Scholar or Colossus?

So very early in the morning we boarded an island hopper to go from

Dolphin sculpture at the harbor

Athens to Rhodes. We were all sad that Constantine and/or Harry were not going to be there to meet us and drive for us, but new adventures awaited. The principal city on the island of Rhodes is Rhodes – not at all confusing. In long ages gone by there was supposed to be a giant statue that guarded the harbor: the Colossus. There is nothing on the island that overtly points to any ruins of this bygone wonder and although I knew we wouldn’t see it, I was vaguely disappointed.





Located in the Aegean Sea, the island of Rhodes is at an intersection of major sea routes to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with influences

Part of the city walls

from these places still seen in the culture, architecture, and languages. The island has been inhabited since the Neolithic Period, about 4000 BC. Although there were lots of visitors, and trade was going strong, the actual city of Rhodes wasn’t in existence until about 408 BC. The city of Rhodes was formed by three cities that were close together, Ialyssos, Kamiros and Lindos. This amalgamation prospered throughout the Golden Age due to the brisk sea trade, expert ship builders, and politicians who kept out of the way. It was during this time that Chares of Lindos built the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze representation of the sun god, Helios. The work took 12 years, until 282 BC, to complete; it was later called one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. About sixty years later an earthquake shook Rhodes, toppling the statue and damaging the city. Nearly 300 years later the Romans arrived, but rather than sacking the city, they helped it develop into a haven for the arts and sciences.

Rhodes was also an important Byzantine trading post between

Church of the Virgin Burgh

Constantinople and Alexandria. And of course since it was a successful city, other people wanted it; unlike the Romans, the Isaurians burned the city around 600 AD. Later it was captured by the Arabs, then during the Fourth Crusade (1204) it was ruled by Leo Gabalas, a Byzantine Greek, and his brother, John. Eventually the city was returned to the Emperor of Nicaea. About 100 years later this had all changed. The island became a sanctuary for knights from different countries.





Knights abounded in the 14^th and 15^th centuries and evidently they were common in the Greek area. After the persecution of the Knights Templar in 1307, the Knights Hospitallers left Cyprus and captured Rhodes. Here they established their headquarters with the permission of Pope Clement V in 1309. They remained on Rhodes for the next two hundred years. The citadel of Rhodes, built by the Hospitalliers, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; our

Knights Street

Airbnb was within its walls. Because of the knights’ presence, Rhodes was able to remain free from the Egyptian (Mamluks) attack in 1444 and the Ottoman Empire expansion invasion in 1480. With the continued strengthening of the cities, Rhodes became the most strongly fortified Christian Bastion in the world. However, in 1522 the Ottomans laid siege to the island and with vast numbers of soldiers, brought the island under their control. The Knights and Suleiman negotiated a treaty stating that the Knights could leave with all the wealth they could carry, and with no retribution upon the inhabitants of the city who could continue to practice Christianity freely. On January 1, 1523 the Knights left, allowing the Ottomans to be in control. Under the Ottomans mosques, public baths, and mansions were constructed for the ruling class. The Greeks who had always lived in the city were forced to move outside the walls. However, the city retained its identity as a market for the farm products from the interior of the island as well as the surrounding smaller islands. Although the Ottoman Turks transformed most of the churches into mosques and major houses into private mansions or public buildings, the Knights period façades, the arched gates, and carved stone walls were preserved. Baths and balconies were added to existing Hospitaliers' period buildings in the Medieval Town. The result of the rebuilding and slight redesign resulted in a mixture of oriental and western architecture making the old city of Rhodes an interesting place to wander through.

About four hundred years later the Italians were back, taking over the

Knights' barracks

island in 1912. Italian architect Florestano Di Fausto chose to preserve the architecture of the city, but he converted the Jewish and Ottoman cemeteries into a green zone surrounding the Medieval Town – this seems to be quite a strong political statement. The edifices he did design, the Cathedral of Saint John of the Knights, the Market, and the Palace of the governor are a mix of Ottoman, Venetian, Renaissance, and local styles; he did reconstruct the Grand Master's Palace. These buildings remained intact until World War II when the British bombed the city trying to get rid of the Nazis who had deported more than 1,700 Jews to Auschwitz; 1,200 of these men, women, and children were murdered. Once the war was over, reconstruction began with an eye to preserving the Medieval Town. This led to the eventual designation of the old town as a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1998.

We actually stayed in an annex of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, which is also known as the Kastello. It’s a medieval

One of the many mosaic floors

castle with grand examples of Gothic architecture. The site was, at one time, a citadel of the Knights Hospitaller; it has functioned as a palace, headquarters, and fortress. Recently it’s been postulated that it was also the site of the ancient temple of the Sun-god 'Helios' and perhaps where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. Originally built in the late 7th century as a Byzantine citadel, the building was at one time a holiday residence for the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, and finally for Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. In 1947 it was converted into a museum. What impressed us most about the museum was that many of the rooms had floors made of mosaics from buildings in Kos (a.k.a. Cos), an island near Rhodes.

If you’re going to visit Greece, you’d do well to read “The Full Catastrophe, Travels among the New Greek Ruins”. It’s written by a

East side of the old section of Rhodes

person whose family is from that country so he was a visitor there on many occasions. This lends credence to his interviews; his work for the Wall Street Journal makes his prose highly readable. Having read the book, I was interested to see how the information applied to places we stayed, ate and played. For information about my rating system of where we stayed, what we ate, and what we did, see Reading the Reviews.

Where we stayed:

Four carrots

Spanish Knights Inn Airbnb (Ipparchou 9 (Rhodes Town), Rhodes City, Greece): We were in a lovely Airbnb, but having said that, it's a six minute

Top L to R: Courtyard, kitchen, downstairs bath
Bottom L to R: Living area, upstairs bedroom, up-
stairs bath, laundry

walk from anything that taxis can navigate (ask your driver to be taken to the top of the street rather than the end nearest the port). In fact we were in the 14^th century barracks that the Spanish Knights used; there's some story about the Templers in this area, as well. The actual street we were on was last paved when the Spanish knights attacked the walls on their wheezing draft horses that certainly couldn't get along these streets because of the cobblestones! The plumbing is about the same age as the streets. The electrical appliances are more modern. There's an electric washer and a solar drier. The roof looks out over the hot water tank. The place has period decorations; the air conditioners are in the bedrooms. Did I mention that you can't put any paper down the toilet? We had to empty our trash daily by going up (literally) the street to a rubbish bin. The owners have outdone themselves in decorating the enclosed courtyard with all sorts of plants, including lemon trees. They are also quite responsive to questions and any needs that arise during your stay.

What we did:

Four and one half carrots

Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (Ippoton, Rodos 851 00, Greece, +30 2241 365270) was simply amazing. The palace was filled with mosaics from Cos (Kos) that were brought in to appease

Left T to B: Exterior of palace, Mosaic
Right: Large room with several mosaics

Mussolini because this was to be his headquarters. If I’m ever back in Greece I’ll put Cos on my list to visit. The palace is huge with the traditional wall hangings and displays that are associated with castles, however there is a great display of the work of Hermes Balducci. He’s the artist, archaeologist, and adventurer, who painted and wrote about the mosaics. There are also examples of well carved seats used by those who were waiting for an audience. It takes more than an hour to explore the palace, and can take more if you’re really in to the mosaics; there are some designs with which I was completely unfamiliar.

Four carrots

The Archeologic Museum (Akti Sachtouri 8, Rodos 851 00, Greece) actually belonged to the Knights Hospitallers, an offshoot of the Knights Templers at one time. The museum is housed in what was the hospital of

Top L to R: Museum, Ottoman style meeting room
Bottom L to R: Wall mosaics, Ottoman ceiling

the Knights of Saint John. Construction began in 1440 and completed in the time of the Grand Master d'Aubusson, around 1476. Because the ottomans occupied it at one time, at least part of the architecture reflects this culture. Inside is a mixed collection of types of rooms, arms decorations, sculptures, and gardens. The Street of the Knights (just outside our AirBnB) backs up to one wall of the museum. In that street was a little girl with an accordion; she knows the first 10 bars of Never on Sunday and heaven help us she sings. She doesn't have a pocket or a bucket big enough to carry that tune. We could hear her all over the museum!






We rode the island bus, nicer than some tour buses, to the pointed end of

Left T to B: Acropolis, Lindos
Bottom: Donkey

the island to see a less famous Acropolis in Lindos (Lindos 851 07, Greece, +30 2244 031258) at noon. Not the most propitious time to be out wandering around, but for 5.50E off we went. Once we got there, the girls spotted the extremely steep path to the top and opted for lunch on a rooftop instead. It was so hot that we hadn’t the heart to hire donkeys for a ride up. Lindos, itself, is worth the trip. It has winding streets, a pleasant old town shopping area, and lots of places to eat. There is also beach access, but be ready for a long walk down to the water.

Old city (Tourist Information Office, Apellou, Rodos 851 00, Greece, +30 2241 074313) of Rhodes is a shoppers’ paradise, as well as a lovely trip

An excellent art store

through history. We got into a discussion about Greek economics with a guy who had been a 3 star general and the president of the jewelry sellers. He called what’s happening ‘economic fascism’. His wife came in the shop, saving us from further lecture on the dire situation all over the country. One other piece of information that he imparted was that all of southern Italy was originally Greek. He was an interesting guy. Several shops had lovely pale green dishes decorated with sardines (one of the ‘crops’ that Greece produces). Most of the ceramics were very well done, no matter which shop we entered. In our wanderings, Barb had seen a blue and white striped bag, resembling the flag of Greece, that she wanted for a friend. We hunted all over town finally tracking it down in a resale shop. She spun it around to see what, if anything, was written on it and there was: Abercrombie and Fitch. I thought her head was going to explode!

Ostria Beach (Rhodes 851 02, Greece, +30 697 814 7839): While the 

Ostria Beach

beach was beautiful, the whole countryside reminds me of Big Bend. My illusion of a desert island is shattered; it’s a desert with palm trees along the water for a bit of shade – the rest of the vegetation is scrub. The water wasn’t clear, but more like what you see along the Texas coast where the sand is brown. I didn’t see anyone snorkeling or scuba diving, which leads me to believe that the fish aren’t particularly colorful and/or there’s not much to see below the surface of the water.

Semis Limo Service (0030 6937 701 77, semispa@yahoo.gr). We had another adventure with a cabbie. After wandering around Lindos, getting hot, sweaty, and with less money than we began, we wanted to go back toward Rhodes but also to stop at a pretty place for a closer look at a breach. We stumbled onto a taxi area; most of the drivers ignored us completely, except for Semis. He was charming and quite helpful. He took us to the beach where he takes his family and it was great! The next day he took us back for a swim and lunch, then drove one of our group to the airport. He also agreed to take two of us to the airport a couple of days later; he turned up right on time, but with enough wiggle room to stop to buy us a coffee on the way. I'm liking these Greek men who take care of mature ladies!

Where we ate:

Four carrots

Alexis 4 Seasons Seafood Restaurant (Aristotelous 33, Rodos 851 00, Greece, +30 2241 070522) is an upscale place in the old city of Rhodes.

Top L to R: Salad, Greens, Menu
Middle L to R: Wine, Bread, Calamari, Sea bass
Bottom L to R: Mashed potatoes, Dessert

The night we visited there was a wedding party so we didn’t get a chance to sit on the roof, but the garden area is lovely even in hot weather. Our waiter suggested that we share a meal and proceeded to bring us more food than we could eat along with a very nice bottle of wine. I strongly suggest that if you want to sit on the roof that you make reservations. Our meal was excellent. It consisted of a very nice bottle of white wine, bread, calamari with black pasta, and Greek salad to begin; a very good sea bass for a main with sides of potatoes with fish eggs, and field greens; and finished with a lemon square topped with candied carrots garnished with grapes. It was well served and tasted great.

Lindos Restaurant (Lindos 851 07, Greece, +30 2244 031640) has a

Top L to R: Menu, Hummus
Bottom L to R: Salad, Pastitsio

rooftop area that overlooks the sea and the acropolis. We also had a nice view of some goats and of some sweaty people trying to make their way to and from the top of the hill. There were only a few of us at lunch, but there was a rather persistent insect that kept diving on the people at a table behind us. They were given an electric bug-zapper and the hilarity began. Humans felt gratified that the zapper did no permanent damage to them and that one of the patrons had good enough aim to eventually dispatch the insect. We started with a shared portion of hummus, and pita bread. Two of us had a Greek salad while the other indulged in pastitsio. It was all very good.

Ostria Beach Bar (Rhodes 851 02, Greece, +30 697 814 7839) was right

Top L to R: Beach, Salad
Bottom L to R: Salad, Shrimp

on the beach. Not only did we have a good view, but an excellent meal as well. The food was very fresh and there was plenty to share among us. We shared two salads and a plate of shrimp that looked like small lobsters. Although we had to go to the bar to order, service was speedy and our waiter made sure that everything was secure on the small table before leaving us to our meal.








Pizanias "The Sea Star" (Sofokleous 24, Rodos 851 31, Greece, +30 2241 022117) is another good place to eat seafood in the old town. The

Top L to R: Menu, Goat cheese, Wine
Bottom L to R: Bread, Calamari

have a specially built outdoor oven for roasting fresh fish. Once again we shared a good bottle of wine. The bread was crusty and an excellent complement to the goat cheese and tomato appetizer that was warm and gooey. I had a whole squid that was stuffed with cheese. Although it was tasty, it was a bit tough. Service was good and we had fun with the waiter.

Three and one half carrots

Nimmos Traditional Restaurant (Dionysiou 2, Old Town, Rodos 851 00,

L to R: Menu, Sandwich

Greece, +30 2241 076112) is sort of on the backside of the old town. We found ourselves there rather early in the morning so had breakfast. The roof garden wasn’t available at that time of day, but the area under the umbrellas was pleasant. Breakfast was fine, although don’t expect refills of coffee. We both had ham and cheese sandwiches that seems a staple of morning meals in Rhodes. Service was a bit slow and there are no refills on coffee or water.

Socratous Garden (Sokratous 124, Rodos 851 00, Greece, +30 2241 076955) caters more to tourists than do other restaurants. There’s

Top L to R: Menu, Dessert
Bottom L to R: Milkshake, Chicken shawarma,
Cat

nothing particularly unusual about it except for the setting, milkshakes, and the desserts. There are also free roaming kitties that politely wait to see if you’d like to share some of your food with them. We shared chicken shawarma and crepe ice cream. There was more than enough for us to pass a bite or two of chicken to one of the local cats. Barb said that the milkshake was particularly good.

Local mosque

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