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Rhodes Journal
(Lea) The Old Town of Rhodes City is a maze of
alleyways lined with stone buildings dating back hundreds of years. A
Knight's Quarter is filled with the Gothic homes of the Knights of St John and
the Palace of the Grand Masters. The Turkish influence in the Hora area is
evident with its mosque, Turkish library and Turkish bath. The Old Town is
surrounded by massive walls and a moat and is a World Heritage Site. As we
explored the area I almost could imagine what is was like in medieval times.
Almost.
Just as I would imagine I was in the Middle Ages, I would run into (literally) one of the thousands of visiting tourists. Or I would encounter one of the hundreds of tavernas selling the exact same food (Greek salad, moussaka, spinach pie) as the one next to it. Or I would pass one of the multitude of tourist shops which sell olive oil soap, post cards and worry beads.
That being said, throughout Greece I loved staying in the Old Town areas of the cities we visited. Despite the tacky tourist traps, the areas still retain an authentic air. We actually lodged within the Old Towns in atmospheric pensions dating back generations (but upgraded with modern conveniences!). Since we stayed there we could explore in the early morning before the many tourists arrived. In the morning the only people on the streets were the Greeks who actually lived there - women sitting outside talking, men playing cards, and children playing games. In the late evening we could hear Greek music as we walked the neighborhoods. The wonderful Greek hospitality, culture and history is what I will most remember from our first visit to Greece.
(Keith) As Lea said, in the Old Town of Rhodes you can almost
imagine life in the Middle Ages with knights and bishops strolling the
stone streets . . . except for all of those tourists. One night we were
able to stroll relatively unimpeded through the old moat area of the
castle. Looking up at the castle took me back to the days of Dungeons and
Dragons, and The Lord of the Rings. I could easily imagine troops of
archers lining the castle walls, while orks and barbarians staged elaborate
attempts to scale the stone or break the gates.
In Rhodes we were able to stay in the Old Town within the castle walls; our pension was a 500 year old (sounds old, but in this part of the world 500 years is nothing) traditional Greek island home. The walls were made of thick stone and white washed; a terrace overlooked the fort and provided glimpses of the Aegean. Our room had a large fireplace in a wall niche (though it was WAY too hot for any fire), not a bad place to spend a few nights.
On a different subject, I had my haircut in Rhodes by a man in a small barbershop. He spoke English well (though apparently not as well as he spoke Swedish), thus providing a good opportunity for some international small talk. He worked as a barber (in his own shop) in the morning and then worked in a taverna in the evening. This guy seemed delighted with his life and told me about the great food in Rhodes, his favorite swimming spots, and his friends; he also planned to retire in a couple of years (before he reached 60) so that he could spend more time swimming. What an inspiring outlook on life . . . not worried about the bursting bubble or a promotion, just enjoying what he has got.
Check out our Rhodes Photos.