Rhodes

(Thursday was a sea day.)

The largest of the Dodecanese group, off the southwest coast of Turkey, Rhodes is probably best known for the legendary Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. That is long gone, but what remains is the medieval walled city of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem who took over Rhodes in the 14th century. Prior to that Rhodes had been inhabited by various groups and then captured by the Romans. When Rome fell, Rhodes be part of the Byzantine Empire. The Knights preyed on Turkish shipping to such an extent that, in 1522, Suleiman the Magnificent arrived with a huge force and defeated the knights after a 6 month siege. The Turks remained until 1912 when the Italians, the the Germans and British occupied the island. In 1948, all the Dodecanese were united with Greece

The city of Rhodes with it's lovely harbor is located on the northern tip of the island Nd has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site, but then so have most of the places I've visited. The first thing one sees upon disembarking are the towers and crenellations of the medieval walls and three old windmills on the jetty. The main harvor around around with a little sandy beach. The formidable walls, moats and drawbridges are emblazoned with the coats of arms of the Knights, Grand Crosses, Bailiffs and Grand Masters of the Order which are basically signatures in stone.

Entering the old town through one of the gates, I came into a square containing the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite and a delightful allee of shaded trees and restaurants. Delightful squares abound, bordered with cafes and shops, of course. The Street of the Knights is lined with the inns and is virtually unchanged. Each inn or auberge has it's own character, the most beautiful one is the Inn of the Auvergne which has been restored and turned into a cultural center. At the top end of the street is the Palace of the Grand Masters which was restored by Mussolini. The Hospital of the Knights is now an archeological museum. Apparently the patients were laid out in canopied beds and served on silver plate by the Knights themselves.

Met up with Jan and Layne for coffee...always delightful to sit outside and watch the world go by!!! We wandered around and found the lovely old mosque of Suleyman, built in 1522 when the Turks conquered Rhodes.

We split up and they headed for the harbor and I just wandered the streets and ramparts.

We all met back at the ship for a late lunch. None of us had wanted a long day. We were determined to take it easy after the long and intense visit to Istanbul.