From Thessaloniki we caught a flight to the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos) where we spent five nights before catching a hydrofoil to Turkey. Old town Rhodes (maybe most famous as the former home of the Colossus of Rhodes - one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) is a medieval maze of narrow cobblestone streets and crumbling buildings surrounded by thick city walls. We spent a day exploring the town; though founded in the 5th century BC, most of what still stands was built in the 14th century AD by the Knights of St. John. The Knights, a religious and military order whose objective was the care and defense of the Holy Land, settled in Rhodes after being expelled from Jerusalem by rising Muslim powers. Besides the 12-meter thick city walls, the Knights left behind their imposing residences and Palace of the Grand Masters along what is now called the Avenue of the Knights.
After battling tour groups in Rhodes town’s narrow streets and sunburned Brits on its beach, we spent two days exploring the island on a scooter. On our first day we headed south along the windy, hilly west coast. After a perfectly clear morning, a thick fog rolled in over the hills, reminding us of the Bay Area. After a circuitous route to Monolithos Castle (1480), we followed the sun inland for a picnic lunch. Patrick navigated our 80cc scooter (the aptly named “Dink”) up an unpaved road to a hilltop for a wonderful view of the island. At the top, we found two firemen manning a fire lookout, and one, who spoke impeccable English (with an Australian accent), invited us to join them while we ate our lunch. We agreed and he immediately pulled out his homemade souma, fished around for some ice at the bottom of his cooler, and poured us each a stiff one. As we drank, he told us about growing up on the island and how things have changed, and of course about the process of making his souma. We finished the day heading north along the sandy east coast, stopping for a swim at Gennadi beach and a meander around the ruins of the Castle of Faraklos near Haraki.
We began our second day on the scooter by visiting the town of Lindos on the east coast. Its hilltop location, ancient Acropolis, whitewashed buildings, and blossoming bougainvillea make it postcard-pretty. Unfortunately, for this very reason, Lindos is firmly on the tourist trail. We found that the narrow streets were even more packed with bright-red tourists than were the streets of Rhodes. After visiting the Acropolis at the top of the hill, we got back on the scooter and spent the rest of the day beach-hopping up the east coast back to Rhodes town. With their warm turquoise waters and colorful beach umbrellas, each beach seemed better than the last. It would have been hard to leave Rhodes if we hadn’t known more sea, sun, and sand awaited us on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
Click on the photo below for our Rhodes photo album.
After battling tour groups in Rhodes town’s narrow streets and sunburned Brits on its beach, we spent two days exploring the island on a scooter. On our first day we headed south along the windy, hilly west coast. After a perfectly clear morning, a thick fog rolled in over the hills, reminding us of the Bay Area. After a circuitous route to Monolithos Castle (1480), we followed the sun inland for a picnic lunch. Patrick navigated our 80cc scooter (the aptly named “Dink”) up an unpaved road to a hilltop for a wonderful view of the island. At the top, we found two firemen manning a fire lookout, and one, who spoke impeccable English (with an Australian accent), invited us to join them while we ate our lunch. We agreed and he immediately pulled out his homemade souma, fished around for some ice at the bottom of his cooler, and poured us each a stiff one. As we drank, he told us about growing up on the island and how things have changed, and of course about the process of making his souma. We finished the day heading north along the sandy east coast, stopping for a swim at Gennadi beach and a meander around the ruins of the Castle of Faraklos near Haraki.
We began our second day on the scooter by visiting the town of Lindos on the east coast. Its hilltop location, ancient Acropolis, whitewashed buildings, and blossoming bougainvillea make it postcard-pretty. Unfortunately, for this very reason, Lindos is firmly on the tourist trail. We found that the narrow streets were even more packed with bright-red tourists than were the streets of Rhodes. After visiting the Acropolis at the top of the hill, we got back on the scooter and spent the rest of the day beach-hopping up the east coast back to Rhodes town. With their warm turquoise waters and colorful beach umbrellas, each beach seemed better than the last. It would have been hard to leave Rhodes if we hadn’t known more sea, sun, and sand awaited us on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
Click on the photo below for our Rhodes photo album.
No comments:
Post a Comment