Acceptance

 I love walking. Travel affords such splendid opportunities. Generally I'm too impatient to learn local bus routes and schedules so I just set out. Most days involve from 15 to 18 thousand 'steps' as measured by my most motivational Fitbit. 

During a stay in hot and sunny South Kensington a few years ago I ambled from 'home' in an Edwardian terrace off Kensington Church Street all the way through the royal parklands, totally distracted by 'sights' and tours, ending up at St. Martin in the Fields, about 3 and half miles (and seven hours) of pavement later. Mercifully a taxi appeared after a long day of avoiding centre city political demonstrations, so I didn't  have to do the return journey. 

My 2024 solo stays in Rome and Florence were full walking also - very convoluted and often totally lost, and I loved every minute. And naturally, every visit on group tours involves miles of glorious guided tours.

A minor knee injury this winter has pointed out choices that I may have to begin making on my travels. But not for the first time. It was on a visit Lindos on the fascinating island of Rhodes last October that I heard myself say "pass" and suprising myself. I passed on the trek up to the Acropolis of Lindos.

A side note : Acropolis means "a citadel or fortified part of an ancent Greek city, typically built on a hill." We can be forgiven for thinking that the most celebrated Acropolis, that in Athens with the 5th century Parthenon,  Erechtion,  Propylea and Temple of Athena Nike is 'the' Acropolis. But most cities with elevations had them, for the most practical of reasons.

I got lots of reports from returnees from the 116 metre height Lindos acroplis climb confirming I'd chosen well. Wanting to see for myself I had a look for videos of the climb, and am more than ever confident I made the right decision. At minute 1:16 of  'Some Bloke's' YouTube video you'll get my point. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating site so watch to the end. I know I did, a couple of times. Nice bouzouki accompaniment.

The Acropolis of Lindos contains ruins, partially reconstructed, of a number of classical temples and civic buildings, and the medieval fortress of the crusades-era Knights of St. John, who'd conquered Rhodes. The superb vantage point was later taken over by the Ottoman conquerors of the area. I missed them all - but not so much.

I watched a number of our group members head out for the climb without too much regret as another delightful white-washed Greek island town beckoned just off the square. No important buildings here, no captions, nothing to look up. I'll just post these here and sit back and enjoy them with you.

I began my ascent of the village lanes to leave the tourist shops behind and to look for vantage points over the acropolis and the sea.

I quickly found much to love. The patterned pebble-mosaic floors of some of the shops and courtyards reminded me of those I saw in Mostar last year. 

Then I  became intrigued with the stone doorways of many of the whitewashed houses. Some of them were carved with intricate patterns. Were the stone doorways the remnants of former stone houses, the doorcase kept in original state after the walls received their coat of whitewash? Or were they architectural salvage, repurposed from an earlier civic or religious building? 

And were the homes - either white or original stone - maintained by municipal rules, like those in Mykonos, for instance, to preserve an attractive traditional look?

I learned that Lindos has been a magnet for jet-setters since the 1950s (don't take my word for it) so perhaps this pleasing palette of perfect blue sea white buildings in the sun evolved during that long-ago time?

Ah no, I read of 'interventions' in the 1980s and 90s. Interventions?

As I googled about I came up with some facts. This link was fascinating. I did read that traditional Lindian dwellings, known as kamarika had walls up to two feet thick, composed of straw, sand and lime, ideal protection from the intense sun of summer. And no, they weren't all white with limewash; many retained their earthy ochre coloured walls.

Whitewash seems to be a relatively modern development.

Details about the fascinating doorcases began to emerge. Shipping flourished in the 16th century and the now-famous sea-captain's houses began to appear. Their design combined traditional styles and features of the nobles houses of Rhodes.

This link to the article states there are some thirty of these still today, most owned by Europeans. The link contains some delightful photos, also.

More facts about Lindos' history, in case either of us wants to read more, is available on this site. The Roman era, the Byzantine empire, the time of the Knights of Rhodes and Malta and the Ottoman conquest all feature.These realizations suggest the best way to appreciate Lindos is perched on a warm stone wall overlooking the sea, and wandering its serpentine lanes. Which I did then, and am doing again just now in these photos.

I was adrift in a heaven of high stone walls, dramatic gateways and  pebble-mosaic floors, and the carved doorways of these captain's houses, some with a room above the door, the better to see the the sea. The carvings on the doorways, standouts against the white walls (according to my sources) feature "Byzantine, medieval and Ottoman elements." I could have stood and studied for days.

But my watch told me it was time to begin my meander back to the meeting-point in the square (these times always made exciting by the realization that one is lost.) My arrival in the shopping streets was a relief, as I then knew where I was. I reconnected with my travel friend Jo (some euros were harmed in the making of this photograph) and we proceeded to encounter yet one more charming feature of old Lindos. 

The patient donkeys, long the only goods transport in this pedestrian-only town, have been co-opted as tourist attractions, and sometimes put into service carrying the footsore traveller. But we prevailed.

We arrived on time at the central square, where our somewhat anxious tour manager Pablo was counting returnees and shooing them onto the dedicated shuttle, to travel back across the island, to the docks, to the tenders, to the ship. And this lovely day was packed under memories of the many other destinations that followed. Thanks to my photos, and this blog, I have just spent this rainy February morning back in Lindos. What could only be nicer might be anticipating a week's stay, booked in a little white house above the harbour, overlooking the acropolis. Sigh.