Overnight in Rhodes 9/20/21

 We stayed tied up to the pier at Rhodes overnight and until 2030 Monday night. We had a light rain around 0530 Monday morning. It was the first rain since the light rain in Olympia.

There are many things to do here if you are energetic, have money to burn, and don't like hanging out on the ship when in port. None of those things apply to us so we take it easy and stay cozy in our floating home.

I saw this and similar fishing boat charters heading out into the Mediterranean twice a day. Don't know what they catch or what they do with the fish they do catch. 

There are also many walking tours of the old city. We encountered them along the way in our walks, we taking our time and going places we wanted, they on the guide's schedule seeing what was on the agenda for that tour. Alright, I guess, but not normally for me.

There are also longer tours to other spots on the island, including a donkey ride to a hilltop in Lindos to see the "Acropolis of Lindos." Thrilling I'm sure, but again, not for Iko and me.

When we berthed Sunday evening, a German cruise ship, Mein Schiff 5 was berthed on the other side of the pier. They sailed away sometime early in the morning and the Celebrity Apex tied up in its place. The Apex appears to be about the same size as the Eurodam. It looked to me like they built the superstructure on an older hull because, although the upper part is modern, the hull is an older model without bow thrusters.

This busy sign was posted on all doors leading in from the Promenade Deck. All bases covered. Their insurance agent would be proud.

We went to a special dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant tonight. It was billed as a gala six-course dinner with drinks and wine included. I told Iko it was my birthday dinner.

Since Iko and I don't drink alcohol, I had a talk with their sommelier a couple days prior. Explained that we would like to have something besides iced tea with our dinner. She wanted to know what I could suggest. Told her I didn't expect special infusions or shrubs, but that a thoughtful selection of virgin cocktails and non-alcoholic wines would be appropriate. For inspiration, showed her the non-alcoholic drinks the Herbfarm in Woodinville matches to their dinners for non-drinkers. 

I must say she did a good job on short notice. We had virgin Mojitos with the canapes, sparkling imitation champagne with the salmon tartare/caviar. A nice chardonnay later with the halibut, red wine with the beef tenderloin and a special mildly heavy, after-dinner drink with coffee. All without alcohol. Since we had a free drinks card included with our travel package, we had been drinking the white and red wines in the dinning room, but another diner at our table was impressed that he wouldn't need to drink only non-alcoholic beer with his meal. 

Having had a good meal in honor of my 82nd, we toddled off to bed while the other diners headed for the theater for the evening show. Tonight it was a combination of magic and comedy. Neither get past my hearing aid limitations so I generally pass on the shows.