Food, glorious food!

I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have eaten something that was so flippin' amazing that it made me want to weep with joy. This was the case when we went to Alex's Restaurant in Lindos, Rhodes. I had this feta cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry which was drizzled with honey, caramelized balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds. Oh my hat, it was delicious. So delicious that it had to get its own blog post. This picture does in no way do the dish justice. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Lindos. You get to eat orgasmic food while sitting on the rooftop of the restaurant, enjoying the welcomed breeze and the twinkling lights of Lindos. The staff were also incredibly friendly. What more can you really ask for?

Man In Black

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,

Why you never see bright colors on my back,

And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.

Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,

Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,

I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,

But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,

Or listened to the words that Jesus said,

About the road to happiness through love and charity,

Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,

In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,

But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,

Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,

For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,

I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,

Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,

Believen' that the Lord was on their side,

I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,

Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,

And things need changin' everywhere you go,

But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,

You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,

And tell the world that everything's OK,

But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,

'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

-Johnny Cash, Man In Black- 

The Old Town, Rhodes

The Rhodes Archaeological Museum in The Old Town.

Mosaic floors

Beautiful ceilings, again. They followed me everywhere. 

Head of god, Helios. Middle Hellenistic period. 

Roman portrait head from the 1st century BC. Scary to think how old this is. 

Mosaics from pebbles, I kid you not. How? How did you do this, ancient greeks?

Close up of above.

And even closer...

Rupa & the April Fishes

Say hello to Rupa Marya. You'll like her, she's cool. She fronts Rupa & the April Fishes, a group from San Francisco. 

This is Rupa with the April Fishes. They are all equally cool, I promise. 

This is their first album, eXtraOrdinary rendition.

This is their second album, Este Mundo.

"Et c'est pour ça mon ami que je me trouve ici

où les rues se croisent sous les étoiles

même si j'ai voulu te suivre

je n'appartiens qu'au ciel"

"And it is for this reason my friend that I am here

where the streets cross under the stars

and even if I wanted to follow you

I only belong to the sky"

-Soy payaso, Este Mundo-

Rupa & the April Fishes have been entertaining my ears and I non-stop for the past few days. I got their second album, Este Mundo.Their pertinent lyrics are sung in Spanish, French and English and provide very relevant social commentary about migration, specifically migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. The theme of migration, however, is a universal one. Us South Africans are no strangers to these issues. The frighteningly brutal xenophobia attacks in 2008 are probably the best example of how South Africa is struggling to deal with the problems that arise from migration.

Apart from making me think a whole lot about an issue that we all like to push to the back of our minds, this album really makes me want to dance. Crazy, exuberant dance. The perfect combination of trumpet, guitar, cello, accordion, upright bass and drums makes my pulse start pounding each and every time I listen to the splendid music.

You have to go and check this band out. If you don't like them, then you have very questionable taste in music. I'm sorry, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Official website
Myspace page
YouTube

Valley of Butterflies, Rhodes

Perhaps I am ignorant, but I really was expecting these butterflies to be flying all over the place. Nevertheless, the valley is something you have to see if you go to Rhodes. There's also a restaurant at the end to reward your trek through the valley. As we were leaving, there was an old Greek man selling fresh fruit and peanuts covered in honey and sesame seeds from the back of his car. Those peanuts are divine! I could chomp on the things day in and day out. 

Yip, those are all butterflies. You must be trembling right now, Priyanks!;-)

I want to go back to Rhodes. Now.

 I adore Greece. And not only because I'm Greek. It has a natural, untouched beauty. The white washed walls and the serene aquamarine and royal blue sea look like a scene on a postcard. The people are exceptionally friendly, something my mom says has changed since she was last there a few decades ago. And the food. Ah, the glorious food. I went to  Greece with a list of my favourites that I simply had to indulge in. Tzatziki, pita bread, dolmades, spanakopita, tiropita, fasolada, yemista, baklava, revani, and loukoumi. The list could go on forever and ever. I love the fact that I got the opportunity to speak the language that I suffered through years of Greek School to learn (Greek school and greek dancing really were the bane of my existence back in the day). I hope my grandparents are proud. In short, Greece felt like home.

We stayed in Lindos during our visit to Rhodes. This is the Bastion, which contains the Rhodes Acropolis. You can take a trip up there on a donkey. I felt sorry for the poor asses, so I declined. I would have preferred to walk up but alas, I was told that I would die of heat if I attempted it. Boo hoo. 

Orange juice to quench your thirst, anyone?

Most of the paths and even the floors in restaurants and shops are made of these pebbles. They are surprisingly smooth (and sometimes even slippery). Loved it. 

Even though this picture doesn't illustrate it, the beaches in Rhodes consist of pebbles. The type that you pay for in a scratch patch in South Africa. I spent a good while digging amongst the pebbles for a few pretty little treasures. 

Pink and white bouganvillas everywhere. One day when I have my own little garden, I want lots and lots of bouganvillas. 

Same scene as the first picture, but this time with the sun setting. It's like the sky is blushing. Hee.  

Hello little pups, welcome to the world!

My Aunt Helen's little Yorkie, Delilah, had puppies last Sunday. They are only 6 days old here. Sure, they look a little bit like teeny tiny moles but aren't they just so sweet? Their eyes haven't even opened yet! I think it will be pretty cool to document their growth, so watch this space.