Rhodes, Greek Isle

Jim had his usual early coffee on deck and I had room service breakfast as we pulled into the Port of Rhodes about 8 AM. The old city of Rhodes has a 30 foot high wall around it and makes a great camera shot. Our tour bus left about 9 AM and we drove past the area where the film “Greens of Navarone” was filmed. Our destination was the Acropolis of Lindos which we finally reached by foot. Along the rocky path app, there were Greek women sitting along the walls doing beautiful crocheting work, in particular: tablecloths of which I would have loved to have purchased. I saw others later in Rhodes and finally got a reduced price of $77, but couldn’t talk James Paul into it. The women in Greece crochet during the winter months then sell during the tourist season.

After the climb to Lindos and the ancient ruins of the Temple of Athena, we were rewarded with a fantastic view of the harbor below. It is said to be the spot where St. Paul landed on the island of Rhodes. On our drive through the countryside, there were small white buildings that looked like outhouses. They are actually small chapels, where the farmers can go to pray while they are working in the fields. The streets where the buses drop off passengers for the walk up to the acropolis are very narrow. Our driver could not get our bus through and several men along the road picked up cars and moved them over further. It seems they might go over the edge.

We returned to the ship for lunch then went out on our own for a walk through nearby “Old Towne”, and shopping. We were told that there would not be time or the opportunity to do much shopping in Israel or Egypt, so we spent our “wad” while we had the chance. There was a small beach near the dock where some passengers opted to enjoy the afternoon, but walking through the walled city was equally entertaining --- for me at any rate. It’s always fun to spend money. Found a pretty cotton and hand crocheted dress for Janet, two alabaster figures for Julie and Tony (the proprietor even served a Greek brandy while we made our selection), and an Onyx paperweight and letter opener for Jay. Lost Jim somewhere along the way, and after finding a T-shirt for Fred, caught up with him at a sidewalk café.

We returned to the ship at 5 PM and learned of a tragic event that took place on deck while we were away. An 85 year old woman was found floating face down in the pool by Bill Walker & Milt Butler. An American doctor was also close by and they pulled her out. Bill said crew members stood by and did nothing (probably wasn’t allowed by their union.) Even the ship's doctor did not respond with a sense of duty. The American doctor immediately pumped several quarts of water out of the woman, whom he said was clinically dead. The ship’s doctor was ready to send her back to her room, but the other doctor insisted that she be sent to a hospital in Rhodes. It is believed she survived and was sent back to the states after time spent in the hospital.

Getting ready for our “Greek night” dinner, we donned blue and white colors. I set the self timer on the camera (propped on a store and our life jackets), and our self portrait turned out very nicely. After dinner we sat on deck with Jean and Keith, until the four of us went to the Greek night floor show put on by the crew. I left a little early to take pictures of the gala midnight buffet. Naturally it just wouldn’t have been polite if we hadn't “eaten just a little bit.”