bargain 200 euro instead of the 1000 tag in the shops!

Marmaris is a pretty Turkish seaside town on the Aegean coast, a short 45 minute fast boat ride from Rhodes, with a castle and a bazaar. I am not in the mood for any castles or bazaars today, but I do find the “castle bar”, that boasts the highest point in Marmaris so I climb the steps and am rewarded with a gorgeous spot to hang out for a while.

The trip to Marmaris was easy, except for the passport control (very confusing, requiring us to queue up in 3 different places and showing our boarding pass and documents to numerous people before we even left the country) and the fact that we were supposed to stay in a group, even though we were not travelling as a group!

I had no intention of being hijacked to visit all the shops with the official guide, so I took the free shuttle to the town from the port with them and then defected as soon as I found out when the bus was returning to the port.

As I make my way back along the waterside I spot a sign for a Hammam, a Turkish bath. My last experience with a Hammam in Istanbul was a traumatic rather than relaxing experience, involving being scrubbed within an inch of my life by a very obese sadistic Turkish woman, so I am a bit hesitant to repeat the experience, but I am desperate for a massage, and the sign says they give them, so I decide to take a risk.

There is no answer when I ring the doorbell, but a young man appears from the barber shop next door. He tells me that the Hammam is closed and offers to give me a massage and points to the sign on his window that says he is trained. I am hesitant and say I prefer to find another Hammam or massage place. He recites a list of other services that he offers, eyebrow threading, facials, and hairdressing and then offers to give me a neck and shoulder massage with an eyebrow threading so I can “try” and if I am not happy I don’t have to pay. His enthusiasm is hard to resist, so I decide to trust him.

He tells me that the shop is his uncle’s, a good man, who passed away 6 months ago and that he is from a small village 18 hours by bus from Marmaris.

With expert skill and attention, my wayward eyebrows are threaded into submission and the face massage he gives me is divine. I agree to his offer of a back and shoulder massage. As I follow him up the rickety old stairs that lead to what is obviously a bedroom for a whole group of people, I have a moment of doubt, but 30 minutes later I am floating down those stairs, perfectly relaxed, without the hint of a tense muscle in my neck or shoulders and he was a perfect gentleman!

The history of Marmaris dates back to 900 BC and it was ruled by various conquerors including the Romans, Byzantines and in 1522 by Ottoman Sultan Suleyman “The magnificent”!

Between 1919 and 1921 it belonged to the Italians until it became the Republic of Turkey from 1923 under Ataturk. From that time it was home for fishermen and sponge divers until the 80’s when it was discovered by tourists who now come in their thousands to experience its beaches, shopping, small villages and its beautiful port full of traditional wooden gullets.

 a presto

mon x

 

Kastelorizo

view of Rhodes old city from the harbour

leaving for Kastelorizo

heading towards the horizon

nearly 3 hours later...

Kastelorizo, the setting for Mediterraneo

only a few hundred inhabitants left, from the original 10,000

local fishermen

a quick stroll and you have seen it all

time for lunch, freshly caught, cleaned and cooked seafood

I was going to go to Symi, a small island off the coast for a day trip, but at the last minute changed my mind and decided to go to Kastelorizo instead.

Almost all the Greek people I ever met in Australia came from Kastelorizo. I had heard that it was a beautiful island.

The trip from Rhodes took much longer than I thought, but it was worth the short time there. 

Kastelorizo is the smallest of the Dodecanese islands. At one point it had over 10,000 inhabitants. Today there are about 350.

Kastelorizo was the setting for the 1991 Oscar winning film Mediterraneo.


a presto
Mon x

Loved Lindos...

I love this tree in the old city that I pass on my way to catch the bus

first view of Lindos with castle above

from above

the white sandy beach below is another attraction

the walk up is great, and the absence of signs and guard rails is a bonus

this mother had to carry her reluctant child all the way

Lots of placards with useful information

but even without it, it's an impressive site

with great views

I stop for a while and just gaze out at the horizon

and then set off to explore the town

it's pretty and clean and full of interesting corners

the cobbletones are sharp but the designs are great

latest craze in Europe

allowing feet to be massaged and cleaned by fish..no Thanks!

This guy has it all sorted

nap in between donkey ride duty

some tourists are so heavy that the poor donkey veers off course

Last view of Lindos from the bus...

Lindos has the feel of an island without being one.

It is located about an hour from Rhodes on the coast and you can reach it easily by boat or local bus (5 euro) which drops you above the town and you can either walk or catch a free shuttle down to the main square which is shaded by a huge tree.

From there you can wander the cobblestone laneways of whitewashed buildings and shops selling leather sandals, artwork, linen and olive oil soaps and past restaurants and bars with tourist menus to one of the two beaches or to the castle and acropolis above.

I have no destination in mind, content to wander aimlessly for a while, and wonder why there is such a difference in pace and feel here in spite of the fact that there are lots of tourists.

Perhaps it is the colour of the water, that mesmerises and relaxes, perhaps the slow amble of the donkeys that reluctantly transport tourists to the Acropolis above the town, or the more laid back attitude of the locals themselves, but here people are secondary, what you notice is the environment and the imposing ruins and the colours, smells, and feel of a thriving and proud little community.  

I wend my way through the alleyways and find myself on an alternative path up to the Acropolis. It is an impressive and well maintained monument and the views from the top are stunning. All around me are tourists vying for the best vantage point to take a picture of themselves.  

I offer to take photos for couples and family groups. Most are very appreciative, especially one German lady who initially thinks I am someone official asking to see her ticket!  

I make my way back into the town, past women selling linen which they have draped across the rocks, in search of a place to sit and relax for a while. I find an oasis tucked away and overlooking the beaches below, before it’s time to climb the hill back to the square and to the bus that takes me back to Rhodes.

A presto

Mon x