Islands, rivers, mountains and villages: holiday destinations from those in the know
Tag Archives: best places
The Old Town of Rhodes
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. Most travellers to Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, visit the Old Town of Rhodes and the ancient town of Lindos with its acropolis dating from the 6th-Century BCE. It may come as a surprise to learnContinue reading “The Old Town of Rhodes”
Symi
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. In Homer’s Iliad Symi is mentioned as the domain of King Nireus, who fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks and Thucydides writes that during the Peloponnesian War there was a Battle of SymeContinue reading “Symi”
Patmos
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. The island of Patmos has been inhabited since 3,000 BC, but the identity of those first inhabitants has not been conclusively proved. Some believe that the Kares, and the Leleges were the first settlers, others believe the DoriansContinue reading “Patmos”
Samos
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. I had arrived at the town of Pythagorio on the ferry from Patmos. Pythagorio is the Samian destination for ferries from the Dodecanese Islands. The port of Vathy on the northern side of Samos is the terminus forContinue reading “Samos”
Syros
The first historical mention of Syros is made by Homer, who named the island as “Syria” and then referred to it as “dipolis”, meaning it had two cities: Posidonia and Foinikas. The first known inhabitants were the Phoenicians during the second millennium BCE followed by the Minoans, Mycenaeans, and finally, in the early part ofContinue reading “Syros”
Tinos
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. The first inhabitants of Tinos were probably the Phoenicians, followed by the Ionians in the 11th century BCE. Two tombs from the Mycenaean period have been discovered in the area of Kyra Xeni, and about fifty archaeological sitesContinue reading “Tinos”
Paros
This is an excerpt from the book Travels through History : 9 Greek Islands , newly available on Amazon. In around 1600 BCE, it was the Minoans from Crete who had the first recorded presence on Paros, tuning the island into a naval station with the name of Minoa. In 1100 BC, the Ionians became rulers ofContinue reading “Paros”
Travel Poetry – 2
Travel poem number 2 about Istanbul. I depart the shiny new tram taste sage tea hundreds of years in the making consumed near a Muslim graveyard, where I espied silhouettes of crescent moons, stars under pitch black skies. As I dodge mutant dancing zebras, vehicles screech to halt at the light. Garish clothes, piled onContinue reading “Travel Poetry – 2”
A local’s guide to Copenhagen: 10 top tips
The best way to get a handle on the Danish capital’s alluring mix of old and modern design, and its eclectic range of bars and restaurants, is on two wheels