NEWSFLASH: Greece has a lot of beautiful islands. There are party islands, gay islands, fun in the sun islands, islands that conquered half the world, and there are islands chock full of history. Some have several of those flavours.
Three of the famed historical islands are Corfu, between the mainland and Italy, Rhodes, jutting up against Turkey, and incredible remains of a huuuge volcano, Santorini.
Corfu, fought over for centuries.
Blue. White. Church. Sea. Santorini.
History lurks under every arch of Rhodes, too.
One thing Greece is not short of, is spectacular islands.
While some are simply sun & sand, Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek) is drowning in history.
Impossibly crowded and hot in summer though, there is history weaved into its soul.
The twists and turns of Corfu Town's narrow streets see washing jostling with ancient churches, monks and tourists bumping along.
The central part of the old town is crammed with Venetian era buildings, and a mind-boggling array of tourist tat.
The Old Fort sits on a promontory which you will see approaching by sea.
Climbing up and around this Venetian monument gives great views of the wall to wall old town.
Arriving early, as usual, helps with the tranquility.
Eating is, as usual in Greece, always a pleasure in Corfu.
The new fort, seen here, is a mere 200 years new.
Peak summer is the wrong time to come. Quiet streets like this are rare, and the heat makes most things too hard.
Away from the main old town sights, there are signs of fading fortunes.
And, if you come outside summer, you may feel inclined to wander the rest of the island. It must be nice.
Not surprisingly, Santorini is a popular cruising destination.
Black sand beach. Quiet in early May, but expect some crowds over summer.
Cheese and wine tasting at Santorini Wines.
Virgin Mary Cathedral.....maybe.
A cliched Greek island scene, white washed houses and a colourful little boat.
Santorini's steep slopes make for good rooftop terraces and cafes.
With its peach exterior and a clock tower, the Catholic Cathedral stands out from other churches.
One of the island's many spectacular churches. I dunno which one. Looks good though.
House, churches and hotel cling to the mountain side, making for some strenous walking.
Lindos was founded about 10000BC by the Dorian king Tlepolemus of Rhodes.
One way to see the Greek Islands.
Armies and religions came and fought over Rhodes, leaving these rooftop views of the ancient town.
A spectacular bay at Lindos, on Rhodes.
The old crusader fort in Rhodes.
Imposing gates are just one feature that kept this fort out of enemy hands until it fell.
These days, the enemy is likely to be a crypto crook with a bigger one of these.
The acropolis of Lindos takes abit of walking but the views to the sea and of the town below are just rewards, one of many in Greece's islands.