Rodos, or Rhodes, Greece is located in the Aegean Sea, one of the largest
Dodecanese islands. The town of Rhodes was famous for the Colossus of
Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The medieval
Old Town of the City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe.
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| Rhodes is one of the larger ports for cruise ships. |
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The palace was built in the 14th century by the Knight of Rhodes,
who occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1522. After the island was captured
by the Ottoman Empire, the palace was then used as a fortress.
The original palace was destroyed by an explosion in 1856.
When the Kingdom of Italy occupied Rhodes in 1912, the Italians rebuilt the
palace as a holiday residence for Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, and later for
Benito Mussolini, whose name can still be seen on a large plaque near the entrance.
In 1947 a Treaty of Peace with Italy determined the Italians would
transfer the island to Greece. The Greeks converted the palace to a museum.
Lucky for us......great to see.....
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| I know the economy is hurting, but really we have to pay? |
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| A tower....let's climb that! |
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| Our knight in shining (well it's a little dull) armor! |
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| We climbed it - very narrow staircase and all - incredible panoramic views! |
Taking a break in the Clock Tower Cafe.
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| Back to street level and checking out all the merchants. |
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| Dining at Restaurant Ippotikon Their Facebook link below......wonderfulhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ippotikon-Restaurant/190038704380073 |
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| Gyro, flat bread, tzakziki, tomatoes, onions and fries. Many people compare the gyro to the shawarma - but you really can't ..... they both are so good in their own ways. I love the tzakziki with the gyro and I love the garlic paste and hummos with the shawarma. |
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| yia sou - good bye in Greek! |
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| The Lighthouse in Alexandria originally built around 280 BC, this one was re built in the late 1800's after an earthquake. |
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| Heading out to the Valley of the Butterflies.....go, go, go! Somehow I always manage to find the Starbucks! |
Valley of the Butterflies!
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| On the western side of the island of Rhodes lies the Valley of the Butterflies. If you find yourself in the area - it is a must see! We happen to visit during the best time, July - September when there were thousands of butterflies. They were discovered in the 1700's, however no one has any documentationof their existence and history, it's an oral history. |
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| All through the area the walk ways are of stone in designs. Sometimes hard to walk on - slippery, but incredible craftsmanship. |
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| Got our ticket - we're in! |
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| If you look at the lower edge of the rock the butterflies camouflage themselves to the rock and their surroundings. |
An easier one to see on the tree moss.
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Again, camouflage on the tree. |
Hoping you can view the video of the butterflies!
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| The walk ways are like being in a tree fort. |
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| A lizard....bonus! |
Back on the bus and heading to town for lunch.
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| An interesting factoid of Rhodes is that they are self-sustaining - they grow and make everything they need on the island. I can attest I had the best tomatoes of my life and if you know me - not a big fan! Wineries were fun too! |
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| Great ambiance and love the photos - rich history. |
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| For 12 Euros each - we dined like royalty! Best tasting tomatoes with feta cheese. NO olives - still don't like them! |
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| New favorite - tzatziki - a creamy cucumber dip - YUM! |
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| Red and White wine for the table....bread too! |
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| Chicken Kabab with potatoes and rice. We did get dessert - but we ate it and forgot to take a photo! |
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| A tour of the area and all the wineries have store fronts. All so welcoming and kind. |
If there are 3.7 liters in a gallon - then gas would cost
$6.69 a gallon.....YIKES!
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| Okay....so I thought in the UAE people are a little crazy about their chocolate....especially their Nutella.... but John found a new treat....sweet Cheetos! |
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| A little hazy....humid, but nothing like the UAE! |
 The Monestary of Tsambika - a tiny Byzantine church, perched on top of a hill 1000 feet above the beach. You will have to walk most of the way. Breath taking views! The legend says that any woman having trouble getting pregnant should go up there barefoot, pray to the Virgin and she will be blessed. I wore SHOES.....just kidding......no risk, we admired from afar! |
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| Three Words: Carpe Diem - Seize the DAY! |
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