ENCHANTING RHODES

The Island Rhodes (not to be confused with Rhode Island) is my personal favorite of the Greek Isles. As you move inland from the world famous Mandraki harbor, the landscape varies from endless blue seas to sandy beaches with dazzling crystal clear water to jagged rocky cliffs and finally to lush forested hills. Throughout centuries of Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine, Turkish, and Italian occupation, the people here have impressively maintained their own unique identity. Boasting architectural wonders from all these eras, the island is permeated with an unmistakable flavor of ancient and medieval history. The Palace of the Grand Master, built by the Knights of St. John, is a glorious remnant of the crusades. The piles of ancient cannon and mortar balls lying about in the Old Town really brought history to life in my mind. The Acropolis of Lindos and Temple of Apollo are lasting remnants of ancient Greece. For my money, the view from Filerimos Hill is a must on every trip to Rhodes. If you walk down the Italian built Stations of the Cross you will be met at the end by a small sanctuary, above which towers a huge cross. You can enter a door at the base, climb a tight cylindrical stairway and step out into the hollow cross beam to enjoy the magnificent view stretching as far as Turkey.

Tourism is such a prevalent industry here that most inhabitants of the island only work during the tourist season (roughly May-October) and take the rest of the year off (mainly because they often work 12-16 hour days and 6-7 day weeks during the busy season). As my companion Abel and I baked under the sun and sipped iced coffee at a rooftop café, we enjoyed some free entertainment involving the shopkeeper’s birds. A large parrot pecked and harassed a smaller caged bird to no end, which infuriated the owner, who punished the delinquent parrot by pouring glasses of cold water on his head (which made him very uncomfortable). Watching the crowds shop and meander, we discussed how Europeans seem to be in far better shape than Americans overall because they are generally more active. We also compared items we had purchased as mementos of the island; I had bought several small but stunning oil paintings recently completed by a local artist. Above the hustle and bustle on the streets below, we could see the sun starting to set over the Suleiman Mosque, and I decided that although tourism crowds the streets and congests the beaches, everyone should have the opportunity to see this place.