Wednesday – May 23, 2018
The ship arrived very early in the morning at the beautiful island of Rhodes. It was a glittering sunny day with a pale blue sky and a nice breeze blowing. I peered out of our glass door and saw the medieval red roofs of Rhodes. It was too early to stay up so I went back to bed for another hour.
Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands of Greece and was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. An earthquake in 226 BC destroyed the huge statue. Throughout history, Rhodes played an important part on the trade routes between the West and the East. The island has been inhabited since 4000 BC and was dominated by every civilization in the region.
Our ship, the Celebrity Reflection, was docked just across the road from the ancient wall of the “Old Town.” We followed the wall to one of the seven gates to gain entry, which turned out to be Virgin Mary’s Gate.
Many shops hadn’t opened yet and a few shopkeepers were just opening their doors for the early risers. The town was quiet and we heard birds singing and the sounds of people inside their homes.
The island of Rhodes is located only 12 miles away from the Turkish coast and boasts 200 days of sunshine per year. There’s a modern city on the other side of the Mandraki peninsula but we just had time and energy for the historic part.
The Old Town is supposed to be one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The impressive fortifications with towers and a deep moat, were built by the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John beginning in 1309. Today, 6000 people live inside the ancient walls.
Unfortunately, there were many tourist shops and plenty of visitors, but it was still fun to walk along the narrow streets on worn sea stones. We stopped for cold drinks at a taverna that also offered free Wifi and we explored the castle with a full moat.
Later on the ship at night, the Blu Dining Room served Greek food: hummus, baba ganoush, and cold cucumber & yogurt soup. Yummy!