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Simi having no airport, we arrived in 2007 by boat after dark. We didn't know quite what to expect as only that afternoon had we decided to leave Rhodos two days earlier than planned and go to Simi instead. We were met at the harbour by the French lady who owned our small but lovely hotel. She was very welcoming and recommended a good seafood restaurant. In the morning we saw how beautiful this small island is. We hated having to leave the next day and wondered for a while if we would be able to. Dark black clouds promised a terrible storm as we waited at the harbour, unsure if the ferry for Rhodos would arrive. Eventually, rather than the ferry we expected, a hydrofoil came instead and took us to Rhodos safely but very stressed. The first photo shows the harbour at Simi. In the second we are having a Coke at the harbour and basking in the beautiful sun.
In 1998 when we visited Santorini, our hotel was built on the side of the cliff above the Caldera in what was once a donkey barn. Every day when we ate in the hotel restaurant, we were perched directly above the sea on the edge of the cliff. It was an amazingly beautiful view from there, but looking down made me feel dizzy.
In1998 we spent the day on Delos, an island that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Delos was considered by the ancient Greeks to have been the birthplace of the gods Artemis and Apollo and as such, was for them a holy sanctuary. The excavations here are very interesting and extensive.
Here is another photo taken in 2000 of a beautiful Greek temple at Selinunte in Sicily. As in several other temples in Sicily, we were are able to walk directly into the temple itself, something we had never been able to do before. Like all Greek temples, one of its most striking features is its having been posiioned within the landscape in a way that enhances its beauty and fine proportions.
A wonderful part our Sicily vacation in 200 was to see the many ancient Greek temples. The island has more of these - and in a better state of preservation - than anywhere I know of outside Greece itself. The temple in the photo is located near Agrigento where there are extensive ruins.
As the birthplace of Apollo, the island of Delos was a holy sanctuary in ancient Greece. In 1998 we photographed these Ionic columns and a mosaic floor - just a few of the many ruins you can see there. Only a handful of archaeologists live on Delos now, and out of respect for its historical and religious significance, no one is allowed to be born or to die there. In ancient times, no one was permitted to remain on the island overnight.
This photo, taken in 2004 from the roadside on Crete, shows a typical Mediterranean landscape with lots of olive trees - very dry but beautiful.
In 2006 we spent the better part of a day walking at a leisurely pace and looking at all the interesting things to see in Rhodes Town. Often, it is people who are of most interest, perhaps because there is comfort in sharing an experience with others, particularly when you are far from home.
Looking down on the Caldera on the Greek island of Santorini is a most spectacular and beautiful experience. It was truly amazing to think that something so large - eight miles by four miles - was created by a volcanic eruption. When we visited in 1998, our hotel, a former stable for donkeys, was perched on the very edge of the cliff. We spent every morning at breakfast gazing down on the wonderful view.
Naoussa on Paros, where we visited in 1998, is a picturesque fishing village with the white-washed houses and brilliant sunlight that we associate with the Greek islands. What is not so commonly seen are fishermen like these - laughing and chatting together while mending their nets - as men at Naoussa have no doubt been doing since ancient times.
At Agrigento in 2000, as elsewhere in Sicily, we were able to walk freely among the ancient ruins, something that made it possible to appreciate these beautiful sites in a new way. The city of Agrigento was nothing special, but near it there were several Greek temples to wander about in. These have been designated a World Heritage Site and date from the 6th and 5th Centuries B.C.
One of the most beautiful buildings in the world - the Erechtheion - is located on the Acropolis in Athens. It was photographed in 1998.
On the ascent to the acropolis at Lindos on the island of Rhodes, we stopped a few times to admire the spectacular view. At the top, there were ancient ruins, including the remains of the Temple of Athena, the Doric stoa, and the Byzantine church of St John. Looking at the photo will give give you an idea of how high we were above the level of the sea.
When we visited Crete in 2004, Kalamaki had only recently become a resort. The Lonely Planet Guide to Crete recommended it as a lovely place off the beaten track. That was enough for us. We discovered in Chania, however, that there was no bus service beyond a point some distance away from our destination. Fortunately, after walking on a hot, dusty road hauling our suitcases for fifteen or twenty minutes, a nice gentleman stopped and drove us to our B&B. This was run by a wonderful Cretan family. We especially enjoyed the company of Rula, the daughter, who spoke excellent English.
For our first dinner, we went to a taverna on the beach, but soon after we ordered, there was a power outage. Without power, there was no way to cook, nor was there any light. We spent the time until food was finally served looking at this beautiful view of the sun setting over the sea.
Syracusa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a very interesting town to visit as we did in 2000. There is an old medieval quarter that is seriously dilapidated but would have great potential if Sicily could establish a tourist industry of any size. It would be a wonderful place to explore on foot if cleaned up. There is also an ancient Greek theatre. But perhaps the most interesting place in Syracusa is the large harbour. This is where, in 431 BC, a huge expeditionary force of Athenian ships sailed and were trapped by a chain drawn across the harbour entrance. The result was the destruction of the ships by fire and the death or capture of thousands of Athenian sailors.
