“Moderation is the best thing” – Cleobulus of Lindos
The disadvantage of travelling from Australia to Greece is the long trip, almost 20 hours. We usually have a stop-over in Singapore, but this trip we did not have that luxury as time was limited. The flight from Melbourne to Singapore, is over seven hours long and then from Singapore to Athens is over 11 hours long. Add to that a few hours waiting in the airport and by the time one gets to Athens, the tempers are a little frayed and the bodies are a little fatigued.
The moment we got to Athens we had to leave for Rhodes. One trip right on top of the other can be very tiring, no matter how short and when the accumulated travelling time starts to build up above the 24-hour period, one can get serious problems with jet lag. Fortunately we had slept on the plane from Singapore to Athens and this helped a little. The best thing about travelling from the Southern to the Northern hemisphere in May/June is that one is leaving winter behind and travelling towards summer. And the weather was lovely on arrival in Greece: Warm, sunny with a light breeze blowing.
Rhodes is a Greek island in the Dodecannese (= “twelve islands”) group in the Southeastern Aegean Sea. It is at the crossroad of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa and hence on the marine routes which connected the West with the Orient, since the early antiquity. Being such a melting pot, the island attracted various populations and was influenced by several cultures during its long history. Every people who arrived at Rhodes, either peacefully or after winning a war, in mass or in small groups, left their traces on the beautiful island. The result of this diversity has always added to this interesting blend that has proved very persistent and still exists today. Rhodes had always been – and still is – a place rich both in natural and in human resources.
“Praise the sea maid, daughter of Aphrodite, bride of Helios, this isle of Rhodes.” (Pindar, Odes Olympian 7 ep1). According to Pindar, Helios the sun god lay with Rhoda (a nymph of the island of Rhodes and daughter of Poseidon and Amphitrite) on her island and soon after she gave birth to seven sons. The older three sons, Ialysos, Kamiros and Lindos divided the island of Rhodes into three major parts and named the greatest cities of each part after themselves. This account by Pindar reflects the contemporary archaeological evidence of the three major ancient cities of Rhodes: Lindos, Ialysos, and Kamiros; all three cities are mentioned in the Iliad by Homer.
The island of Rhodes was inhabited since Neolithic times, and was an important Bronze Age centre. Later, Rhodes, along with Kos, Knidos, and Halicarnassus was a major Dorian hub in the eastern Mediterranean, and it remained in the forefront of commercial and military activity throughout Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman times. The city of Rhodes was created in 408 BC by the inhabitants of the three older cities (Ialysos, Lindos, and Kamiros) to be the new capital of the island. During the Hellenistic Era, Rhodes became a major naval power with influence over the southeastern Aegean as its ports connected Italy and Greece with Asia Minor, the Middle East, and Egypt.
Ancient Rhodes changed allegiance frequently throughout history. She took part in the naval battle of Salamis with the Persian fleet, but later joined the Delian League under Athenian hegemony. During the Peloponnesian War Rhodes sided with Sparta, and later helped Tyre when it was besieged by Alexander the Great. After a brief subjection to Macedonian rule, Rhodes became an ally of Rome, helping her defeat the Macedonian king Philip V at Cynoscephalae in 197 BC.
As soon as we came into Rhodes we took a taxi and settled into our Hotel. We are staying in a nice central area, close to just about everywhere and the hotel is the Plaza Best Western on Ierou Lohou St. We had booked it through the internet and checking in was simple. We left our luggage in the room and after freshening up we spent the first day walking around the city, familiarizing ourselves with the layout, major architectural landmarks and the main streets. Although it is a small city, Rhodes is traversed by streets that seem to criss-cross haphazardly and it is easy to get lost. However, one will soon find oneself at one of the major landmarks, so it is easy to reorient oneself.
Dominating the city is the old town with its well-preserved medieval fortress. Numerous sheltered natural harbours dot the northeastern coast around the city of Rhodes, which is situated on the northernmost part of the island. Along the esplanade some magnificent public buildings (mainly built during the Italian occupation) provide a very grandiose backdrop for the constant traffic of cars and pedestrians. Boats, ferries, cruise ships, catamarans and hydrofoils are anchored along the coast and there is a constant stream of people coming and going on pleasure trips.
We went by the official tourist office just outside the old castle walls and met Ms Constantina, a very nice local who gave us much information, tourist brochures and many recommendations about what to see and what to do on the island. We spent the afternoon walking through the old town and taking in the atmosphere. The winding streets were full of tourists from almost all European countries, some Americans and the odd Australian. There were many shops, selling mostly tourist wares, a plethora of restaurants and bars, hotels and pensions. The Magister’s castle is the crowning glory of the cluster of buildings and it is here that are housed several museums. The old town alone is definitely worth the trip to Rhodes! By this stage we were extremely tired and decided to go to the hotel and have a rest.
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