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Published: September 22nd 2013
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The island of Rhodes is very different from the ones we passed and the one we visited, Santorini. Water is abundant here and new town of Rhodes is tree lined and shady while the Old City is not particularly. After a minor snafu, we hook up with our guide Anna who was born here and still lives here. There are nine of us, a very manageable group and we head by bus to the Acropolis. These areas of worship were built on the top of the highest hill near the town as in Athens and here the temple has been left in a state of ruin. Current archeology is concentrating on the pre-historic era and discovering sites where pottery, artifacts and remnants of daily living can be found.
We stop for a photo op. Our ship can be seen in the background. At first we have the site to ourselves but soon the busses arrive and we move on. We pass the athletic field where games would be held at festival times to honor the Gods and proceed to the higher end of the Old Town. We say goodby to our driver and follow Anna through one of
the eleven gates into the old city. Our goal is the Palace of the Grand Masters.
A bit of background here. During the early crusades, a group of monks founded a hospital to care for the ill and wounded who passed through Rhodes on the way to or back from Jerusalem. This grew into a fortified town and knights settled here to protect this access to the Holy Land. The Pope created the Order of St. John and the members were called Masters. They alone could elect the Grand Master. Thus the Palace of the Grand Masters is not a palace in our sense of the word but rather a fortress that protected the town.
When the Ottomans occupied the city, the knights fled and wandered around the Med for years until the Pope declared the island of Malta their home. Malta is a vastly different environment than Rhodes with no fresh water except for rain but the Knights remained there and are known as the Knights of Malta.
After the Ottoman Empire fell apart after WWI, the island was occupied by the Italians for thirty years until the end of
THE PALACE
Second story added by Mussilini. WWII. Now the island is part of the Nation of Greece.
We head over the three moats that protect the Palace. During the Italian occupation and second level was added to accommodate King Victor Emanuel and Mussolini. Mussolini, being preoccupied with other things like WWII never visited Rhodes but the King made frequent visits for R&R from whatever he was doing. During the Italian occupation, many public buildings were erected in the Fascist Style, like the Soviet style an ugly demonstration of the power of the state. I mean these are really ugly buildings.
Anyway, back to the Palace. The rooms we are permitted to tour are the rooms of the recent addition and the most striking aspect is the collection of marble mosaic carpets. These were collected from all over and reinstalled here. So perfectly are they set that you could believe the workmen were here.
Outside the Palace we walk down the Knights street to the hospital. Residences lined both sides of the street, each building reserved for a "tongue", knights who spoke a certain language. There if the French residence and the Roman residence, etc. All are perfectly
preserved and in use today. A bridge connected the Palace to the Hospital. At the bottom of the street we say goodby to Anna and wend our way back to the ship. If I were a shopper, I would still be there but since I'm not we stop to sample the local beer, Mythos, and watch the crowds go by. It's time to go back to the ship and sail away for Piraeus. We say goodby to Roland and Rolando, head for dinner and finish the wine. We both enjoyed baked Brie and orrechetta with sausage and kale. Joe opted for the pumpkin soup and I enjoyed a lovely seafood chowder. Tomorrow we head for home.
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