(Rhodes, Lindos)
Today Cathy and I woke up at 6:30, showered and headed to the dining room for breakfast. During breakfast we were seated with Keith and Sandra Stage from Australia. We learned that this was their first cruise, they are retired and probably in their mid-60s, and were as friendly as could be. The breakfast was a full service buffet so there was little difficulty in finding something to our liking. Shannon slept in until 9:30 and caught the very end of breakfast.
We are on our own until 12:30 PM when the touring will start. Some people have left the ship and walked around the city of Rhodes on their own. We elected to rest on the ship and wait for our guided tour in the afternoon. The plus side about touring the island of Rhodes is that we were able to dock at the port and walk off the ship rather then experience the tender boats again.
At 12:30, we left the ship (or disembarked if you want to sound snooty), got on the tour bus and headed for Lindos as it was about an hour away. The plan was to see Rhodes as we returned from Lindos since Rhodes is where the ship is docked.
About 30-45 minutes into the trip to Lindos, I started to get very nervous. We had been told repeatedly to not eat fresh fruits or vegetables and not drink the water. I had been doing all three and had not experienced any significant problems so far. Well, that was about to change.
Lindos of Rhodes
Lindos is one of the most attractive and beautiful villages of Rhodes, and is located south of the capital, on the eastern coast of the island. It is dominated by a magnificent and imposing acropolis which can be visited. The beauty of Lindos is due to its beautiful location on the slope of a hill, dominated by the acropolis, and overlooking a picturesque bay, but also to the village itself which has been built amphitheatrically and is full of whitewashed houses with pebble-paved courtyards, narrow alleys and buildings. Apart from the beautiful acropolis that can be reached by foot or donkey, the old theatre of Lindos, carved from a rock, and the Doric sanctuary of Athena are also worth-seeing.
You’ve all been there. The stomach begins to cramp, which is the warning sign that bad things are coming. We pulled into the town square in Lindos – I headed straight for the rest rooms and thanked God that there was not a line of people. As a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised at the privacy that I had (don’t act like you don’t know what I meanJ). Cathy and Shannon were waiting for me but the group had already started up the mountain to view the acropolis. I wasn’t sure how long I would feel OK, or if a quick return trip to the restroom was in my future. It was very hot too.
We decided that we would attempt to catch up with the group – it had only been about 5 minutes since they began their assent. We started walking through the town and up the trail toward the acropolis (castle on a hill). After about 25 of the 300 steps heading up the hill, Cathy announced that it was too hot, and like a couple of wusses, Shannon and I agreed. We did an about face and used the next 45 minutes to walk in and out of air conditioned stores looking for that perfect souvenir.
We learned that some of the people in our group rode donkeys up to the top. Others, including some elderly people, walked up the mountain. We were told the view was beautiful from the acropolis and that the building was very much intact. Although my stomach condition may have precluded me from making the trip, we all agreed that we wished we had made the trip to the top. Who knows if we will ever have the opportunity again? From that point on, we made sure we participated in all that was available.
I know you are wondering about that perfect souvenir that Cathy and Shannon were looking for. Cathy ended up buying an olive tray for the olives we have served four times in our 32 years of marriage. Shannon bought a ceramic spoon holder that was hand painted with a scene of Lindos – you know, that thing that you put your spoon on if your cooking and don’t want to get stuff on your counter top.
Part of the direction that we receive from the tour guide when we arrive at the different sites is where and when we meet when its time to leave. We are on a schedule and when it’s time to leave it would be nice if the entire group was ready to go. We toured with a couple of older ladies that just can’t seem to grasp this concept. Lindos is not an easy town to get to. We exited the tour bus at the top of the hill and took a shuttle bus down into the city. It’s not a long ride but it’s a very steep hill. Walking down the hill would be difficult but walking back up would hurt you. At the appropriate time and place, 44 of the 46 member tour group managed to find the shuttle bus, get a ride to the top of the hill and board our tour bus. As the bus driver was pulling out of his parking spot, someone mentioned that the two ladies were missing. The scout party that was sent out to locate the ladies was successful and we were soon on our way to Rhodes.
Rhodes
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, situated in eastern Aegean Sea. It lies approximately 11 miles to the west of the Turkish shores, situated between the Greek mainland and the island of Cyprus. As of 2007, the population exceeded 130,000, of whom roughly 80,000 reside in the City of Rhodes, the island's capital and a major economic, commercial, tourist and cultural center of the Aegean Sea.
The city is divided in two. The new town with its modern buildings and shopping areas and hotel-lined beach and the old town which is a medieval walled city complete with moat and castle. The Knights of Saint John came to Rhodes in 1306 when they were kicked out of the Holy Land after the fall of Jerusalem and until it was conquered by Suleiman the Magnificent the island was a fortress that protected the Christian west from the infidels, which withstood wave after wave of attacks. During this period the Knights used their base in Rhodes to harass the Muslims, raiding coastal cities and capturing ships becoming the proverbial thorn in the side of the Turks to the point of obsession.
The Old City of Rhodes with a population of 6,000 inhabitants is surrounded by medieval walls with seven gates. To enter any of these gates is to enter another world. Now it happens to be a world of tourist shops, restaurants, cafes and museums, more like a Turkish bazaar than any Greek city. The Medieval City was divided into three parts: the northern part included the Acropolis of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master while the southern part includes Hora, were the commoners lived. The Jewish Quarter is the third section and the least developed commercially in terms of tourism and is mostly residential.
As you enter the city either from the commercial harbor through the Gate of Navarhou or from the new town through the gate of Eleftherias you see the remains of the 3rd century temple of Aphrodite, and behind it is the Lodge of the Knights of Aiberne, built in 1507.
The Palace of the Grandmaster is the single most impressive site in Rhodes if not all of the Dodecanesos and the interior is no less awe-inspiring than the formidable outer walls. Within the enormous castle are relics from the medieval period as well as ancient sculptures and beautiful 1st century floor mosaics which were brought to Rhodes from the island of Kos. The walls of the city were a work in progress for the 200 years the Knights ruled the island. Severely damaged in the first siege they were rebuilt bigger and stronger by Grande Master d'Aubusson after the siege of 1480. The walls are 12 meters thick and the moat more than 21 meters wide. The length of the walls is about four kilometers. The entire area outside the walls is a green park of shade trees and flowers and the moats now have green grass and paths through them instead of water.
We entered the medieval town of Rhodes through the back gate and walked through the town toward the front gate, the harbor and our tour bus which drove us back to the ship for dinner. We simply did not do much more than walk through the town – the extra time we used in Lindos looking for our two older lady runaways cut into the available time in Rhodes.
One of the very few things that I wish was different is for a little more time when we are sightseeing. It must be a challenge for the tour organizer to balance the amount of places we tour with the time allowed at each stop. We were not wasting any time.
We boarded the ship about 6:00, got cleaned up and went to dinner at 7:00. We had dinner with Chad Hardcastle - the only single young guy on the trip. His grandmother gave him this trip as a college graduation present. Dinner was OK. Cathy had roast lamb, I had chicken and pasta and Shannon had grilled chicken, rice and green beans. The dessert was baklava and vanilla ice cream.
No clothes washing tonight - we are totally exhausted and hoping to sleep more than a few hours. Tomorrow will be an exciting day. We will be touring Patmos in Greece and Kusadasi (Ephesus) in Turkey.
We are on our own until 12:30 PM when the touring will start. Some people have left the ship and walked around the city of Rhodes on their own. We elected to rest on the ship and wait for our guided tour in the afternoon. The plus side about touring the island of Rhodes is that we were able to dock at the port and walk off the ship rather then experience the tender boats again.
At 12:30, we left the ship (or disembarked if you want to sound snooty), got on the tour bus and headed for Lindos as it was about an hour away. The plan was to see Rhodes as we returned from Lindos since Rhodes is where the ship is docked.
About 30-45 minutes into the trip to Lindos, I started to get very nervous. We had been told repeatedly to not eat fresh fruits or vegetables and not drink the water. I had been doing all three and had not experienced any significant problems so far. Well, that was about to change.
Lindos of Rhodes
Lindos is one of the most attractive and beautiful villages of Rhodes, and is located south of the capital, on the eastern coast of the island. It is dominated by a magnificent and imposing acropolis which can be visited. The beauty of Lindos is due to its beautiful location on the slope of a hill, dominated by the acropolis, and overlooking a picturesque bay, but also to the village itself which has been built amphitheatrically and is full of whitewashed houses with pebble-paved courtyards, narrow alleys and buildings. Apart from the beautiful acropolis that can be reached by foot or donkey, the old theatre of Lindos, carved from a rock, and the Doric sanctuary of Athena are also worth-seeing.
You’ve all been there. The stomach begins to cramp, which is the warning sign that bad things are coming. We pulled into the town square in Lindos – I headed straight for the rest rooms and thanked God that there was not a line of people. As a matter of fact, I was pleasantly surprised at the privacy that I had (don’t act like you don’t know what I meanJ). Cathy and Shannon were waiting for me but the group had already started up the mountain to view the acropolis. I wasn’t sure how long I would feel OK, or if a quick return trip to the restroom was in my future. It was very hot too.
We decided that we would attempt to catch up with the group – it had only been about 5 minutes since they began their assent. We started walking through the town and up the trail toward the acropolis (castle on a hill). After about 25 of the 300 steps heading up the hill, Cathy announced that it was too hot, and like a couple of wusses, Shannon and I agreed. We did an about face and used the next 45 minutes to walk in and out of air conditioned stores looking for that perfect souvenir.
We learned that some of the people in our group rode donkeys up to the top. Others, including some elderly people, walked up the mountain. We were told the view was beautiful from the acropolis and that the building was very much intact. Although my stomach condition may have precluded me from making the trip, we all agreed that we wished we had made the trip to the top. Who knows if we will ever have the opportunity again? From that point on, we made sure we participated in all that was available.
I know you are wondering about that perfect souvenir that Cathy and Shannon were looking for. Cathy ended up buying an olive tray for the olives we have served four times in our 32 years of marriage. Shannon bought a ceramic spoon holder that was hand painted with a scene of Lindos – you know, that thing that you put your spoon on if your cooking and don’t want to get stuff on your counter top.
Part of the direction that we receive from the tour guide when we arrive at the different sites is where and when we meet when its time to leave. We are on a schedule and when it’s time to leave it would be nice if the entire group was ready to go. We toured with a couple of older ladies that just can’t seem to grasp this concept. Lindos is not an easy town to get to. We exited the tour bus at the top of the hill and took a shuttle bus down into the city. It’s not a long ride but it’s a very steep hill. Walking down the hill would be difficult but walking back up would hurt you. At the appropriate time and place, 44 of the 46 member tour group managed to find the shuttle bus, get a ride to the top of the hill and board our tour bus. As the bus driver was pulling out of his parking spot, someone mentioned that the two ladies were missing. The scout party that was sent out to locate the ladies was successful and we were soon on our way to Rhodes.
Rhodes
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, situated in eastern Aegean Sea. It lies approximately 11 miles to the west of the Turkish shores, situated between the Greek mainland and the island of Cyprus. As of 2007, the population exceeded 130,000, of whom roughly 80,000 reside in the City of Rhodes, the island's capital and a major economic, commercial, tourist and cultural center of the Aegean Sea.
The city is divided in two. The new town with its modern buildings and shopping areas and hotel-lined beach and the old town which is a medieval walled city complete with moat and castle. The Knights of Saint John came to Rhodes in 1306 when they were kicked out of the Holy Land after the fall of Jerusalem and until it was conquered by Suleiman the Magnificent the island was a fortress that protected the Christian west from the infidels, which withstood wave after wave of attacks. During this period the Knights used their base in Rhodes to harass the Muslims, raiding coastal cities and capturing ships becoming the proverbial thorn in the side of the Turks to the point of obsession.
The Old City of Rhodes with a population of 6,000 inhabitants is surrounded by medieval walls with seven gates. To enter any of these gates is to enter another world. Now it happens to be a world of tourist shops, restaurants, cafes and museums, more like a Turkish bazaar than any Greek city. The Medieval City was divided into three parts: the northern part included the Acropolis of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Master while the southern part includes Hora, were the commoners lived. The Jewish Quarter is the third section and the least developed commercially in terms of tourism and is mostly residential.
As you enter the city either from the commercial harbor through the Gate of Navarhou or from the new town through the gate of Eleftherias you see the remains of the 3rd century temple of Aphrodite, and behind it is the Lodge of the Knights of Aiberne, built in 1507.
The Palace of the Grandmaster is the single most impressive site in Rhodes if not all of the Dodecanesos and the interior is no less awe-inspiring than the formidable outer walls. Within the enormous castle are relics from the medieval period as well as ancient sculptures and beautiful 1st century floor mosaics which were brought to Rhodes from the island of Kos. The walls of the city were a work in progress for the 200 years the Knights ruled the island. Severely damaged in the first siege they were rebuilt bigger and stronger by Grande Master d'Aubusson after the siege of 1480. The walls are 12 meters thick and the moat more than 21 meters wide. The length of the walls is about four kilometers. The entire area outside the walls is a green park of shade trees and flowers and the moats now have green grass and paths through them instead of water.
We entered the medieval town of Rhodes through the back gate and walked through the town toward the front gate, the harbor and our tour bus which drove us back to the ship for dinner. We simply did not do much more than walk through the town – the extra time we used in Lindos looking for our two older lady runaways cut into the available time in Rhodes.
One of the very few things that I wish was different is for a little more time when we are sightseeing. It must be a challenge for the tour organizer to balance the amount of places we tour with the time allowed at each stop. We were not wasting any time.
We boarded the ship about 6:00, got cleaned up and went to dinner at 7:00. We had dinner with Chad Hardcastle - the only single young guy on the trip. His grandmother gave him this trip as a college graduation present. Dinner was OK. Cathy had roast lamb, I had chicken and pasta and Shannon had grilled chicken, rice and green beans. The dessert was baklava and vanilla ice cream.
No clothes washing tonight - we are totally exhausted and hoping to sleep more than a few hours. Tomorrow will be an exciting day. We will be touring Patmos in Greece and Kusadasi (Ephesus) in Turkey.
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