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“Island hopping in the Mediterranean in February？” my friend asked. “It’ll be cold and wet， everything will be closed and there’ll be no tourists，” she continued.
Well， I thought， it’s certain to be warmer than Britain， my home country， and I’m sure the local people still eat， drink and hold lively conversations in the 1）tavernas and coffee shops all year round. They don’t need visitors for 2）company. Sometimes， the fewer tourists， the better.
The idea of 3）ferryboats carrying the locals from island to island without a crowd of partying backpackers filled me with delight. Riding buses and hearing only the native language 4）appealed to me.
I 5）got off to a good start in Haifa， Israel’s main seaport. I managed to find a spot on a 6）cargo ship 7）bound for Cyprus with just two other passengers. Moshe， a 74-year-old Israeli， was delivering a couple of cars to a customer.
Like most Israelis of his generation， he has led an 8）eventful life and had many stories to tell. The other passenger， Tomas， a young man from Poland， had been traveling all over the Middle East.
When we reached Cyprus， an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean， however， my dreams of 9）isolation were 10）dashed. Walking along the seaside in the port city of Larnaca， I heard English voices everywhere， and many Scandinavian ones， too.
It turns out that Cyprus is popular with long-stay 11）retirees from cold northern regions. The Scandinavians swim and play ball games on the beach， while the British keep the bars busy in the evenings. Lovely island， but time to move on.
I had picked out Rhodes as my next 12）destination. Unable to find a ship bound for Rhodes， I had to choose a less-romantic way of travel， an aircraft.
I arrived in the city of Rhodes at about 9PM. I’ve visited some narrow-laned towns in my time， but the maze of 13）cobbled streets here takes the biscuit. It was too dark to read the map in my guidebook， and the streets were 14）deserted.
I walked past the closed hotels and shops before 15）stumbling across a jeweler’s store that was still open. The owner led me to a tiny hotel， and before long I found myself in a charming， centuries-old bedroom. Feeling encouraged， I headed off into the lanes in search of food and drink. I found a cavelike tavern where I enjoyed a bowl of pasta while sitting next to a 16）log fire. The barman was so pleased to see a traveler that he bought me a beer， and we began talking. Over the next few days， every time I visited his tavern， Satiris would talk to me about the history of Rhodes and Greece in general， giving me insight into the ancient culture of his people.
Rhodes was conquered by many rulers， including the Minoans注1， the Persians and Alexander the Great注2. The island was part of the Byzantine Empire注3 for a thousand years beginning in 297； it then belonged to the Ottoman Empire注4 for nearly four centuries， starting in 1522. Rhodes was 17）seized from the Turks by Italy in 1912， and was united with Greece in 1947.
The city was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world， the Colossus of Rhodes注5—a giant statue of the god Helios， which stood roughly as tall as New York’s Statue of Liberty.
Satiris seemed to enjoy having the opportunity to explain the history of his island. During the summer， when he is surrounded by tourists he would only have had the time to say： “Yes sir， what can I get you？”
As I wandered through the streets of Rhodes， I had the place to myself. Not entirely， though， as I met a young German author who was on a writer’s 18）retreat while working on his second novel. And I drank many a beer with a small group of Brits， some of whom had lived in Rhodes for years.
This is what I had hoped for—contact with locals and the chance to observe places in an unhurried way， not as one of a tourist group.
I managed to get a ferry ticket to Crete， Greece’s largest island. The ship left Rhodes’ 19）harbor at 4：30 in the morning， and before long， dawn was breaking to 20）reveal a perfect blue sky and a calm sea.
Standing on deck with the sun on my face， I felt as though I was in another world. No traffic or noise or 21）chaos of the manmade world， just the sea， the open horizon and the islands.
“二月去地中海列岛旅游？”我的朋友问道。“那时又冷又湿，景点都不开放，也没有游客呀，”她继续说道。
好吧，我想，那里怎么也会比我的祖国英国暖和吧。而且我敢肯定，一年到头不管哪个时候，当地人总要在小酒馆和咖啡馆里吃饭、喝酒，兴致勃勃地聊天吧。他们不需要游客做伴。有时候，游客越少越好。
一想到渡船载着当地人航行在岛屿之间，没有一群群喧哗吵闹的背包客，我就满心喜悦；搭乘当地的公共汽车以及聆听当地的方言，也很吸引我。
我在以色列的主要海港海法就有一个好开始。我在一艘开往塞浦路斯的货船上找到一个铺位。这艘船上除了我，只有两名乘客。74岁的以色列人摩西正在为客户运送几辆汽车。
和大多数他这一代的以色列人一样，他的生活经历丰富，有很多故事可讲。另一名乘客托马斯是一个走遍中东的波兰小伙。
我们到达塞浦路斯这个地中海东部的岛国，不知为何，我梦想中的那种与世隔绝却消失得无影无踪。我沿着港口城市拉纳卡的海滨散步，到处都能听到英语，还有许多斯堪的纳维亚口音。
原来，塞浦路斯很受北方寒冷地区的退休人士的欢迎，他们在此长期居留。斯堪的纳维亚人在沙滩上游泳、打球，英国人则喜欢晚上泡在酒吧。真是一个可爱的海岛，但是我要继续上路了。 我选择罗得岛作为下一个目的地。由于找不到开往罗德市的船，我不得不选择另一种不那么浪漫的旅行方式——坐飞机。
晚上9点左右，我抵达了罗德市。虽然以前也逛过一些有狭窄巷道的小镇，但这里迷宫似的鹅卵石街道还是更胜一筹。天色太黑，我看不清导游手册上的地图，而街上寂静无人。
在路过几间已经关门的酒店和商铺之后，我发现有一家珠宝店还开着。店主带我来到一个小旅馆，不用一会儿，我就发现自己住进了一间古老而迷人的卧室。我一下子来了精神，又扎进巷子里觅食去了。我找到一个洞穴似的小酒馆，坐在炉火旁吃了一碗意大利面。
酒吧招待看到游客很是高兴，请我喝了一杯啤酒，还和我聊起天来。接下来的几天，我每次去萨提里斯的小酒馆，他都会和我聊罗得岛和希腊的简史，让我了解其族人的古老文化。
罗得岛曾被许多统治者征服过，包括米诺斯人、波斯人和亚历山大大帝。从297年之后一千年，该岛一直是拜占庭帝国的一部分；从1522年开始，之后近四个世纪，罗得岛都属于奥斯曼帝国。1912年，意大利从土耳其人手里夺取了罗得岛。1 9 4 7年，罗得岛并入希腊。
罗得岛是古代世界七大奇迹之一——罗德岛太阳神巨像的所在地，这尊太阳神赫利俄斯的巨大雕像高度与纽约自由女神像相当。
萨提里斯似乎很享受向人解说这座海岛历史的机会。夏天被游客团团围住的时候，他忙得只有时间说一句：“好嘞，先生，喝点什么？”
漫步在罗德市的街道，整座城市几乎唯我独享。但也不完全是，因为我还遇到了一个年轻的德国作家，他正在写他的第二本小说，来这里暂作隐居。我还和一小群英国侨民一起喝了很多啤酒，其中有些人已在罗得岛居住多年。
这就是我所期盼的旅行——和当地人接触，有机会从容不迫地观察这个地方，而不是作为旅行团的其中一员（走马观花）。
我买到一张到希腊最大的岛屿——克里特岛的船票。早上4点半，船驶离罗德市的港口。不久，天色破晓，展现出一片完美的蓝天和宁静的大海。
站在甲板上，脸上洒满阳光，我觉得自己好像到了另一个世界。没有车流，没有噪音，没有人造世界的纷纷扰扰，只有大海、一望无际的海平线和散落的岛屿。
We arrived at Chania， Crete’s secondlargest city. Situated on the northern side of the island， Chania is considered Crete’s most beautiful town.
The area has been 22）inhabited for at least 6，000 years. Sitting by the harbor in warm sunshine， I could see the 23）backdrop of the 2，453-metrehigh White Mountains a few miles away， still covered in snow.
In addition to relaxing， I took in the sights： The city is filled with museums and art 24）galleries， and it has a fascinating old town just behind the harbor.
As in Rhodes， I found someone with the desire and the time to talk. I was guided around by an English lady who had fallen in love with the island some years ago. Apart from the 25）scenery and sights， it’s the hours of conversation over coffee or beer that I will remember from this trip—and， of course， the 26）absence of too many tourists.
Many people travel to relax on the beach and party—and why not？ But for a different view of another country， the 27）off-season has much appeal. As I wander around another one of Crete’s beautiful harbors， I see a ferry tied up at the 28）jetty. Now， I wonder where she is sailing to…
我们来到克里特岛的第二大城市干尼亚。干尼亚位于克里特岛北部，被认为是克里特岛最美的小镇。
人类居住在这个地区至少已有六千年。坐在海港温暖的阳光下，我可以看到几英里外2453米高的“白山”——依然白雪皑皑。
除了休闲放松，我还游览了一些景点——这个城市遍布博物馆和画廊，海港后面还有一片迷人的老城区。
和在罗得岛一样，我在这里找到热衷聊天，而且也有时间聊天的人。一位英国女士成了我的导游，几年前她就爱上了这座岛。这次旅行留在我记忆中的，除了风景和景点，还有和这里的人们喝着咖啡或啤酒聊天的时光，此外当然还有一点——没有太多的游客。
许多人旅行是为了到沙滩上放松和开派对，为什么不呢？但是，如果你想看到一个国家的另一面，淡季则有很大的吸引力。当我漫步在克里特岛另一个美丽的海港，我看到码头停泊着一艘渡轮。现在，我不禁又开始想象，她将驶向何方……
注1：米诺斯文明是爱琴海地区的古代文明，出现于约公元前2700年—前1450年的古希腊，以精美的王宫建筑、壁画、陶器及工艺品等著称于世。
注2：亚历山大大帝（公元前356—前323），曾师从古希腊著名学者亚里士多德，十八岁随父出征，二十岁继承王位，是欧洲历史上最伟大的军事天才，建立了亚历山大帝国。
注3：拜占庭帝国（395—1453），即东罗马帝国，位于欧洲东部，领土曾包括亚洲西部和非洲北部，极盛时领土还包括意大利、叙利亚、巴勒斯坦、埃及和北非地中海沿岸，是古代和中世纪欧洲最悠久的君主制国家。
注4：奥斯曼土耳其帝国（1299—1923），为突厥人所建立的一个帝国，创立者为奥斯曼一世。
注5：罗德岛太阳神巨像被誉为世界七大奇迹之一。这座巨像建在罗德市港口的入口处，于公元前282年完工。它是希腊太阳神赫利俄斯（Helios）的青铜铸像，高约33米。巨像建成后过了56年，毁于公元前226年的一次地震中。
Well， I thought， it’s certain to be warmer than Britain， my home country， and I’m sure the local people still eat， drink and hold lively conversations in the 1）tavernas and coffee shops all year round. They don’t need visitors for 2）company. Sometimes， the fewer tourists， the better.
The idea of 3）ferryboats carrying the locals from island to island without a crowd of partying backpackers filled me with delight. Riding buses and hearing only the native language 4）appealed to me.
I 5）got off to a good start in Haifa， Israel’s main seaport. I managed to find a spot on a 6）cargo ship 7）bound for Cyprus with just two other passengers. Moshe， a 74-year-old Israeli， was delivering a couple of cars to a customer.
Like most Israelis of his generation， he has led an 8）eventful life and had many stories to tell. The other passenger， Tomas， a young man from Poland， had been traveling all over the Middle East.
When we reached Cyprus， an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean， however， my dreams of 9）isolation were 10）dashed. Walking along the seaside in the port city of Larnaca， I heard English voices everywhere， and many Scandinavian ones， too.
It turns out that Cyprus is popular with long-stay 11）retirees from cold northern regions. The Scandinavians swim and play ball games on the beach， while the British keep the bars busy in the evenings. Lovely island， but time to move on.
I had picked out Rhodes as my next 12）destination. Unable to find a ship bound for Rhodes， I had to choose a less-romantic way of travel， an aircraft.
I arrived in the city of Rhodes at about 9PM. I’ve visited some narrow-laned towns in my time， but the maze of 13）cobbled streets here takes the biscuit. It was too dark to read the map in my guidebook， and the streets were 14）deserted.
I walked past the closed hotels and shops before 15）stumbling across a jeweler’s store that was still open. The owner led me to a tiny hotel， and before long I found myself in a charming， centuries-old bedroom. Feeling encouraged， I headed off into the lanes in search of food and drink. I found a cavelike tavern where I enjoyed a bowl of pasta while sitting next to a 16）log fire. The barman was so pleased to see a traveler that he bought me a beer， and we began talking. Over the next few days， every time I visited his tavern， Satiris would talk to me about the history of Rhodes and Greece in general， giving me insight into the ancient culture of his people.
Rhodes was conquered by many rulers， including the Minoans注1， the Persians and Alexander the Great注2. The island was part of the Byzantine Empire注3 for a thousand years beginning in 297； it then belonged to the Ottoman Empire注4 for nearly four centuries， starting in 1522. Rhodes was 17）seized from the Turks by Italy in 1912， and was united with Greece in 1947.
The city was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world， the Colossus of Rhodes注5—a giant statue of the god Helios， which stood roughly as tall as New York’s Statue of Liberty.
Satiris seemed to enjoy having the opportunity to explain the history of his island. During the summer， when he is surrounded by tourists he would only have had the time to say： “Yes sir， what can I get you？”
As I wandered through the streets of Rhodes， I had the place to myself. Not entirely， though， as I met a young German author who was on a writer’s 18）retreat while working on his second novel. And I drank many a beer with a small group of Brits， some of whom had lived in Rhodes for years.
This is what I had hoped for—contact with locals and the chance to observe places in an unhurried way， not as one of a tourist group.
I managed to get a ferry ticket to Crete， Greece’s largest island. The ship left Rhodes’ 19）harbor at 4：30 in the morning， and before long， dawn was breaking to 20）reveal a perfect blue sky and a calm sea.
Standing on deck with the sun on my face， I felt as though I was in another world. No traffic or noise or 21）chaos of the manmade world， just the sea， the open horizon and the islands.
“二月去地中海列岛旅游？”我的朋友问道。“那时又冷又湿，景点都不开放，也没有游客呀，”她继续说道。
好吧，我想，那里怎么也会比我的祖国英国暖和吧。而且我敢肯定，一年到头不管哪个时候，当地人总要在小酒馆和咖啡馆里吃饭、喝酒，兴致勃勃地聊天吧。他们不需要游客做伴。有时候，游客越少越好。
一想到渡船载着当地人航行在岛屿之间，没有一群群喧哗吵闹的背包客，我就满心喜悦；搭乘当地的公共汽车以及聆听当地的方言，也很吸引我。
我在以色列的主要海港海法就有一个好开始。我在一艘开往塞浦路斯的货船上找到一个铺位。这艘船上除了我，只有两名乘客。74岁的以色列人摩西正在为客户运送几辆汽车。
和大多数他这一代的以色列人一样，他的生活经历丰富，有很多故事可讲。另一名乘客托马斯是一个走遍中东的波兰小伙。
我们到达塞浦路斯这个地中海东部的岛国，不知为何，我梦想中的那种与世隔绝却消失得无影无踪。我沿着港口城市拉纳卡的海滨散步，到处都能听到英语，还有许多斯堪的纳维亚口音。
原来，塞浦路斯很受北方寒冷地区的退休人士的欢迎，他们在此长期居留。斯堪的纳维亚人在沙滩上游泳、打球，英国人则喜欢晚上泡在酒吧。真是一个可爱的海岛，但是我要继续上路了。 我选择罗得岛作为下一个目的地。由于找不到开往罗德市的船，我不得不选择另一种不那么浪漫的旅行方式——坐飞机。
晚上9点左右，我抵达了罗德市。虽然以前也逛过一些有狭窄巷道的小镇，但这里迷宫似的鹅卵石街道还是更胜一筹。天色太黑，我看不清导游手册上的地图，而街上寂静无人。
在路过几间已经关门的酒店和商铺之后，我发现有一家珠宝店还开着。店主带我来到一个小旅馆，不用一会儿，我就发现自己住进了一间古老而迷人的卧室。我一下子来了精神，又扎进巷子里觅食去了。我找到一个洞穴似的小酒馆，坐在炉火旁吃了一碗意大利面。
酒吧招待看到游客很是高兴，请我喝了一杯啤酒，还和我聊起天来。接下来的几天，我每次去萨提里斯的小酒馆，他都会和我聊罗得岛和希腊的简史，让我了解其族人的古老文化。
罗得岛曾被许多统治者征服过，包括米诺斯人、波斯人和亚历山大大帝。从297年之后一千年，该岛一直是拜占庭帝国的一部分；从1522年开始，之后近四个世纪，罗得岛都属于奥斯曼帝国。1912年，意大利从土耳其人手里夺取了罗得岛。1 9 4 7年，罗得岛并入希腊。
罗得岛是古代世界七大奇迹之一——罗德岛太阳神巨像的所在地，这尊太阳神赫利俄斯的巨大雕像高度与纽约自由女神像相当。
萨提里斯似乎很享受向人解说这座海岛历史的机会。夏天被游客团团围住的时候，他忙得只有时间说一句：“好嘞，先生，喝点什么？”
漫步在罗德市的街道，整座城市几乎唯我独享。但也不完全是，因为我还遇到了一个年轻的德国作家，他正在写他的第二本小说，来这里暂作隐居。我还和一小群英国侨民一起喝了很多啤酒，其中有些人已在罗得岛居住多年。
这就是我所期盼的旅行——和当地人接触，有机会从容不迫地观察这个地方，而不是作为旅行团的其中一员（走马观花）。
我买到一张到希腊最大的岛屿——克里特岛的船票。早上4点半，船驶离罗德市的港口。不久，天色破晓，展现出一片完美的蓝天和宁静的大海。
站在甲板上，脸上洒满阳光，我觉得自己好像到了另一个世界。没有车流，没有噪音，没有人造世界的纷纷扰扰，只有大海、一望无际的海平线和散落的岛屿。
We arrived at Chania， Crete’s secondlargest city. Situated on the northern side of the island， Chania is considered Crete’s most beautiful town.
The area has been 22）inhabited for at least 6，000 years. Sitting by the harbor in warm sunshine， I could see the 23）backdrop of the 2，453-metrehigh White Mountains a few miles away， still covered in snow.
In addition to relaxing， I took in the sights： The city is filled with museums and art 24）galleries， and it has a fascinating old town just behind the harbor.
As in Rhodes， I found someone with the desire and the time to talk. I was guided around by an English lady who had fallen in love with the island some years ago. Apart from the 25）scenery and sights， it’s the hours of conversation over coffee or beer that I will remember from this trip—and， of course， the 26）absence of too many tourists.
Many people travel to relax on the beach and party—and why not？ But for a different view of another country， the 27）off-season has much appeal. As I wander around another one of Crete’s beautiful harbors， I see a ferry tied up at the 28）jetty. Now， I wonder where she is sailing to…
我们来到克里特岛的第二大城市干尼亚。干尼亚位于克里特岛北部，被认为是克里特岛最美的小镇。
人类居住在这个地区至少已有六千年。坐在海港温暖的阳光下，我可以看到几英里外2453米高的“白山”——依然白雪皑皑。
除了休闲放松，我还游览了一些景点——这个城市遍布博物馆和画廊，海港后面还有一片迷人的老城区。
和在罗得岛一样，我在这里找到热衷聊天，而且也有时间聊天的人。一位英国女士成了我的导游，几年前她就爱上了这座岛。这次旅行留在我记忆中的，除了风景和景点，还有和这里的人们喝着咖啡或啤酒聊天的时光，此外当然还有一点——没有太多的游客。
许多人旅行是为了到沙滩上放松和开派对，为什么不呢？但是，如果你想看到一个国家的另一面，淡季则有很大的吸引力。当我漫步在克里特岛另一个美丽的海港，我看到码头停泊着一艘渡轮。现在，我不禁又开始想象，她将驶向何方……
注1：米诺斯文明是爱琴海地区的古代文明，出现于约公元前2700年—前1450年的古希腊，以精美的王宫建筑、壁画、陶器及工艺品等著称于世。
注2：亚历山大大帝（公元前356—前323），曾师从古希腊著名学者亚里士多德，十八岁随父出征，二十岁继承王位，是欧洲历史上最伟大的军事天才，建立了亚历山大帝国。
注3：拜占庭帝国（395—1453），即东罗马帝国，位于欧洲东部，领土曾包括亚洲西部和非洲北部，极盛时领土还包括意大利、叙利亚、巴勒斯坦、埃及和北非地中海沿岸，是古代和中世纪欧洲最悠久的君主制国家。
注4：奥斯曼土耳其帝国（1299—1923），为突厥人所建立的一个帝国，创立者为奥斯曼一世。
注5：罗德岛太阳神巨像被誉为世界七大奇迹之一。这座巨像建在罗德市港口的入口处，于公元前282年完工。它是希腊太阳神赫利俄斯（Helios）的青铜铸像，高约33米。巨像建成后过了56年，毁于公元前226年的一次地震中。