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All roamers lead to Rhodes… and from today Aer Lingus too.

Ireland’s national airline www.aerlingus.com carrier has added the Greek island to its European roster from May of next year.

We all first heard of the Dodecanese island back in school as being the location of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Rhodies, as I’ve decided to call them, erected the statue to the God Helios, in thanks for victory over the Cretans (and that is really what they call them)..

The Colossus must have put the fear of, well if not Jaysus as he wasn’t around in 280BC (and the clue is in the BC) then Zeus.

Although why he sent an earthquake to destroy it and its inhabitants 14 years later only Zeus can answer.

But what’s important for us is:

(a) that Aer Lingus is flying directly from Dublin out to Rhodes Town www.visitrhodes.com in May.

(b) that Helios is well chosen as its God because the sun never stops shining there.

And (c) that the Old Town of Rhodes is a World Heritage site and the island is filled with ancient relics.

I only hope that it can acccommodate another.

I renewed acquaintance this year with the Greek Islands after 25 years having honeymooned in Corfu… www.corfu-tourism.com.

I have to confess that I had never heard of the Attica island (that’s Athens’ region) of Kythera www.visitkythera.com until this year.

But I have now and here it is in all its glory…

Rhodes follows hard on the heels of Brindisi, Puglia and Alghero, Sardinia as new Aer Lingus routes.

But it’s not just Dublin which is being served, of course.

Aer Lingus has opened up Shannon-Paris and Barcelona as part of a new summer schedule.

Great cities both but it’s Ancient Greece which is on our minds here… so here’s a reminder of why it has captivated us for centuries.

Here’s Spend a penny, drachma, dinar,

MEET YOU ON THE ROAD

On your marks, get ready, goat!

It’s the Tobago Goat Race and your favourite blogger and his pal, who I have the privilege of getting to name (Bandanaman), are off and running.

Against Anthony Vickers’ charge.

After an initial period when he got giddy at the starting line and whinnied and almost bolted, he has now settled down.

The goat was as good as gold.

I have a rope attached to my new friend and I relax and allow Bandanaman to take the lead.

As my trainer, also called Anthony, and champion racer Levi have advised.

Which gives me the advantage over our party’s Middlesbrough Anthony who is trying to run abreast with his goat.

This is too much fun and the Tobagonians https://www.visittobago.gov.tt have told me that I can now track how Bandanaman fares at the Goat Races at Easter.

Goat racing draws thousands to Buccoo every Easter www.buccoo.net and also during the Heritage Festival https://www.tobagoheritagefestival.com inj July.

But it is on the hallowed turf of Canaan where Dwight Yorke first played that we are putting Bandanaman through his paces.

While his former team-mate and mentor, both for Phoenix FC and the Trinidad & Tobago national team, Terry Williams, is helping his son Elijah fly a kite, a popular Christmas pastime on the island.

Goat racing (and crab racing) have been popular in Tobago since 1925.

When Barbados native Samuel Callender brought it to the island as a rival sport for the poor while the rich indulged in horse-racing.

And so now every year thousands flock to Buccoo where there is a festival to all things Tobagonian.

Punters bet, stall-holders sell their fares and Tobagonians literally open their homes to strangers.

Fast forward four months and Bandanaman is winning by a neck in the 100m dash in a new world record time of 11 seconds.

Which means I will have to stick around on the island and shave four seconds of mine and Bandanaman’s personal best of 15secs.

Maybe Terry can get me a game for Phoenix FC too while Auntie Ali promised me a job washing dishes up at the Blue Crab… http://www.tobagobluecrab.com.

I might even take the crab I raced, or rather kicked, over the line with me.

And in case you missed any of my Tobagonian adventures… Give us this Day – Sunday School, Tobago, It’s Robinson Crusoe’s very own Tobago, Not any old Glasgow bar.

And in a nod to Samuel Callender here’s what I made of his beloved Barbados… Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.

MEET YOU ON THE ROAD

I belong to Glasgow, dear old Glasgow toon.

Or, in this case Glasgow’s toon because this is Kurt Glasgow’s toon.

Kurt and his family have been running this Glasgow bar for two generations.

And he is always happy to welcome Glaswegians who stop here for the gobsmacking views of Parltuvier in Tobago.

Although he has yet to visit ‘the Dear Green Place’ I think you’ll agree that he has a Dear Green Place of his own.

Our party which is being hosted by the Tobago Tourist Board www.tobago.gov.tt and Virgin Atlantic www.virginatlantic.com stopped off here for lunch this week.

Where I got talking with Ross, a dreadlocked handyman who had stopped by to change an attachment.

There was, of course, no shortage of workmen, who were sitting by the counter having their lunch hour, to call upon.

So it would have been rude not to join in.

As Phil, our driver, and new brother, never tires of reminding us: ‘Better belly bustin’ than waste food.’

And he cleaned his plate.

Being a proper Glaswegian I ate all the meat, the chicken stew, and left the veg!

Wherever you are, Tennent’s, The Sarrie Heid, Sammy Dow’s, The Doublet, or Curlers, then enjoy your Glasgow bar.

And Karl, on behalf of the people of my home town I guarantee you a free pint in any one of them.

For more Caribbean fun here are some previous thoughts… Give us this Day – Sunday School, Tobago, I should cocoa – Christmas in Tobago, It’s Robinson Crusoe’s very own Tobago.

And adventures in the Caribbean… Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.

And now I’m off to participate in that favourite Glasgow sport… goat racing!

MEET YOU ON THE ROAD

Where mi’ been? Stranded on Robinson Crusoe’s beach, that’s where.

This is Englishman’s Bay in Tobago where Rob washed up.

And where I’ve been living off the land.

Berries and coconuts and streams for water.

While I’ve been attending to the types of ailments you have to contend with on an island like this.

Mossie bites… by using what God gave us.

Which is the rain forest, and its natural healing plants.

I’ve trawled for fish and taken the boat out onto the Caribbean.

And eaten the fruits of the sea, the swordfish, mahi-mahi and tuna.

While Porridge (I’ll tell you more later) kindly let me use his hammock at www.castararetreats.com.

Of course on an island like this you need to keep sentry for pirates (at Pirates’ Beach).

And for invaders, so I’ve been doing my fort inspections to make sure nobody gets in…

Because I want to keep this island just for myself.

And my friends, Tobagonians Marsha, Phil, Porridge, Auntie Ali, Uncle Kenneth, Mr Brown, Mark and Mathew the boatmen, Judah our yoga instructor. And a host of others.

And our party, Sarah, Kirsten, Anthony and ‘One F’ with www.visittobago.gov.tt courtesy of www.virginatlantic.com.

And now I’ve dried off from the liquid sunshine (that’s rain to all you in Ireland and the UK I’m away to spend some precious time with my new best friends…

The hummingbirds who perch on my feeder on my balcony.

I’ll keep you posted on life in the Caribbean at Christmas between rum punches… I should cocoa – Christmas in Tobago.

And if you like Caribbean capers (of course you do) then here’s some more messin’ … Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.

MEET YOU ON THE ROAD

Today’s blog from Tobago comes to you with lashings of ginger beard!

Which comes to you not from a tube of dye but straight from a plant on a Cocoa Estate.

This is the Roucou plant from which you can smear the seeds onto your hands and then your face.

It was used in days of yore for war paint but does just as well to liven up your beardie.

This is me being put to work on the Cocoa Estate before being rewarded with a bar of chocolate and a couple of rum chasers.

That’s reward enough.

And after being dragged away and it being 30C after all, it was time for a cool down in the Argyle Waterfalls.

Us Scots were all over Tobago.

Which you can see in the place names, Argyle, Speyside and the Glasgow Bar we’ll lime in later this week.

And also in the manufacturing process for the molasses and rum-making.

I even spotted a Glaswegian’s hand in the water wheel which oiled the wheels.

And, of course, they put me to work like a hamster on a wheel!

Tobagonians claim their island as the ‘happiest place on earth’.

And it’s all down to sun, Parang Soca (So Calypso), smiles, rum and food.

As our driver Phil put it as we ate in the converted treehouse near Roxborough: ‘Better belly bustin’ than leave waste.’

And with Scrunter ringin’ in my ears reminding us that he wants ‘pork for me Christmas’ and ‘I drink anything’, I’m off.

For a rum punch, some limin’ (pre-drinks), before dinner.

If you want more Caribbean fun then check out Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.

And visit www.visittobago.gov and www.virginatlantic.com.

Oh, what a night… the Buccoo Steel Band Orchestra are ringing out Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and The Eagles, and the place is jumpin’.

This is Sunday School Tobago style and I have come to worship.

Sunday School is a Tobagonian institution and a crowd are sat watching the steel band.

Up front the locals are starting to swell the bar while an old dude in trilby hat, flowery shirt, flares and Cuban heels is throwing shapes.

With his younger Seventysomething girlfriend.

I’m tentatively moving my hips, my initial reticence helped by a rum punch which the barman forgot to add any fruit juice to.

And the exhortations of my hosts Marsha and Phil from the Tobago Tourist Board.

I’ll bring you more dispatches through the week on mahi-mahi, rum, goat racing and hummingbirds.

But for now a doff of the bandana again to the steel band who were playing Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

And this is the best countdown to Christmas, 30C and dips in the Caribbean.

You have to look for Santa, there was a poster of him in the Lowlands Mall near Mount Irvine.

While the grotto was up at Fort George.

Jesus, looking worryingly like Phil Collins, would be cool in this weather but what the Three Wise Men were thinking in those robes.

Visit www.visit.tobagobeyond.gov. And here’s some more Caribbean sun… Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.