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| Acropolis at Lindos |
Last month, I published a post discussing Durrell's memoir of his days on the island of Rhodes, as part of the British occupation forces in 1945: "Reflections on a Marine Venus." I mentioned that I myself had first visited Rhodes as a young vagabond, backpacking around the Eastern Mediterranean. I was a kid with no planned itinerary and six weeks to kill before my return flight.
Today, I ran across my journal of those travels. Not having any ideas for a more interesting original post, I thought I'd give you an excerpt from my now-ancient journal -- a few lines describing some of my initial impressions of Rhodes, written at a time when I was somewhat adrift, uncertain, and apprehensive about my future life and career.
Self-plagiarism!
Saturday, August 8, 1970
The entry into Rhodes harbor on Thursday was extremely impressive, the Palace looming in the background, and the three wiindmills, the bandshell, the white agora, and various Moorish-looking buildings in the foreground. Hiked in front of the Old City into the Mandraki, and followed the signs to the tourist office. Got the address of a hotel with bath for 64 drx [drachmas][about $2] . Had to carry my pack clear back to the other side of town, and then couldn't find the hotel. Kept askiing for "HO-TEL CON-GO" from passers-by, and eventurally located it -- hot, thirsty, and exhausted. Oh, let me tell you, there are times when reservations at the Hilton sound appealing. But there are compensations.
Spent the afternoon just wandering around sans guidebook, getting a feeling for the area, taking some random pictures. Had moussaka and salad dinner on the waterfront, then went to see "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (!) (with Greek subtitles).
Next day decided to switch to the youth hostel, which involved some more searching. Finally got my gear transferred and 12 drx a night paid. The manager speaks Italian and was delighted to be able to converse with me. She thought I must be from California -- evidently mistook me for a paesano. [ed. note 2013: yeah, right!]
Went over the sights more carefully this time. Palace of the Grand Master, the Hospital (now museum -- very impressive building; I really got a feeling of the history from it). Spent siesta period on the beach, stretched out on the sand letting the breezes blow over me. At one café, I ran into the Dutch and German guys I had met on the boat to Mykonos -- funny how often something like that happens.
When I came back to the hostel, I met the guy in the bunk below mine -- he's from Dallas. We had dinner together and prowled through some of the shops in the Old City. ... Ed had just gotten back from a one-day excursion to Marmara, Turkey, where he'd spent $100 [ed. 2013: about $600 in today's dollars!] on various gifts -- especially sheepskin coats.
This morning I was up at 7, had breakfast and killed time sitting on the breakwater, staring at the city, trying to impress it indelibly on my mind. At 9, the bus left for Lindos, I aboard it. A magnificent drive, through rugged Old West scenery and over evergreen-covered hills with glimpses of the sea from time to time. Lindos is a beautiful place. ... I began the climb up to the Acropolis. Someone said the Greek ruins were a temple to Apollo [ed. 2013: actually, Athena], which seems wholly approperiate, considering the beauty and sunniness of the location, but I unfortunately didn't have a guidebook. Very impressive Doric columns, some leaning and looking as though they had been rather shakily reconstructed -- just a guess. Surrounding the temple are fortifications of the same style as those here in [the city of] Rhodes, which seemed to make the flat-topped rock impregnable.
The view was breathtaking. Wandered all around, looking off in many directions. Finally, sat on a wall and looked down on the deep blue sea, light shimmering in bright specks on the water, the gold cliffs dropping sheer to the sea, mottled with dark shadows. I must have sat there at least half an hour, mulling over life. I decided that if I could be sitting in this place, at this time of my life, seeing what I did, feeling what I did, the kind of person that I am -- then I had managed to blunder into a lot of right decisions at various places in my life, and I had no regrets, whatever the future might hold.
Pretty smug, huh?
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A year later, I found myself starting law school. It was all downhill from that point on!
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