Efharisto Rhodes you are colossal and as we say Yassas at the end of our loveholidays odyssey we reflect on the legends we have met.
Michael, the pick-up driver who took us on our first night to the Amphitryon Hotel.
May you make enough from your driving and your day building job to realise your ambition to settle down and slow down in your 40s.
Manolis, our bar manager who patiently and smilingly put up with this Bandanaman mangling his language.
To you and those who fed us so fully a Yamas (or cheers).
Over an ouzo with the best Greek traditional band Bouzouki playing in the background.
Yamas to new friends
To the new friends we met, the Three Yorkshiremen and Jay, Cherry and Jane.
And thanks for the offer of your room on the day of your check-out Jane.
Only I am still haunted by another invitation from my Athens odyssey.
And Toy Boy Brian, OK, he’s a fellow Sixtysomething like myself but travels the world selling vintage toys.
And meets celebs and gets the VIP treatment, hence him meeting the Bandanaman.
Then, of course, the army of cats who responded to our cheery kalimera.
Even when noon had passed and it should be a kalispera.
Especially Symi2, our forever friend who took residence of our laps.
And whose picture will now occupy a place on our crowded fridge.
Legends carved in rock
It is back now to chilly North Berwickety in Scotland where Rufus Rules now has a lot of living up to and explaining.
But not before a nod to the legends who come out at night.
Now Rhodes is clearly not shy of gods carved into rock.
But Nicklas and Despina are the god and goddess of rock at the Legends Rock Bar in Old Rhodes town.
Downing shots as they serve and producing a bottle of Bunnahabhain smoky Islay whisky and testing me on my Scottishness.
By asking me to pronounce it which incidentally is Bunahaveain.
And all the time Nikos the singer, of course, belts out the standards from across the rocky lane.
Reading the words perfectly from his screen which is no mean feat when it’s Cher’s warbling.
Kalinihta and dreams of gold
I leave with a kalinihta and breathe a sigh of relief that I have not said anything inappropriate.
As happened when I greeted the concierge in Rome with a buona notte e sogni d’oro.
But come to think of it, good night and dreams of gold does sound a fitting farewell to Helios, the Sun God’s island, Rhodes.
Your friendly neighbourhood Bandanaman is travelling with loveholidays and EasyJet from Edinburgh.
And staying at the Amphitryon City Hotel, 800m from the Old Town.
All for £1,028 for two, B&B and evening meals, for a week with airport transfers.
