This month started with rain, rain, rain, and so off to Rhodes, Greece, we went for a week of sunshine and a quick trip before Lutz went in for knee surgery.
It was so hot there, 30 °C/86-85 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was grateful for the sea and my gills were happy!
And this amazing pool! We stayed at the Rhodos Palladium Leisure & Wellness Hotel.
Even the evenings and nights were warm and gorgeous.
The food is amazing there!
And the Gyro’s delicious!
We even exercised daily. Pool gymnastics and laps!.
And evening entertainment daily from our balcon! Sorry, a little blurry, but you get the idea!
We were so courageous that we decided to take an 8-hour bus tour in this heat to visit Lindos and the Medieval City of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lindos is considered the most beautiful city in Rhode. Above the village, the ruins of the ancient Temple of Athena Linda date back to around the 4th century BC.
To reach the temple, you have to meander through the town…
and then take 250-300 uneven steps to the temple. Both Lutz and I have bad knees, and I think if we’d known before we left, we’d have changed our minds, but I have to say it was amazing and something you only do once!
They do have donkeys for children, and I almost asked for a ride, but in this heat and my weight, I certainly didn’t want to risk a lawsuit.
The view was spectacular, and the history was so super interesting!
A little history for you all: do you know why they always made statues with women standing and men taking a step forward? Well, the sculpture could stabilize the women’s statues with their long dresses. The men were stabilized by one foot forward! Pretty cool, right?
Finally found something taller than Lutz!
Our bus trip to Rhodes was just as interesting!
The entrance to the Medieval City was so cool and still in good repair! Rhodes is over 2,400 years old. But people lived on the Island more than 5000 years ago. Rhodes was ruled by the ancient Greeks, Roman, Byzantines, the Middle Ages, the Ottomans, and the Italians, all reflected in unique emblems in the city’s architecture. It became part of Greece in 1947!
Loved touring the streets; we had 2 hours to walk through and explore.
The history of the Knights was very interesting, and the town was basically governed by them from 1309 to 1522. Suleiman the Magnificent led a massive siege, and the Knights negotiated an honorable surrender and left Rhodes! They built the walls, maintained a powerful navy to protect pilgrims and merchant ships, and fought against the Ottoman Empire. They even operated hospitals and cared for the sick and poor. Medical care was just as important as fighting! They lived in the homes down this street.
Of course, we had time for an appetizer: grilled Squid.
Oh, yes, and time to find the perfect purse! I need quite a bit of time to decide.
By now, we weren’t the only ones tired!
The only downside to this trip was the flight home. We planned to leave at 8:20 pm, so we arrived at 5:30 pm. Plenty of time. It was delayed until 10:00, then until 10:30, then until 12:15 am, and once again until 3 am. We made it home by 8 am to the hottest heat EVER. This is serious stuff, folks: this last month was one long, hot month. I know I’m not supposed to complain, but mercy me, 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Germany is pushing it. We refilled the jacuzzi and turned off the heat. By the second day, it was 38 °C/101 °F outside, and the pool heated up to 26.5 °C/79 °F.
Well, the party is over, and it was time to escort Lutz to the hospital for his knee replacement. He’s had a bad knee forever, and I’m sure the steps in Rhodes didn’t help it at all.
He was there for 5 days, then I picked him up, and I was his nurse, cook, medicine dispenser, shopper, and ice pack retriever for the next 5 days.
Apparently, he was fed well.
Men are not the best patients. Some fall apart and can’t do a dang thing. Lutz is quite the opposite. He was determined to take all my jobs from me! But we survived.
Five days were enough for me! It was time to take him to the Rehab clinic! Germany is a great place for having knee surgery. You go to Rehab for three weeks. It’s like a hotel! You get a little apartment with a fridge, TV, and the works. Meals are served in the restaurant. After registering and meeting with the doctor, you receive a treatment schedule. So far, so good. Lutz has a full schedule of 5-7 treatments a day. Not a holiday for Lutz, but for me, it is. Now, if I could turn the temperature down outside and enjoy my home hotel with its jacuzzi and gorgeous patios!
The saying goes, “While the cat is away, the mice will play”. That’s exactly what I did. I took the train to visit my German adopted daughter, Marilou, and her daughter, Aliyah, in Frankfurt. I haven’t been there for years!
We spent the hot weekend mostly inside catching up. But as you can see, we also made some visits to rooftop locations as often as we could for a breeze—dinner out with Marilou’s friend, Uli, so cool literally.
And dinner was amazing!
Ceviche was so unique!
And of course, dinner at home, we made summer rolls!
I forgot how busy Frankfurt was. Downtown is crazy! But a tour was called for, and a drive-by of Marilou’s 35+-story-tall office. She insisted! Thank goodness I didn’t have to visit her office. Heights are not my favorite places. I’m not sure I can work that high up. Scary!
It was great to see them both, but I was also excited to get back home to my refreshing, cool jacuzzi! Stay tuned for next month. I hope you all are finding relief from the heat. I’m enjoying my time with myself, reading, cooking, having friends over to sample this delicious recipe I made, and sharing it with you! Check out this super resource as well. Chat with you all next month.
Fave New Recipe: Greek Quiche
Love this Greek Quiche so much, and it’s quick and easy. It is delicious cold or warmed!
Fave New Resource: Serious Suggestions for Keeping Cool in Extreme Heat
I found some amazing suggestions for staying cool that I’ve never heard before. Love the one that says, “Wear loose clothing!” No problem for me, I’m loving my muumuu! Got it for Greece, but heck yes, why not? It works!
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.
Europeans know Global warming is not a hoax. Even in Encinitas its much more humid than ever before. We are lucky to live near the ocean so we aren’t too warm. I hope you cool down soon. Best wishes for Lutz’s fast recovery.
That’s so true I am so blessed to be living here Many are concerned about climate change and people’s health Thanks for reading my post and following along Lutz and I talk each day, and he seems to be recovering rather quickly, so I have high hopes He comes home on the 12th of July Stay cool and take care of yourselves Hugs