I remember asking myself if these colours where authentic whenever I saw photos of Greek islands. The blues seemed just too intense and the contrast of white houses or beaches was a little too high. Then I looked outside of my window while the plane approached Rhodes Island and there I could see it directly underneath me: Deep saturated blues as far as the eye could see. Apparently the photographs were right all along.
Directly behind our beautiful hotel a small hike led up to an old monastery situated on a small mountain range with stunning views over the coastline. The ascend was exhausting during the midday heat but the views along the path more than made up for that.
The best part about hiking on Rhodes is the smell along the trails. Some areas were so densely covered with herbs that it was a joy to just pause and soak in the smell of wild oregano or thyme while seeking cover from the burning sun.
The pebble floor of an old monastery
Climbing up to the monastery is supposed to increase fertility of women. I’m not sure though if these morbid candles are any help other than looking a tad bit disturbing.
When I think of Greek islands, dense forests, foggy mountains and rain are not the first things that come to my mind but that is exactly what I found in the inner part of Rhodes during a roadtrip around the island. I cannot complain, despite the rain, because I think the clouds added nicely to the photos of old ruins and winding roads.
Unfortunately vacant houses were a frequent sight along the roads. The financial crisis hit Greece hard and supposedly during a time of numerous construction projects. Some prospective tourist villages along the coast are merely ghost towns waiting for better times.
Lindos is easily my favourite town on Rhodes. It’s fun to get lost in the tiny maze-like streets and explore neighbourhoods unspoilt by the touristic main roads. Around every corner waits another taverna and sometimes the narrow streets give sight to the Acropolis of Lindos. Furthermore the town is surrounded by two gorgeous bays and cliffs in between.
My favourite experience on Rhodes was a sailing trip along the eastcoast. We had a beautiful yacht with an amazing crew and the best imaginable sailing conditions on a sunny day with a strong breeze. The wind carried us quickly to a remote beach in the southeast where we enjoyed a lunch in the sun and snorkling in the crystal clear waters.
Enjoying the last sunset in Kolymbia before heading home
I was so happy with these shots that I decided to turn them into a photo book. Luckily Fotofabrik offered me to try out their services with a printed photo book and I’m pretty happy with the outcome.
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