The "A Tale of Two and Half Cities" Excursion - Part One

We've had a truly packed day today and it's still only tea time.  We've had a lot of Greek history and mythology today and it just makes us more interested than ever in understanding what an historic place this part of the world is.

The day started early as we needed to be ready to go by 7.30am. The dining room doesn't open till 7am, so we knew we'd be a bit pushed and we did wonder why we weren't setting off an hour later to arrive back and hour later at 5pm rather than at 4pm.  Well, it all became clear why later on.

Breakfast was a bit of a rush, but we made it!

It was a pretty exclusive tour with only 14 of us on a shortened coach and the guide, who was a middle aged Greek, could have easily passed himself off as a posh Brit with his accent, command of English and his knowledge of the subject matter of the day, but he insisted he was Greek through and through.  Moreover, he told me quietly that his subject was classical antiquity - and it showed throughout the day!

First stop down the road was the beautiful town of Lindos.  Lindos has had and still has some notable connections with celebrities.  The film star Jacqueline Bisset had a place here, we were told, but gathered that she no longer does.  David Gilmour, guitarist with Pink Floyd has a place overlooking both the sea and some ancient Greek ruins. And finally, here's a cryptic clue: we were told that an ageing rocker originally from Dartford in Kent, who couldn't get no satisfaction, used to frequent the place as incognito as he could, bare-chested and clad in scruffy jeans.  Unfortunately his protruding thick lips tended to give him away.

Lindos, with its acropolis above

We walked past the small main square and soon met the donkeys - just like on Santorini, they use them to take visitors to the Acropolis.  Our guide assured us that they were well looked after and they certainly looked like they were.  He also advised us against using them as their aroma did linger on one!

Can you see the full scale 1:1 trireme carved into the rock face?

Here's some erudite-looking chap pointing to these Doric columns (not originals) at the temple of Athena on the acropolis at Lindos.

Overlooking St Paul's Bay.  Apparently there is overwhelming evidence that St Paul was here, talking to the Greeks about who their so far unexplained 13th god was - they didn't take to his views too well!

And here's a life size statue of the Greek goddess of beauty, Aphrodite.  She does remind me of someone  .....

Lovely peaks .... in the background

Where the plebs lived - below where the main action was .... (mind you, plebs were Romans, not Greeks!)

St Paul's Bay - but without Aphrodite this time.  Wonder how the boats get in and out.

Life size bust of Zeus, god of the Olympian gods.

And here's Aphrodite again ....

The donkeys take a different route up compared to the pedestrians - and they clearly know where the shady bits are ...

The Square

At the end of our stay in Lindos, we visited a beautiful small church, covered in frescos (no photos allowed - but here's an artist's impression) ....

.... and then made our way back up the hill. By now it was getting towards 11am and the place was heaving. We'd had it mostly to ourselves and were grateful for the early start, but now the Emerald Princess excursion passengers were out in force and we were happy to move on.

A popular name in these parts -