Corpora: Abstracts of the Eurospeech97

Evangelos Dermatas (dermatas@note1.wcl2.ee.upatras.gr)
Thu, 14 Aug 1997 12:55:58 +0300

The abstracts of the international conference "Eurospeech97" is now
available from:
http://www.wcl2.ee.upatras.gr/Euro97.html.

We apologize in advance for any multiple postings that may be received.

**************************** EUROSPEECH '97

EUROSPEECH '97 will be held at the International Convention
Centre of Rodos Palace Hotel, the largest and best equipped
conference venue in Greece.

**************************** CONFERENCE INFORMATION

Proceedings
The hardcopy proceedings of the conference (five volumes) are
already available and can be shipped on demand to interested
participants. Otherwise they will be handed out at the conference,
together with the CD-ROM proceedings, the program with the
abstracts of the presentations and the present pocket program.
Receiving the proceedings in advance is the best way to get informed
in time and avoid the trouble of carrying the heavy volumes or
shipping it from Rhodes.

Plenary sessions
There will be five plenary sessions in which seven distinguished
scientists will give keynote speeches: On Monday afternoon, just after
the opening ceremony, Mario Rossi will speak on "Is Syntactic
Structure Prosodically Recoverable?". On Tuesday and Wednesday
morning, Victor Zue and Jan van Santen will speak on
"Conversational Interfaces: Advances and Challenges" and "Prosodic
Modelling in Text-to-Speech Synthesis", correspondingly. On
Thursday morning in a plenary session on: "Robust Speech
Recognition: Review and Perspectives", Jean-Claude Junqua will
speak on "Impact of the Unknown Communication Channel on
Automatic Speech Recognition: A Review", Jerome Bellegarda on
"Statistical Techniques for Robust ASR: Review and Perspectives"
and Richard Lippmann on "Using Missing Feature Theory to Actively
Select Features for Robust Speech Recognition with Interruptions,
Filtering and Noise".

Oral and Poster Sessions
The Technical Program is organized into 44 Oral Sessions consisting
of 264 presentations and 22 Poster Sessions with 453 posters. Four
oral sessions with 6 papers each and 90' duration and two poster
sessions with approximately 20 papers each will run in parallel. Each
poster will be displayed for 180' (the whole morning or afternoon) but
the author will stand by the poster for 90', (the part of the session
the
poster belongs to) in order to present the paper.

Special Sessions
The Technical Program also includes two special sessions: One on
"Education for Language and Speech Communication" (Th1D)
organized by Gerrit Bloothooft and another on "Towards Robust ASR
for Car and Telephone Applications" (Th3C), organized by Jean-
Claude Junqua.

Language
The official language of EUROSPEECH?97 is English.

Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Monday 22, Rodos Palace
Hotel, 14:30.

The Minister of Development Mrs.Vasso Papandreou, the Minister of
the Aegean Mrs. Elisabeth Papajoi and the Mayor of Rhodes Mr.
George Giannopoulos have been invited to give addresses.
Furthermore, a multivision show: "The Dodecanese: A journey in
space and time" will be presented and the ESCA medal will be
awarded to Prof. Mario Rossi, by the ESCA President Prof. Louis
Pols.

Welcome Reception
On Monday September 22, attendants will be offered a Welcome
Reception by the Mayor of Rodos Mr George Giannopoulos from
19:30 to 21:30 at the Palace of the Grand Masters. It is the most
impressive building of the Knights of St John built around 1350.

Banquet
The official Dinner of the Conference will take place on Wednesday
September 24, 21:00 in the Gardens of the Rodos Palace Hotel by the
swimming pool organized as a Greek night. It will include Greek
specialities and wine, barbecue and an orchestra that will play modern
and folk music. The highlight of the night will be the ballet
performance by the "Nafsika Dance Theatre" consisting of dance
pieces from the well known films "Zorba the Greek" and "Never on a
Sunday" choreographed by Sofia Smailou.

Lunches - Dinners
Lunches included in the fees will be offered Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday between 13:30 and 15:00 at the Rodos Palace Hotel.
Additional tickets are offered for accompanying persons at reduced
prices.

For dining, the "taverna", the classic Greek eating-place is the most
appropriate choice. The cuisine is Greek with emphasis on grilled
meat and fish. The old city is full of picturesque tavernas. Of course,
there are also restaurants offering international cuisine in addition to

Greek specialities and restaurants of various nationalities including
Chinese, Lebanese and Cypriot.

Half Day Excursion to Lindos - Wednesday 24, 15:00
Lindos is the most beautiful spot on the island. The shimmering
crystal blue bay is surrounded by dazzling white-washed houses and
perched high above the village is the Acropolis with its Temple of
Athena. Continuing up to the Acropolis, you can view the Castle of
the Knights, the restored Temple of the Lindian Athena and look on to
St Paul's bay with its tiny chapel.

**************************** INTERNET ACCESS

Eurospeech '97 will provide several terminals for conference
participants to access the Internet and electronic email. Access to the
terminals will be possible during conference hours.

**************************** OLYMPICS

ELSNET/ELRA have organized a contest for the best student papers
and a competition between man-machine dialogue systems over the
telephone named "Olympics". Prizes for the best student paper at
Eurospeech '97 and the best student paper with focus on language
resources at Eurospeech '97, will be awarded to the winners by
ELSNET and ELRA correspondingly at the closing ceremony.

The competition between man-machine dialogue systems will be
carried out during the conference as follows:

Testing Spoken Dialogue Information Systems Over the
Telephone

ELSNET offers Eurospeech97 participants the opportunity to test
spoken dialogue information systems over the telephone world-wide.
Anytime during the conference, telephone lines will be available for
delegates to test participating dialogue systems for free in the ALPHA
room. Available systems use one of the following languages: English,
German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Slovenian. After each call
the user is invited to fill in a short questionnaire to quantify the
experiences with the system.

At the closing ceremony (Thursday, 25 September, 18:45h) the
organizers will comment on the results and will award a prize for the
system which is judged to have achieved the highest approval ratings.

Action steering committee:
Norman Fraser University of Surrey, UK
Els den Os KPN, The Netherlands

**************************** EXHIBITION

A scientific and industrial exhibition will be held during
Eurospeech'97. Companies, Publishers, Research Institutes,
Universities and Consortia of EU-supported projects will have the
opportunity to show their products and research results either with
attended stands or with unattended posters.

The Exhibition will take place in the "Salon des Roses" in the heart of
the Convention Centre from Monday, September 22, to Thursday,
September 25. The stands will be staffed as follows:

Monday, September 22: 16:30 - 18:30
Tuesday, September 23: 09:00 - 18:30
Wednesday, September 24: 09:00 - 13:30
Thursday, September 25: 09:00 - 17:00

The following EU projects will be exhibited at the stands of
LINGLINK-ANITE SYSTEMS:

ACCeSS: Automated Call Center Through Speech
Understanding System
ARISE: Automatic Railway Information Systems for
Europe
CAVE: Caller Verification in Banking and
Telecommunications
ELRA: European Language Resources Association
SPEECHDAT: Speech Databases for Creation of Voice Driven
Teleservices
SPEEDATA: Speech Recognition for Data-entry Applications
VODIS: Advanced Speech Technologies for Voice
Operated Driver Information Systems
SPRACH: Speech Recognition Algorithms for
Connectionist Hybrids (ESPRIT Long Term
Research)
THISL: Thematic Indexing of Spoken Language
(ESPRIT Long Term Research)

ESCA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Tuesday 18:45, "Delphi" Amphitheatre

**************************** SATELLITE EVENTS

EU SPEECH PROJECTS DAY
As in previous years, there will be a Eurospeech satellite event
devoted to EU sponsored speech projects. This event will take place
on Monday 22 September from 9:00 to 12:30 in the Rodos Palace
Hotel Convention Centre. Participation is free of charge and all
interested Eurospeech participants are welcome to attend.

The program of the event will be the following:

EU Speech Projects Day

Registration:
8:30-9:30

Opening
George Kokkinakis, Eurospeech
Louis Pols, ESCA
Giovanni Battista Varile, EC
9:30-9:40

Roadmap of challenges and achievements in speech processing, with
focus on the contribution of EU speech projects
Joseph Mariani, LIMSI-CNRS, France
Roger Moore, DRA, UK
9:40-11:00

Coffee break, 11:30-12:00

Future EU activities in Language and Speech
Giovanni Battista Varile, European Commission
11:20-11:50

The role and contribution of the ELSNet, international
cooperation,ELRA and EAGLES
Steven Krauwer, ELSNet
Khalid Choukri, ELRA
Roger Moore, EAGLES
11:50-12:20

Questions from the floor
Time: 12:20-12:30

Information contact: Giovanni Battista Varile
European Commission, DG XIII E5, Language Engineering
Tel: +352 430 132 867, Fax: +352 430 134 999
E-mail: Giovanni.Varile@lux.dg13.cec.be

ESCA WORKSHOP ON INTONATION
18-20 September 1997, at Athens, Greece.
Information contact: Antonis Botinis
Tel: +30 1 7211119, Fax: +30 1 7228981
E-mail: tonesca@di.uoa.gr
WWW server: http: //www.di.uoa.gr/esca

COCOSDA WORKSHOP '97
Friday, 26 September 1997, 9:00-13:00,
Convention Centre, Rodos Palace Hotel.
Information contact: Mark Liberman,
University of Pennsylvania
Tel: +1 215 898 0464, Fax: +1 215 573 2175
E-mail: myl@unagi.cis.upenn.edu

ESCA. ESCOP TUTORIAL & RESEARCH WORKSHOP ON
AUDIO-VISUAL SPEECH PROCESSING:
Computational & Cognitive Science Approaches
27-28 September 1997, Rodos Palace Hotel
Information contact: Christian BENOIT
Institut de la Communication Parlee,
UPRESA CNRS No 5009, Universite Stendhal,
BP 25 X, F38040 Grenoble Cedex 9, FRANCE
Tel: (+33).4.76.82.43.36, Fax: (+33).4.76.82.43.35
E-mail: benoit@icp.grenet.fr
Web page: http: //ophale.icp.grenet.fr/

COST WORKSHOP: Speech Technology in the Public Telephone
Network: Where are we today?
Organized by COST Telecom actions 249, 250 and 258
26-27 September 1997, Rodos Palace Hotel
Information contact: Jean Pierre Martens
ELIS-RUG
St. Pietersnieuwstraat 41
B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Tel.: +32 91 264 3395
Fax: +32 91 264 3394
E-mail: martens@elis.rug.ac.be
http://www.elis.rug.ac.be/ELISgroups/speech/cost249/workshop

GRANTS FOR ATTENDEES
Grants have been offered to students and young scientists needing
financial assistance as follows:
- 21 grants including free registration, accommodation and full
board sponsored by the EU (10 grants) and by Eurospeech '97 (11
grants).
- 11 grants including free registration to Eurospeech '97 sponsored
by ESCA
- 3 grants including free registration to satellite workshops of
Eurospeech '97 sponsored by ESCA.

************************************* EUROSPEECH '99

BUDAPEST, Hungary
August 31 - September 3, 1999
Department of Telecommunications and Telematics
Technical University of Budapest
(DDT TUB)
Szticzej u. 2, Budapest, Hungary, 1111

Chairman: Geza Gordos Tel.: +36 1 463 4187
Fax: +36 1 463 3107

Secretary: Nemeth Geza Tel.: +36 1 463 2401
Fax: +36 1 463 3107

EUROPEAN SPEECH COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION
(ESCA)
ESCA is a non-profit organization, whose objective is to promote
speech communication science and technology in a European context.
If you are interested in joining ESCA or need information about the
association, please contact:

ESCA-ICP
Universite Stendal
BP 25, 38040 GRENOBLE Cedex, FRANCE
Tel: +33 4 76 82 43 36
Fax: +33 4 76 82 43 35
E-mail: esca@icp.grenet.fr
WWW server: http://ophale.icp.grenet.fr/esca/esca.html

************************* RODOS PALACE

Rodos Palace is a 5-star hotel complex
by the sea, 12 km from the international airport and near the city of
Rodos. Set on a 30-acre site, it includes an elegant tower building,
vast gardens and excellent sport facilities. The tower building includes

deluxe rooms and suites offering an unparalleled panoramic view of
the island and the blue Aegean. Situated within the Hotel's picturesque
gardens lie spacious apartments and bungalows for those seeking a
touch of privacy and relaxation. Adjacent to the tower stands the new
7-storey executive wing, fully designed for the demanding needs of
today's executive travelers and conference delegates. All 780 rooms of
the complex offer private balcony or patio, private bath, colour TV
with satellite programs, 5 channel music, air conditioning and direct
dial telephones.

**************************** RHODES

Rodos (Rhodes), the Isle of the Roses, is the largest of the Dodecanese
complex and the third largest of the Greek islands. Situated in the
South Aegean in the Mediterranean, at the cross-roads of two
continents, Rodos combines the worldliness of Europe and the
mystery of the Orient in an atmosphere that is truly fascinating.

Discovering Rodos you discover Greece. Ancient cities, a medieval
town with its own castle, small villages, sun-drenched beaches are all
found on Rodos. But Rodos is more than that. It is one of the most
developed islands in the Mediterranean and it provides its visitors with

every holiday amenity including large and modern hotels of
international standards, yachting harbour, entertaining night life,
casino, sports facilities and duty-free shopping.

**************************** TRAVEL INFORMATION

You can reach Rodos by plane, by daily boat services from Piraeus
and by hydrofoil service from other islands.

There are daily jet services directly to Rodos from Athens and most
major European cities. There may be a direct flight from your
country/city to Rodos. Olympic Airways (tel. : +30 1 9666 66 66)
links Rodos with Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Karpathos, Kassos,
Kos, Megisti, Mykonos and Santorini.

If you will fly to Rhodes via Athens, book your flight as early as
possible, September is still high season in Rhodes and demand almost
always exceeds supply.
The Athens Hellinikon International Airport consists of the West
Airport Terminal, used exclusively for domestic or international
Olympic Airways flights, and the East Airport Terminal, used by all
other international airlines. In case you reach Athens by an
international flight to the East Terminal, you need to take the airport
bus or a taxi to the West Terminal for your domestic flight to Rodos
via Olympic Airways. Taxi rates are approx. DRA 1,800 (USD 6.5).

Rodos Airport is 12 km from the Rodos Palace Hotel. A bus service
for the transportation of the participants from the airport to the venue

and back to the airport will be established, the day before and after
the
conference. Another possibility is to hire a taxi just at the airport
exit.
The fare to the Rodos Palace Hotel is approx. DRA 2,200 (USD 8).

There are also Olympic Airways buses and public buses that run
between airport and Rodos with a stop in front of Rodos Palace. The
waiting time depends on the hour of the day.

There are daily car ferries between Rodos and Piraeus. Either way the
departure is at 17:00 and arrival is at 06:00 the next morning. First
class tickets are about DRA 34,000 (USD 120), round trip. For
information on ship routes to and from Piraeus contact the Piraeus
harbour master (tel. : +30 1 422 6000).

**************************** ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is offered in the Rodos Palace Hotel and in other
hotels of various categories at special rates. All hotels are situated
along the sea shore and in a distance up to 1km from Rodos Palace.
Please book your hotel room with the enclosed registration form as
early as possible in order to secure a room at Rodos Palace Hotel or in
nearby hotels. Should you have any questions concerning the hotel
reservations please contact the Conference Secretariat.

**************************** REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Registration Fees
Full and limited registration options for ESCA members, non-ESCA
members and students are offered. These registration options include
the following services as packages, and are fully covered by the
corresponding fees.

In addition, the fee for Non-ESCA members includes an ESCA
membership for one year (1997). The Special Package includes an
ESCA membership for two years (1997, 1998).

Advance Registration
Attendants should fill in the attached Registration form and mail it
with included payment (credit card or bank transfer) to the Conference
Secretariat (CPR). Please take care to bring to the conference your
confirmation of registration or a bank transfer receipt for payment of
the conference fee.

On-Site Registration
Registration at the Conference will take place on Sunday, 21
September from 16:00 to 20:00 and on Monday, 22 September from
8:30 to 18:00. The Registration and Information Desk will also be
open on Tuesday, 23 September, Wednesday, 24 September and
Thursday, 25 September from 8:30 to 13:30 and from 14:30 to 19:00.

At the Registration Desk, only DRA, Visa, Mastercard or American
Express cards can be accepted to pay for registration fees.

A name badge will be included in the conference bag handed over at
the registration desk. Please always wear your badge while in the
Conference Centre.

Cancellation of Participation
Cancellation of participation must be made in writing to the
Conference Secretariat (CPR). For cancellations received by August
15, 1997 80% of the total amount will be reimbursed. After that date,
no refund can be made, but the Conference Proceedings will be sent.

**************************** USEFUL INFORMATION

Passport and Visa
A valid passport is required for entry into Greece. An identity card is
sufficient for citizens of the EU member countries. No visas are
required for visitors from West European countries, USA, Japan,
many South American countries and the British Commonwealth. For
all other countries, visas are issued on a reciprocal basis. Please
consult the Greek Consulate nearest to you for more details.

Car Rental - International Driver's Licence
Rodos is a wonderful place for exploring by car. Rent-a-car is not
expensive. Furthermore, Hertz offers a 20% discount for Eurospeech
?97 attendees. For reservations call +30 241 21 819 or check the desk
at Rodos Palace.

If you wish to drive a car while in Greece, you must obtain a
European or an international driver's license in your home country.

Currency exchange
The Greek currency unit is the drachma (DRA). 1 US dollar is about
280 DRA at the time of printing. Foreign currency can be exchanged
at the airport and at most banks. Banking hours for the public are daily

from 7:30 to 13:30 except weekends. Centrally located banks also
provide ?Exchange Service? from Monday to Friday afternoon (5:00
pm to 7:30 pm) and on Saturday mornings. They also offer ATM
service. Banks at Rodos Airport provide services throughout the day
as well as a night service for most flights. There is also a bank
located
inside Rodos Palace Hotel.

Insurance
All kinds of insurance, including medical coverage, is left to your
responsibility. We recommend that you discuss insurance coverage
with your travel agent.

Electricity
Three-pin flat electric (220 V, 50 Hz) outlets are provided.

Credit Cards
Most shops, hotels and restaurants accept VISA, Diners Club and
American Express credit cards as well as Eurochecks and Eurocards.

Shopping
Shops are open from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 20:30 on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8:00 to 13:30 on Monday,
Thursday and Saturday. Large stores including supermarkets are open
from 8:30 to 21:00.

Climate-Clothing
Greece enjoys a Mediterranean climate, especially the regions which
are close to the sea. During September the temperature is around 22o
Celsius, (72o Fahrenheit). Being in one of the most beautiful
Mediterranean islands during this period of the year, we suggest you
bring summer clothes, cameras, and of course, bathing suits to enjoy
swimming in an extraordinary blue sea. Include something more
substantial for the evenings.

Transport within the town: Bus-Taxi
There are 7 public bus lines serving the town, the terminal of which is
in the new market at Mandraki. The west coast where Rodos Palace is
situated, is served by buses leaving every 10 to 15 minutes. The fare is

DRA 300. Taxi is perhaps the best way to move in town. The fare
between Rodos Palace and Downtown Rodos is approx. DRA 800. It
is easy to get a taxi all day except in the rush hours in the morning
and
in the evening .

Tips
In restaurants , tips are included in the bill but if you are very
satisfied
with the service you may give a tip of 5 to 10% on the bill. In taxis
you may round up the fare.

Telephones
Telephone calls from the hotel are more expensive than public
telephones, as usual. Public telephones accept mostly cards which can
be bought for 1,500 DRA (USD 5) at kiosks, supermarkets and corner
stores. In Rodos Palace they are available at the drugstore.

Useful Phone Numbers
Country code (Greece): 30
Area code (Rodos): (0) 241
Olympic Airways: 24 571 - 5
Rodos Airport: 92 839
Rodos Port Authority: 28 888, 27 695
Tourist Police: 27 423
Tourist Organization: 23 255, 23 655
Taxi: 27 666
First Aid: 22 222
Rodos Palace Hotel: 25 222

Eurospeech '97 Secretariat:
Before the conference: + 30 61 270 388, 223 335
During the conference: + 30 241 25 222
+ 30 241 73 317 (fax)

**************************** WELCOME TO RHODES

Rhodes is the largest of a complex of more than 200 islands known as
the Dodecanese. The name means "twelve islands", and refers to the
principal inhabited islands, which in fact are thirteen. Rhodes has an
area of 1,400 sq. km and a population of 90,000. Its climate is mild
with 300 days of sunshine a year on average.

History
Strategically placed, the island has had a tumultuous past linked with
the sea. Rhodes was already inhabited in prehistoric times. The island
gradually expanded its influence and became the main commercial
link in the Mediterranean.

In 408 BC, the island's three important Doric cities Ialissos, Lindos
and Kamiros united to found the city of Rhodes on the island?s
northeastern edge. This marked a new era in the history of the island.
The sun-worshipping city of Rhodes (Rodos) became an important
political, commercial and religious centre. Its golden era lasted from
the 5th to the 3rd century BC.

Rhodes extended its rule, minted its own coin, introduced the first
maritime law rules, advanced the arts, theater and sports. Its school of

Rhetoric became famous and attracted many well-known Romans and
Greeks. In the 2nd century BC, Rhodes became an ally of Rome: this
led to a gradual weakening of the island, which from the 1th century
AD became a roman prefecture.
St. Paul visited the island and recruited the first Christians 57 AD;
when in 395 AD the Roman Empire split, Rhodes and the other
islands of "Provincia insularum" were included in the Byzantine
Empire.

New seafarers attacked and often looted the city in the following
centuries.

The Knights of the Order of Saint John were established in Rhodes in
1309 AD. Their stay has endowed the city with a series of majestic
buildings protected by a fortified wall.

>From 1522 onwards the Dodecanese islands form part of the Ottoman
Empire until 1912 AD, when they came under Italian rule. In 1948 the
islands were united with Greece.

The City
Present-day Rhodes is a medieval/modern amalgam which impresses
and fascinates visitors. Its medieval aspect, fortified behind an
impressive wall, merges harmoniously with the refined, cosmopolitan
air of a modern resort with luxurious hotels, broad tree-lined avenues,
and rich commercial stores.

Sightseeing in the old town
It is fascinating to walk in the medieval town, full of impressive 15th
century buildings, stone-paved lanes with arches and vaults, rows of
little shops, a modern touch to the medieval picture, offering a
surprising variety of commodities.

Perhaps the best starting point for a journey through medieval Rhodes
is the wall (14th century; 5km long). As we cross one of the most
famous gates, Pili Elefterias (Freedom gate) we encounter traces of
the Temple of Venus (3rd century BC), also the Inn of Auvergne
Knights, the Arsenal, the Museum of Decorative Arts (folklore
exhibits from the Dodecanese Islands), the Byzantine Museum (in a
13th century church), the majestic Harbour Gate.

The Archaeological Museum (tel. 0241 27 674), housed in the 15th
century building of the Knights? Hospital, includes collections of
coins, pots and sculptures from the Mycenean up to the Roman era.
We note the kneeling Venus of Rhodes (1st century AD) and the
sepulchral column of Tymarista and Crito.

The Knights? Road, the official street of the medieval city, follows
the ancient road to the Palace of the Grand Masters. Along the road lie
the Inns of the Knights of Seven Languages, of which four still
remain.

The Palace of the Grand Masters or Knights' Palace (14th century)
is a palace and fortress that dominates the old town. It was destroyed
in 1856 and rebuilt in 1940. Floors are covered with ancient mosaics
of the island of Cos. There is an interesting collection of 16th and
17th
century Western furniture, and an impressive arcade used as a place
for meetings. The Palace has been renovated and is used to house
important international functions. Other remarkable sights of the old
town are the Mosque of Sulleiman, an old church with a beautiful
Italian door, the Castellania (a 16th century building now housing the
Library) with its beautiful fountain, St. Catherine's? Hospital, the
Admiralty Palace to its right, finally the Folk Dance Theater that
presents traditional music, dances and costumes in their purest form.

The new town
On entering Mandraki (yacht harbour), the most picturesque of the
three ports of the city, we are welcomed by two deer in bronze.
Erected, probably where the famous Colossus of Rhodes used to
stand, they have become the modern emblem of the town. Nearby on
the wharf stands the lighthouse tower of St. Nicholas and the three old
colourful windmills. Numerous monumental buildings surround
Mandraki and add to its majestic air - among others the New Market
(Nea Agora), a polygonal building with courtyard, the Archbishop's
Palace, the Evangelismos (Annunciation) Church, the Central Post
Office, the Town Hall, the Theater and the Government House - all
four impressive buildings along the pier. Next to the Theater one
admires Murad Reis Mosque and its graceful minaret. At the north
end of the town stands the Institute of Marine Biology (Aquarium).

The Ancient City
Although Rhodes was a large city, relatively few ruins have been
found. The ancient Acropolis stood on the eastern city of the Monte
Smith hill, overlooking the city. Further on one sees the Stadium (3rd
century BC) and the curiously square sized Odeum (both rebuilt).
Performances of ancient drama are held every summer in the Odeum.
There are also a few ruins of the temples of Polias Athena, Pythian
Apollo and Zeus.

Sights near the city
Only 3km from the city lies the luscious greenery of Rodini Park,
with many flower-gardens, picturesque lanes and ponds. From Rodini
one can visit the Tomb of Ptolemies and the ruins of a Roman
aqueduct.

East coast
The most fascinating site on east coast is Lindos (47km from the city
of Rhodes), built on the ruins of the ancient Doric town of the same
name. In medieval times Lindos was the second most important centre
of the island, after the city of Rhodes itself. The ancient Acropolis
was
then built into a castle. It is said that St. Paul the apostle landed
here
when he came to the island of Rhodes, accordingly the tiny harbour on
the other side of the village has been named ?Agios Pavlos?.

Under the steep cliff of the Acropolis lies the present townlet,
charming with its whitewashed houses and pebbled courtyards.
Houses retain traditional interiors, heavy ironwork on balconies and
brown windows. Some 15th century houses have been officially
declared traditional buildings to be preserved. One should also visit
the church of the Virgin Mary (Panagia) of Lindos and the chapel of
Agios Pavlos.

A series of steps leads to the Acropolis. Inside the main gate we
discern the ruins of the Knights? Lodge and the Byzantine church of
St. John.

Outside the Doric Stoa the prow of a Lindian Hellenistic trireme has
been carved in a rock (4.5 x 5m). We cross the Doric Stoa (5th century
BC) with its 42 columns (20 have been restored ) and climb the
majestic staircase to a higher terrace with Propylean ruins (5th
century BC). From this point we reach the Sanctuary of Lindian
Athena, with its elegant bi-prostyle temple on the edge of the cliff
(4th
century). Ruins of an ancient theater have been found on the slope of
the Acropolis.

There are other beauties on this part of the island besides antiquities.

Koskinou (10km) is an inland village with charming traditional
houses. Kalithea (10.5km) is built around a colourful pine-covered
bay with old spas; Faliraki (14km) is a cosmopolitan resort with an
exquisite beach, Ladiko boasts a beautiful coast, Afandou (21km) is
an old Rhodian village with an interesting church and a golf course.
To the right of the Kolimbia coast a road leads to the enchanting
Seven Springs (Epta Piges), a cool oasis with pine and plane-trees
and crystal-clear waters. Tsambika has a beautiful sandy coast and a
mountain where the monastery of the Virgin Mary stands.

Arhangelos (29km) is note worthy for its beautiful traditional houses,
ceramics and carpet workshops. Haraki, a charming fishing village,
lies on the beginning of the marvelous coast which leads to the Vilha
Bay, and includes the medieval castle of Faraklos. To the south of
Lindos we meet traditional villages here and there and charming
coasts until the road abandons the coastline and turns left towards
Katavia (80km), a major village in southern Rhodes. But the journey
is not yet over. It?s worthwhile to follow the unpaved earth road
leading to the Prassonissi peninsula, full of sand dunes and accessible
only in the summer, as the sea transforms it into a true island in
winter.

West coast
Populous resorts, important archaeological sites, picturesque villages
await us on this side of the island as well.

Following the road to the west, we cross the great coast where most of
the island's hotels are clustered and reach Trianda (8km) or Ialissos, a

townlet surrounded by orchards. The beach of Ialissos marks the end
of the great chain of hotels starting from the beach of the city of
Rhodes. One should visit here the church of the Dormition of
Theotokos (Virgin Mary, Mother of God) with its famous wood
carved temple, and then follow the winding picturesque road crossing
the pine-wood up to the Acropolis of Ialissos (6km ) the important
Doric city built on the flat top of Mt. Filerimos, strategically
overlooking the island.

Places of archaeological interest include the temple of Polias Athena
(3rd century BC), the Baptismal Font of an early Christian church, the
brilliantly restored church of Panagia Filermos, the monastery, the
ruins of a medieval castle, the Doric fountain and the ancient
necropolis.

Further to the west on the coast road, after Kremasti and Paradissi,
one should go up left and reach the lush greenery of the famous
Petaloudes (Butterflies) valley (25km), unique in the whole of
Greece. Millions of butterflies gather here in the summer. Returning to
the coast road we reach the side-road leading to Ancient Kamiros,
third in importance commercial centre of Antiquity (34km). We
discern parts of houses and buildings, the Agora, with its Doric Stoa
(3rd century), a Hellenistic temenos with Doric temple, ruins of an
aqueduct and remnants of the peripheral temple of Kamiriad
Athena. Beside the foundations of that temple stands the Panagia
Monastery, near to a proto-Christian catacomb.

The west road continues for a while along the coast, reaches the
village Scala Kamirou (51km), then turns inland. From this village,
with picturesque windmills and a panoramic view to the opposite
islets, one can reach Chalki by caique. The traveler will be pleasantly
surprised by the amphitheatric Kritinia village (55km), with a nearby
medieval castle, then Siana, (69km), full of old stone houses, and
Monolithos, built on pine covered slopes of Mt. Ataviros. To the
south one crosses endless green fields to reach Apolakia (84km),
famous for its marriage feasts, and finally the opposite side - Katavia
(102km).

Inland
Not only coastal Rhodes is worth a visit. An inland journey uncovers
beautiful traditional villages, untouched by the cosmopolitan spirit of
tourist resorts. If we start out from Agios Syllas monastery, lost
among the pine and beach, we can reach Profitis Ilias (altitude 720m)
with its monastery and panoramic view of the sea. This is an
enchanting journey, leading to idyllic villages on hill-tops or built on

gentle slopes, with stone houses, whitewashed or ochre. Villages like
Apolona, Agios Isidoros, Embonas, Laerma, Askiplio,
Messanagros, Psithos and Salakos, stay in the visitor?s memory for
ever, each for its own charms but all with equally gentle and
hospitable inhabitants.

TOURS FOR ACCOMPANYING PERSONS
Full day Rodos Island Tour. A perfect opportunity to see a lot of the
island with its interesting landscape and numerous villages. The tour
begins with a drive along the East Coast of the Island and the first
stop
is Seven Springs, a pretty wooded area with a fascinating tunnel
leading to one of the springs. Continuing along the East Coast, you
visit Archangelos, the second largest village, then we make our way to
Kiotari. A stop is made here for lunch and a swim. After lunch you
cross the island at the centre towards the West Coast. During this
horizontal trip through the island you will perceive spectacular
scenery. Throughout the year the West Coast remains a very green and
fertile region, quite different from the East Coast. A stop is made for
photographs at the Castle of Monolithos. Your journey then takes you
along the West Coast passing several villages where the locals still
live the traditional way of life. A refreshment stop is made at Kamiros
Scala, mid-afternoon, before returning to your hotels.

Full day excursion to the island of Symi. While sailing across the
Aegean Sea, you pass very close to the Turkish coastline. Symi is one
of the most unspoilt of the Greek islands. You arrive at the small
picturesque harbour with its multicoloured houses and dazzling clear
water and relax in one of the harbour side taverns. Later the boat will
cruise to the West Coast port of Panormitis with its 12th century
monastery. A lovely relaxing journey to a beautiful island.

Rodos City Tour. You will be first taken on a drive around the New
Town of Rodos and shown various places of interest. Afterwards you
will be taken on a panoramic drive to Monte Smith. Here you have a
fantastic view of the Old and New Town. A visit will be made to the
Temple of Apollo and the Ancient Stadium. You will then visit the
Old Town of Rodos and take a walk through the Street of the Knights
of St John. The Grand Master Palace and the Ancient Museum will be
pointed out to you so that you may explore them some other time. We
end our tour with a drive along the east coast to the famous Italian Spa

at Kallithea.

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Evangelos Dermatas
Dept of Electrical Engineering
University of Patras
26500 Patras
Greece

Tel: + 30 61 996 189
Fax: + 30 61 991 855
email: dermatas@george.wcl2.ee.upatras.gr
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