Day 14 - Rhodes, Greece

As hoped, we did feel better today than we have the past few days. We had not planned on going to the excursion today, but Matt changed his mind and we were able to snag tickets to go. So, we began today with Mass and then boarding buses to see the city of Rhodes, Greece. As we drove out to the city of Lindos, I realize quite quickly that it would be a long day. The guide our bus had for today was...not my favorite. He talked in a sing songy voice and repeated everything about 5 times. So, off we went to Lindos to see the "aaaaa croooooop oooooo liiiiiiiiis", or the acropolis of Lindos. 

Village of Lindos with the acropolis atop the hill

At the acropolis with the Bay of St. Paul in the background

Matt conquering the world

Lindos is a town of houses and shops that are whitewashed with limestone. The town was beautiful. We had wonderful views of the town as we walked up to the acropolis. Because we were in a touristy part of the town, the streets and paths were lined with vendors selling everything from paintings to table runners.  Once we got to the top of the hill where the acropolis was located, we were able to walk around and view the spectacular scenes of the island and its shores. The acropolis in Lindos was much smaller and less impressive than that of Athens, so we spent a few minutes looking around on top of the hill and then began to make our way down to the shops. We have not yet picked up the fine talent of haggling. It is a little scary and I'm sure the vendors know that we are timid and unsure of ourselves, exactly what one should not be when haggling. But, we  still managed to buy some items from the locals, even if we did over pay for them.

Residential areas in Rhodes

After Lindos, we were bused back to the main city of Rhodes. We were given some free time to walk through the shops and the streets. Matt and I had lunch at a local Greek restaurant. We had chicken and pork gyros, a common Greek dish. After lunch, we wandered the streets of Rhodes for awhile, admiring the old roads and the unique housing. We finally made it back to the ship and got ready for dinner. Tonight we had the pleasure of dining with Karl Keating, the founder of Catholic Answers. Karl is extremely intellectual and a bit intimidating to talk to. He has so much information in his brain, he makes us both feel inadequate. But, we enjoyed his company and the company of the other cruisers at our table, as usual.

We finished our evening with round 2 of laundry. I have decided that it is best to sit in the laundry room while I am doing laundry, not because I am afraid that someone will take my clothes. Rather, the other people who use the facilities do not know how to operate the washer/dryer combos and frequently open dryers in use, thus stopping the drying process. It is rather annoying to start your laundry, come back 45 minutes later when they should be finished only to find the clothes still wet. So, I just bring a book or crossword puzzle with me and make myself at home in our little laundry room. The experience, as well as many others on this trip, has made me ever so thankful of the luxuries we have at home and in America.