Sat 25.Dec.2010
Rhodes, Greece
Here it is, Christmas Day in Rhodes. Greeks seem to spend the
holiday at home with their families; I have never seen the old town so
devoid of activity as this afternoon. Now in the evening, my
little home pub has opened up, and I am dining on some delicious duck
and rice from the proprietors' parents that they brought me! In the
corner, a pair of musicians are warming up, one of them playing what I
believe is an oud - a rare treat in Greece where bouzouki is much more
the norm.
Back and There Again
![A missed connection Cots in Munich airport departure hall](pix/2010/pc028071.jpg)
![early thursday morning row of cots in Munich airport](pix/2010/pc028075.jpg)
I made a trip to California in early December, to be with my family
after my father's death. The journey proved to be an adventure in
both directions.
It sounded simple - one connection in Munich, and non-stop in to San
Francisco. I was admiring the Alps from the plane window when it
occurred to me that we had been over those Alps for longer than I could
account for. Shortly after, the captain announced that Munich was
closed due to snow; we were diverting to Nürnberg, a tiny airport
further north. The poor ground staff at Nürnberg were helpless, in
near-shock from the unaccustomed torrent
of flights diverted from Munich.
I made my way to Munich airport (ca. 28°F) by train, waited two hours
in the re-booking line, and got a seat on my same flight the next day.
Too late for a hotel room though; not a one to be had. "München ist voll!". In fact, I was
even too late for a cot in the departures building - they had run out
of those too. So I paced and napped on the benches until morning, then
commandeered one of the first cots to be abandoned by its occupant.
![Shopping Maul Neon sign: Good Schmuck Buy](pix/2010/pc028093.jpg)
![Airport Christmas Market Craft booths between airport buildings](pix/2010/pc028082.jpg)
The new Munich airport is huge, with a covered plaza between terminal
buildings and a shopping mall underground. Here a sign gains something
in translation to English.
In the covered plaza there was an
airport version of a German Christmas market. Contrived as it may have
been, it lent some welcome charm.
![Waiting for the Plane Couple at a stand-up cafe](pix/2010/pc028090.jpg)
![Zürich Airport Hilton standard business class hotel room](pix/2010/pc158095.jpg)
I dunno where this couple are really from, but the scene looks too
German for words.
Interestingly, I spent another
unplanned night at Zürich airport (19°F) when I returned to
Greece in mid-December. This time the cause was strikes in Athens.
Swiss Airlines put me up at the airport Hilton, and got me a connection
to Athens the next morning via Vienna (15°F). I may never complain
about cold in Greece again.
Finally... Rodhos again!
![Football in the moat couple of kids kicking a ball around](pix/2010/pc228157.jpg)
![Makeshift football field kids with ladder in the medieval moat](pix/2010/pc228158.jpg)
There is no official access for the public to this section of inner
moat by the eastern exit from the old town. Still, kids with soccer on
their minds can be pretty resourceful.
![Seaweed seaweed on rock in shallow water](pix/2010/pc228176.jpg)
Most days are cloudy now, even when it doesn't rain. We sometimes go a
week between cruise ships, and those are far from full. Life is
slower-paced than when I arrived in Fall season.
The days that are clear can be brilliant.
![default title default alt text](pix/2010/pc238215.jpg)
![default title default alt text](pix/2010/pc238219.jpg)
One of many dark doorways into the city wall from the old moat. If you
are paying attention to the occasional sign, you know that this
passage actually comes out the other side into the town, one of three
such, and the least obvious of the three.
Nearby, one of the three gates that
cross the moat.
![default title default alt text](pix/2010/pc238239.jpg)
![default title default alt text](pix/2010/pc238250.jpg)
![Killer Zucchini default alt text](pix/2010/pc238232.jpg)
The mutant killer zucchini is still alive and kicking, but it looks
much less powerful than it did a few weeks ago. Maybe it took some cold
weather while I was in Calif.
I saw The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader soon after my return to Rhodes, at a
local movie house. (Yes, with Greek sub-titles.)
I was raised on the Narnia books, and Dawn
Treader was probably my favorite of the lot. My feelings about
the movie are decidedly mixed. The best news: it is as beautiful
visually as the
first two.
Many of the scenes and story elements are recognizable. But the story
they tell is something else again. A concocted young girl character may
be intended to attract the youngsters of a certain age, now that Lucy
is more of a young teen. But villianous green mist?? Swords at
Aslan's Table?? Even - so help me - a Blue Star Fairy?!? (That last one
has got to be an in-joke
inserted by some Greek at Disney.)
Maybe I am just grumpy at being
gouged an extra 2 euros for the mostly-irrelevant 3D. If any of this
matters to you, you can see it and decide for your self.
What do you know? As the evening grows
older, more people have trickled in. The ol' pub feels properly warm
and Christmasy now. An excellent note of cheer to sign off on.
Deck
us all with Boston Charlie
Walla Walla, Wash, an' Kalamazoo.
Nora's freezin' on the trolley
Swaller dollar cauliflower allygaroo.
Don't we know archaic barrel?
Lullabye Lilla boy, Louisville Lou.
Trolley Molly don't love Harold.
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
Contents Copyright 2012 Jeff Bulf