Rhodes was another stop on our cruise around the Greek islands.  We docked right outside the city walls of Rhodes, but spent the morning exploring Lindos before going into the Old Town of Rhodes.

Colder weather always has me thinking back to past summer travel.  Last summer, I started off a wonderful trip to Greece with a short stay in Athens.  I ended up liking it so much, I can't wait to return for a longer visit.  With only a brief bit of time there before boarding a cruise, we made sure to prioritize visits to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.

Over the summer I went on a  week long cruise around the Greek Islands on the Silver Whisper.  One stop that I just loved was Paros, Greece.  Paros is a fairly popular island for tourists and religious pilgrims.   There is regular ferry service from Athens and neighboring islands, as well as a small airport, making Paros quite accessible.  I wandered around the town of Parikia for a bit before visiting a famous church and the beach.  The town is full of brightly colored flowers set against white washed houses and stone alleys.  

My trip to Thailand was such an incredible experience.  While it was fun and relaxing, I also learned so much.  I knew a little about Asian art and Buddhism from classes in college, but was eager to learn more.  Even though I did quite a bit of reading and research before leaving, there was much to be learned from the various guides we hired and other experts at the tourist sights.  It was also helpful to really read up on the cultural norms in Thailand.  Two things you will read about are dressing modestly, see my Bangkok post, and speaking respectfully of the King and Queen of Thailand.  Thailand is a monarchy and the power held by the Royal family is considerable.  You will not see articles or hear people talk about them the same way we might about Kate and Will, for example.  Some people we met did speak freely about how they felt about the monarchy, but most will not speak to tourists about this matter.  Remember if you are peppering your guide with a lot of questions about the King, you may be putting him or her in a very awkward position.  Conversation about politics in general is probably better to avoid for similar reasons.