Today we visited the old city of Rhodes. We were going to catch a bus, but after we’d waited 30 minutes the only bus we’d seen had gone straight past the stop because it was full. We’d been warned that this might happen – the public transport on the island is patchy at best. In the end we shared a taxi with another couple which was certainly more efficient, if a little less ‘authentic’.
When we arrived, we headed straight into the old walled city, entering via the liberty gate. The old town is a real warren of narrow, cobbled streets, with many shops, specializing in leather goods and jewellery. The shop keepers were much less pushy than some places we’ve been (notably Turkey) – so it was possible to browse without coming under undue pressure to make a purchase. Sarah bought a couple of belts and a pair of sandals.
We pretty much the length of the walled city and had a look at the ‘ramifications’ as Sarah said (questioning revealed that this was a mixture of ramparts and fortifications – apt either way as they are massive!).
All the buildings are obviously very old, and many are supported by buttresses and arches that cross over the streets below. There is plenty of evidence of the Ottoman occupation as there are quite a few mosques in the city, as well as churches, both ruined and surviving.
We had lunch in a little taverna tucked away in the back streets (the whole place is quite like the lanes in Brighton), which was very nice traditional Greek dishes, cooked in a kitchen that looked to be the owner’s former front room.
We then headed for another gate in the wall and had a quick look at one of the three harbours – it must have been a deep water one as there was a huge cruise liner moored there.
This took us back to the taxi rank (by the maritime gate) and we got a taxi back to the hotel. The ancient mercedes was driven by a young guy who was telling us about the feeling towards the Greek government over the IMF loan and the economy in general. It was interesting to hear the opinion of a local person. His view was that Greek should not have joined the single currency – it had caused prices to rise significantly and was hurting both locals and tourists alike.
Today, we took a boat trip to the island of Symi. It’s about a 2 hour voyage from Mandraki harbour in Rhodes town. Happily the sea was very calm, as Sarah doesn’t really get on with boats!
First stop was the town of Symi, which is perched on the steep sides of the hills coming down to the harbour. The people of Symi made their money (and evidently quite a lot of it) from sponge fishing. This continued up until the 1920’s, when the combined competition from steam ships and man-made sponges meant that it was no longer economically viable. Now, the main income is from tourism. Symi was bombed twice during the second world war, once by the Italians, and later on by the Germans. This is why most of the buildings look so pristine – they’ve been rebuilt.
We had a bit of a wander through the narrow streets and bought one or two bits and pieces (including the obligatory sponge). We had gyros pita for lunch which was very nice – and a lot cheaper than the tour guide suggested restaurant.
Then we got back on the boat for a short trip down to the south of the island to visit a monastery and Byzantine church. Since this was my first experience of a place like this, I joined the scrum and managed to fight my way inside the church. It was amazingly decorated inside – frescos on every surface, and icons everywhere. It was oddly depressing to see the level of superstition in a place like this – people kissing icons and lighting candles whilst continually crossing themselves.
The decoration was fabulous and the clock tower especially so. We were told that the clock had been bought from London, when the monastery was built in the 1800’s and was still going strong.
A great day – and nicely bookended with a two hour cruise
Today we went on a bus tour of Rhodes – the ‘grand tour’ according to the brochure. We started off at Filermos where there is a large cross on a hillside, with some amazing views. The cross, and the path to it, with stations of the cross were built by the Italians in 1935. The cross has a staircase inside it which can be climbed for an even better view. I forgot to take any pictures on my phone of this, so I’ll have to add some when we get home.
Next stop was the ancient city of Kamiros, which has bee partially excavated. Aparently, all the dwellings had running water and sewage systems – all 2400 years ago!
We then went into the mountains in the centre of the island for a wine tasting, followed by lunch. Rather unexpectedly, the heavens opened, and it absolutely poured with rain, giving us a good soaking as we got off the bus. The wine could most charitably be described as ‘rustic’, but the people at the winery were friendly and generous with their samples. lunch was a traditional Greek meal – tzatziki, and Greek salad, chicken kebabs, followed by fresh oranges.
After lunch we went over to the east side of the island, which is much less developed and ‘touristy’. The landscape is more rugged, and less cultivated. We stopped at a few places to take pictures and for the inevitable ‘retail opportunities’.
Overall impressions of the island are that it is very beautiful, but also quite poor in places. There are a lot of unfinished buildings around, and most buildings have reinforcing rods sticking out of the top of the (flat) roof, ready for the next storey to be built when funds allow.
The tour guide also appeared to be able to breathe through her ears – I have never heard anyone talk so much without appearing to draw breath! She had an opinion on everything, from Greece’s economic state to how often we should apply sunscreen.
Well, here we are, arrived safe and sound (unlike the hideous journey we had to Egypt last year).
Hotel is nice, and the room good. I can even see the sea from the balcony.
It feels a bit odd being able to type this on my iPhone, and send / receive email and so on. I think I prefer being completely removed from day to day life. It’s just too tempting to follow up on mail messages and not switch off. I shall do my best to resist though! Rep’s meeting in the morning – we’ll see if there are some interesting trips.
Places we've been and random musings
