Friday 8th April 2022

Last full day on Rhodes.

And as we have seen just about every orchid it is possible to see, the day was to be more relaxed than the previous six.

For the last two mornings, a Hoopoe has gone up the valley at seven in the morning, so today, armed with a camera and the telephoto lens, I sat by the empty pool to try to get a shot.

It did not show.

And I had passed on going to the ice cream parlour for coffee, so I waited for breakfast in the hotel and had my usual.

We left at nine as usual, and drove to a new site, looking for Rhodean Peony. We drove for half an hour, stopped on a main road, then walked up a track.

None found.

Though, we did find a meadow, with scattered rocks so you could break your ankle while looking at the fine plants. But in flower were several Dragon Arums: a statuesque plant that smells like rotting meat in order to attract flies to pollinate it.

I can confirm that:

1. It is a fine looking plant.
2. Stinks.
3. Attracts flies.

We took pictures.

We walked slowly back down the track to the buses, then drove on for a mile or so to another track leading up the foothills.

Here we were hoping to see a wall of Rhodian Peony, but the sudden warm weather of the last week ensured that all bar one flower had come and gone. As I had already snapped a flower on the mountain two days previously, I didn't climb the spoil heal that sat between the track and the single flower.

A few miles further on, on the edge of a small town were two small areas rich in orchids: the one on the left, a formal industrial site, was sunbaked and arid, though tongue orchids thrived there. And on the other was light woodlands, where, growing on a bank was another large colony of Orchid italica, which we all photographed well.

By then it was gone midday, and thoughts turned to lunch, so we drove to a beach just north of the historical town of Lindos, parking under some trees overlooking the wide beach. Behind, beach stores selling inflatables and the such were just opening for the new season, and after my roll I went and bought an ice cream to enjoy as families played in the still cold sea.

So, into the last afternoon, and another short drive back to a previously visited site, to see if the sunny and warm weather had brought on any more orchids.

A gentle wander round the site for 90 minutes, snapping the occasional spike, but our time was running out.

We climbed back into the bus and set course for the hotel, back into the foothills and into slightly cooler weather. There was still time for one last stop, a small red plant that one of our guides wanted to see, and we had spotted yesterday as we drove by. I sat it out. My legs were shot.

And that was it.

We arrived at the hotel at five, then took our aching bodies up the hill to the ice cream parlour for one last cone, and a fine large Greek coffee for me.

Dinner was at seven, as usual. Lasagne, but made with macaronni instead of sheets. I didn't have booze, instead I supped sour cherry juice as I continued by fight against gout. I was winning, but best not to risk another flare.

And there we have reached the end of the 7th day. Bags to pack, documents to check, and beauty sleep to grab.