Minarets & Moats

---

Geo: 36.4428, 28.23

Slept really well but struggle wake up today. Bed is very comfortable. It's about 6.45am and we intended to get up at 7am to ensure we are ready for breakfast in San Marco which is only 7-8.30am. Peter is despatched for the coffees whilst I head out onto the balcony. We are already docked in Rhodes and the starboard side of the ship, where we are, has a magnificent view of the Medieval part of Rhodes town. I can see castle towers, minarets, domes and clock towers. The sun has yet to fully rise but the sky is brightening the whole time.

After we shower we head to San Marco for breakfast. We return and put on sun lotion. Forecast is for a balmy 31 degrees today so we want to get off and start exploring before it really heats up. As we emerge from the underbelly of Connie we are hit by the heat. It's going to be a toasty day alright. We make our way out of the port on foot and enter the walled city by the Virgin Mary gate. One of 12 gates around the city.

We immediately find a cafe for our wifi fix before heading further into the city. We walk through the Square of Jewish Martyrs and up Sokratous Street which is lined with shops that have yet to open we are so early. We are taking pictures the whole time as the place is so pretty. We emerge near the Palace of the Grandmasters where the Knights Hospitallers, the strongest military order in the whole of Christendom, held their seat of power in the Eastern Mediterranean during the 15th century.

We have to escape the rising heat once again and order soft drinks in a small cafe. My medium cola is delivered in a glass boot which is huge. I struggle to finish and would hate to see a large. We head deeper into the city and along Ippaodamou Street. They are lots of little craft and souvenir shops all along the way. We emerge from the city at the St Athanasios Gate. From here we can see the massive walls of the city and the former moat that is now dry. We skirt around through some pine woodland and re-enter the city via the St Johns Gate.

We make our way back to the gate we entered though and walk along side the port and look at all the pretty little fishing boats. Some Nigerian ladies pounce on us as we walk beneath the castle walls. Luckily I had spotted them earlier and saw their trick offering their hand to shake. In a flash they would fasten a woven bracelet around your wrist and refuse to take it back unless you paid for it. Naturally I warned Peter about their sleight of hand.

Peter directed us through another gate that we thought would take us back into the city but we ended up in the moat with some other hapless tourists. We just kept walking praying that we would not have to make a full circumnavigation of the fortification but just as we feared we would we spied a couple of tourists disappear through a small tunnel. They didn't re-appear and so we followed and managed to make our way back to civilisation.

We lunch at a small Taverna off a side street which is lovely and shaded. The tavernas in the main squares are heaving with diners trying to cool off and eat. The one bonus of the weather today is the cooling breeze that swirls about the city. I'm not sure we would have lasted as long as we did without it.

After lunch we return to the ship. Ships staff greet us on the pier with ice cold towels and drinks. The ship is blissfully cool as we head back to our cabin. We change and head back to deck 4 to sit outside and read. We have snack in the Oceanview around 3pm and then I take a dip in the Thalassotherapy pool.

It's the 2nd formal night tonight and I have my own Tux this time. We dress, this time Peter wears a red waistcoat, now and pocket square. I stick to traditional black tie. It's takes ages to get served at the Martini bar as there is a film crew there wanting to catch the barmen do their specially multi drink pour into 6 martini glasses all at once. We chat to a nice couple from Congleton that we got talking to the previous evening whilst we wait to be served. They remind us of Madge and Mel from Benidorm.

Pre dinner drinks are in Cellar Masters where they provide us with a little tapas plate of cheese & olives. Dinner in San Marco is the best we've had this trip. We have a good table as well looking down over the diners on deck 4. I start with Sea Scallops which are really nice, followed by Prosciutto Salad and Duck L'orange for main. the duck is amazing. Peter has Salmon Rillette, Prosciutto and Beef Wellington. He gives them all the thumbs up. Apple Pie Al la mode finishes off his meal. Ice cream mine.

We head up to the Sunset Bar after dinner. It's very quiet. We sit enjoying a drink as we sail further away from Rhodes. We can see the light of mainland Turkey in the distance as boats both large and small pass by on there way to who knows where. We end up in the casino where we try our luck again. We don't win our fortune but it was fun trying.

---