After enjoying our last evening in Fethiye, when Grantley had a delicious meal of yummy stew. We had a reasonable nights sleep. Our hotel is in the Old Town and close to some bars and clubs which despite it being low season, are open till around 3am! 😬
Our ferry to Rhodes was leaving at 8.30 and our tickets said to arrive 1 hour before, which I felt was a little excessive, but we did as requested, thank god! The check in was very long and convoluted and required us to pay 200 lira each in port fees. Grantley and I had very cleverly managed to spend all of our lira bar maybe 20 lira! The fees had to be paid in cash, a little suspect in my opinion, so Grantley ran to the ATM, which luckily wasn’t far away. Fees paid it was time for security, we got stuck behind a couple of ladies who had with them, 7 big suitcases, some huge bags of random stuff, several bags of bread and a mattress! 😂 it took a while!
Amazingly the ferry left more or less on time and the ride out of the bay in the early morning light was stunning.
We arrived in Greece and Rhodes Port 2 hours later.
The weather was beautiful and sunny but very windy, which made it feel a little chilly!
Our hotel was a short 10 min walk from the port, just outside the Old Town Walls.
We were early for check in, so we left our cases and went to explore.
I have never been to Rhodes before and the Medieval Old Town is absolutely stunning. It’s is a UNESCO world Heritage Site.
Rhodes is the fourth largest island in Greece and sits in a very strategic crossroads of the two sea routes of the Mediterranean, between the Aegean Sea and the coasts of the Middle East.
It has a rich and diverse history.
I adore old winding streets which take you on a journey through time. The Old Town is wonderful to walk around, taking different turnings and finding yourself somewhere off the main drag, with no people, just cobbled streets and cats!
Our plan is to explore the Old Town over the next few days and visit the various key attractions.
After wandering for a while we stopped for some much needed lunch, having missed breakfast!
We found a wonderful little place in a lovely square and had a Meze (a mix of Greek dishes) it was sooo good! 😋 One of the items was my favourite, Large Beans, these are butter beans in a delicious tomato sauce.
We have spent our days here wandering through the lanes of the old town. We visited the fabulous Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. Which was amazing. This was the administrative centre for the Order of the Knights of Saint John. With a fantastic exhibition offering valuable insights into the history of the city of Rhodes from its founding in 408 BC until its conquest by the Ottomans in 1522.
One of my favourite places was the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, which is housed in the building that served as a hospital for the medieval Knights of St John Hospitallers. It was a wonderful collection of rooms, galleries, gardens with a wealth of history and Cats!
The Knights of St John still operate today under the guise of The St John’s Ambulance in the UK and the Commonwealth. The St John Eye Hospital Group in Jerusalem and the Order of Saint John in Malta.
We are so lucky to be here in Rhodes at this time of year, it’s cooler, less busy and the beautiful spring growth makes everywhere so green and gorgeous.
This was perfectly summed up on our walk to the Acropolis of Rhodes. Grantley found a route that took us through the residential areas then up through the fields and meadows, it was absolutely stunning. 💜💚🩵
The Acropolis was a fabulous place to explore, Grantley did his Cat Whispering act and got followed the whole time by a very gorgeous and friendly big black cat! 🐈⬛ Whilst doing the typical boy/man thing and carrying a large stick!! 😂
I have just loved walking around soaking up the history and the scenery. We have done a lot of walking again! Luckily my ribs and knee seem to be on the mend so I’ve had very little trouble.
We had also booked a trip to Lindos. Lindos is a small, ancient Marine town renowned for its ancient Acropolis perched high on the cliff overlooking the town and the sea.
Although the steps were steep and narrowish with no handrail! Not my favourite! I did climb all 300 of them to be able to explore the site and take in the exceptional views. It makes it easier having Grantley on hand. Bless him.
Lindos was stunning, the beautiful white Cycladic architecture was gorgeous. We were also lucky enough to stumble on one of the great Captains Houses, this one now serving as a bar!
A funny and unusual thing occurred at the end of the trip. We had been told that the coach was departing at 2.30pm. Our guide said that they would wait 5-7 mins then if you don’t appear they will assume you love Lindos so much you are going to stay! 😀 Now, I’ve been on lots of trips and find it incredibly irritating when people are late for pick up or on returning, and you have to sit and wait for ages. To be fair I dislike bad time keeping full stop.
Grantley and I and the majority of the passengers all returned by 2.15, a few stragglers at 2.20. Then at 2.30 the guide apologised and checked if ‘Carol and her family’ were on the coach, they weren’t. Then at exactly 2.37 We left, minus Carol & her family! 😂 I’m sorry to say this made me unreasonably happy! I hope they all enjoy their new life in Lindos! 😂😂
Another fantastic day.
Grantley has been amazing company, kind, funny, knowledgeable and helpful. I’m sure it’s not easy for him walking at my pace (his normal walking pace is almost a jog!) but he never complains.
We have had the most amazing time here.
We are both very excited to be making our way to Tracey, Jaques, Mossey Joe and Leros later today!
We have a 5 hour ferry ride first, which should be fun. The sea looks quite calm. Although that’s in the safety of the Harbour 😬😀
Books Read.
None, again! Still reading Birds without Wings.
Have a great week lovely people.
🩵💚💙💜❤️🩷
Hereandthereclaire.com 