No map can do justice to what a labyrinth it all is, or quite how much is missing; mysterious ruins lie half-buried, overrun with cats or wild flowers, while isolated Cyclopean arches suddenly rear into view, without a trace of the buildings they used to hold up. Rough Guide to Greece
Another sunny day in Rhodes. In addition to walking about, exploring the old town, today's agenda included visits to the ferry ticket office and the modern art museum. Both are outside the walled old town though in opposite directions.
To get to the Blue Star Ferries office we wound our way through the atmospheric maze of narrow cobbled streets fronted with residences and small businesses. Overhead are buttresses seemingly holding the buildings apart. Every surface is old stone.
Transit in the old town is largely by foot or scooter, with some motorcycles in the mix. Scooters are the obvious choice though the worn old streets and narrow passageways lined with cobblestones look treacherous for a two wheeler. But then I was never very confident on a motorcycle. A few streets, and only a few, address this with a narrow middle lane, one to two feet wide, made of a slate-like tile that provides a flat surface.
There are cars in the old town, though not many, and they are small ones. I have yet to see an SUV or full-sized pickup, actually any pickup. Driving in reverse is a necessary skill for those occasions when encountering a car heading in the opposite direction. There are no stop signs, no speed limits, no one-way signs.
To get to the ferry, about a half hour walk, we followed the inside city wall until we hit Akandia Gate which took us over a wide dry moat (all the moats are dry) repurposed as a game field. Then, through another break in the wall and with that we were out of the medieval city and in modern Roades, a town that looks like any normal town, wide streets, big cars, gas stations, intersections with traffic lights, etc. After a short walk on a wide boardwalk along the water we arrived at the ferry office and took care of our business.
Unlike the walk to the ferry, the walk to the modern art museum took us to a nice looking yet oddly empty part of the new town. This is the north east tip of the island. Here we encountered block after block of modern high rises, hotels and apartments, and everything was shut for the season. The museum had two floors of interesting modern art but it was almost empty of visitors. When they say Rhodes shuts down in November they mean it.
There were once 13 windmills in the city. They were built by the Knights Hospitaller. Grain was ground there for merchant ships. Five windmill stumps still stand here on the west coast.
There were once 13 windmills in the city. They were built by the Knights Hospitaller. Grain was ground there for merchant ships. Five windmill stumps still stand here on the west coast.
There were once 13 windmills in the city. They were built by the Knights Hospitaller. Grain was ground there for merchant ships. Five windmill stumps still stand here on the west coast.
The deserted beach (partly deserted because of the cold wind) aligns with the deserted apartment and hotel towers in this area of Rhodes new town.
The deserted beach (partly deserted because of the cold wind) aligns with the deserted apartment and hotel towers in this area of Rhodes new town.
The deserted beach (partly deserted because of the cold wind) aligns with the deserted apartment and hotel towers in this area of Rhodes new town.
