Travel journal: east Med Princess cruise 2010 (Day 9)

Ruined church, probably St. Catherine's

St. Catherine's Gate

Mosque, 19th century, city center

Bell tower, from the Mosque

Port and the Star Princess, from the clock tower

St. Anthony's Gate, from the clock tower

Mosque, from the clock tower

Marine Gate, Rhodes Town's signature entrance

St. Nikolas fort, from St. Paul's Gate

Day 9, 11/18/2010: Rhodes

Rhodes town is filled with architectural gems, and like so many other Greek ports of call, rich layers of history dating back centuries BC. Throughout the years, Rhodes was conquered by many different peoples, and so architectural periods include the Hellenic, the Byzantine, Medieval, and Ottoman. It is perhaps most well-known for its ancient Colossus, a bronze statue and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that unfortunately no longer stands.

Not only is this small Greek town an easy walk from its cruise ship terminal, but its attractions are laid out almost laterally as you look down its main street fronting the harbor. Almost everywhere, plaques were placed on the various ruins and several explicatory guide maps were placed throughout the town, adding a touch of interesting history to the visual wonders we experienced.

We entered through St. Catherine’s Gate, which was not the most prominent entrance to the Old Town but the one closest to the ship. The first thing that greeted us as we walked through was the site of the ruined St. Catherine’s Church, circa 15^th century AD, buttresses around the altar area still standing. The second thing that greeted us was the beginning of a long row of shops. Thus it continues throughout Rhodes: ruins after ruins, shop after shop, and in the latter, probably a more varied display of goods than any other port save the much larger Venice.

One of the first important structures we came to was St. Anthony’s Gate, the splendid entrance to the medieval city and home to the Palace of the Grand Masters. We viewed one of the courtyards and walked around it but did not actually go in. Rhodes is very conducive to simply strolling around and observing the wonders without having to pay a lot of entrance fees; both my thin wallet and I were very thankful.

When we passed the clock tower, however, we couldn’t resist going up. 5€ buys admission to the top, which provides the best views of town, and one drink – even an alcoholic one – on the designated terrace about halfway up. Mom and I had red wine, which was probably a Shiraz.

It was here we met some charming fellow passengers, whom we were surprised to discover were rooming in the cabin across the hall from us. We talked about our travels thus far, on this trip and otherwise, for a while as we sat on the terrace nursing our drinks.

While near the clock tower, we stepped into the nearby mosque and Muslim library, both with free admission and splendid in their own rights.

We walked around a little more, exploring the shops and rich architecture all around us. To sate our building hunger, we stopped to split a Greek souvlaki, which was only 2.30€. Rhodes is an inexpensive port in almost all respects.

Our walking tour took us all the way to St. Paul’s Gate on the other end of the town. This place was truly fabulous. By climbing up a narrow staircase on the far end, I got a fabulous view of St. Nikolas Fort and part of the adjacent New Town.

We had considered taking a taxi (which were available in abundance just outside the terminal) to the village of Lindos to the south side of the island, to see its famous Acropolis. However, we decided against it, thinking it could be pricey and since we’d already seen so many wonderful things in Rhodes Town.

We walked out of St. Paul’s Gate and along the main harbor road back to the Star Princess. Once back on board, we looked out at Rhodes one more time, naming the attractions we’d seen earlier that day, all laid out laterally and mostly visible behind its old walls.

In form of onboard activities, we first attended afternoon tea, a lovely session hosted in the Amalfi Dining Room and a great opportunity to meet fellow passengers, as everyone is assigned to tables of about 8-10. We talked a lot about the cruise, including the upcoming ports of call. Surprisingly I showed my knowledge when it came to the subject of Naples and what there was to do in and around it. Since the tea is served with small sandwiches, scones, and desserts, we weren’t hungry again until much later. In the meantime mom and I burned some calories playing a session of ping-pong before dining. Later in the evening, we saw the Las Vegas-renowned illusionist Gary Carson’s show. Seems I was the only one slightly underwhelmed. After that, I attended Movies Under the Stars again. I’m sorry to say that Prince of Persia for me completed an evening of mediocre entertainment.

I know tomorrow will make up for it. I have pre-booked an excursion to hike one of Santorini’s volcanoes.