Rhodes excursion description;
Take this wonderful opportunity to enjoy a leisurely panoramic drive on the island Rhodes from the comfort of your motor coach. On leaving the pier, pass by the city walls of the old medieval Rhodes Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), New Market Building, Mandraki ( Photo stop if parking for motorcoach is available ), Aquarium and on to Mount Smith for a view over the town of Rhodes, the castle, the coast of Turkey and the nearby islands (Photo stop). En route to the Lindos area a stop at the St. Paul’s for a panoramic view of the bay and the ancient theatre (photos top). From a promontory, you will view from a distance the ancient Acropolis of Lindos which, according to Homer in The Iliad, was built by the Dorians along with the cities of Kamiros and Lalyssos. These cities exercised considerable nautical power in ancient times. The village of Lindos with its 1,000 inhabitants lies below the Acropolis. Continuing on, you will stop at Kolymbia Beach (Limanaki) by the sea. Like the Greeks, you will sip on a coffee or refreshments at a local seafront restaurant. Afterwards, you will return to Rhodes Town and the pier, passing through the Faliraki and Kalithea areas along the way.
I have one word for Rhodes…WOW! I was more than satisfied with our bus tour and our on-foot adventure. I was delighted.
Through most of our tour, we have been blessed with exceptionally nice weather. When we arrived in Hilo, we were informed it had been pouring rain all the previous day. This same weather condition preceded us in Rhodes. Perhaps everything was even more beautiful because of the rain the previous day.
Years ago, when I worked as a governess, the parents of the boy I was caring for went on a trip to northern Europe and spontaneously switched to Greece. I did not understand why until I visited Rhodes. The countryside was stunningly beautiful. I snapped more pictures than anyone will possibly be willing to see. The water was a dazzling blue. The weather, aside from being a little breezy, was perfect.
St. Paul allegedly arrived to preach the Gospel at a point we stopped at along the tour. Maybe it really was the spot but I tend to think that if there is uncertainty about the location of the giant statue of Colossus which was considered a wonder of the ancient world, there probably is not much reliability about the exact arrival location of someone over 2000 years ago.
On many excursions, we never get out of urban areas. This was not the case in Rhodes. We saw lots of countryside and it reminded me much of our own “backcountry” in San Diego. I am confident I could have videoed many stretches that we drove along and my fellow San Diegans would easily be convinced I had been in Harbinson Canyon or on the highway leading to Warner’s Springs.
The area we drove around is a popular vacation spot in the summer months. When we were on our way to a final stop where we were to have refreshments, I observed the feature of a very unusual hotel. Each hotel room had a porch with direct access to a very long swimming pool. There a certainly many homes where the owners can walk out a door and climb down the steps into a pool but this was a hotel. It was not like a hotel with rooms that open on to a patio with a pool in the center. It was not like some swanky resort where folks have their own Jacuzzi in their private back patio. The interesting thing about privacy was that each patio was separated from the next with opaque walls. In other words, the hotel guest could enjoy privacy and, at the same time, have access to the communal pool.
The final stop of our excursion was at a family-owned and operated restaurant, the location of the restaurant was ideal to view a lovely beach. The beach may have been owned by one or several of the hotels. Even though it was early for vacationers, there were more than a dozen people sunning and swimming. Yes, they were all appropriately attired. (We were told by our location guide that there are “clothing-optional” beaches in Greece.)
Our tour guide was an exceptionally articulate and friendly woman. She shared with us an interesting tradition which is followed in some of the villages in Rhodes. Before getting married, a woman must own a home. This home is hers even after the marriage. I like this tradition.
At many of the ports we have visited, the location of the center of the town or city is far enough away that a shuttle is required. This was not so in Rhodes. Our ship was a remarkably short walk from a walled “Old Town” section of Rhodes. This was more like the castle at Disneyland than the “Old Town” we have in San Diego. The tour bus got us back to the ship in time for a leisurely lunch at the Lido. We were then ready for our afternoon excursion in the walled section of Rhodes.
The only other place that I have been where there were walls like those in Rhodes was Jerusalem in1970. My friend and I were privileged to stay at a hotel inside the walls of Jerusalem then.
The Old Town of Rhodes was a combination of shops and cafes. I have mentioned before that my friend Mary is quite the shopper. She is also quite the social butterfly. There was a table outside of one of the coffee shops where Mary had already befriended each person sitting there. This was really great for me. We sat down and had fun conversing and joking. Mary let someone photograph her with a large beer pitcher shaped like a boot. At another person’s urging, she sampled a swig of Ouzo and then got to coughing so she needed a cup of coffee. After that, it was on to purchasing post cards and posing by two large parrots. Speaking of parrots, I was surprised to see a number of cats roaming around. One of the post cards I looked at would seem to indicate that the people of Greece have some special fondness for cats.
Mary and I made it back to the ship just minutes before the 4:30pm deadline. If someone were to ask me where in Europe they should go for a pleasant, relaxing vacation, I would not hesitate to recommend Rhodes.