Another trek with our backpacks saw us to the port of Fethiye in Turkey where we would catch the ferry across to Rhodes in GREECE! Upon arrival at the Rhodes port, we were faced with a rather impressive line for the immigration office. Fortunately, it was the chillest immigration experience… passport scan, brief glance at your face, stamp, done (we were half expecting a crisp high five and an “Oppa” on arrival).
As Aussies, nothing quite prepares one for a walled medieval city. The walk through the medieval old town of Rhodes to our apartment was stunning. This ancient city is encircled with ancient walls, bastions and turrets. The old stone buildings and winding alleys were teasing us, begging to be explored, so we quickly dropped our bags and headed out. But not to explore. We had a far more important priority – breakfast! We found the most ‘Melbourne’ brunch in the old town as after weeks of Turkish breakfasts we were desperate for eggs and bread (with those unnecessary garnishes such as radish and those little green leaves). Tosh enjoyed his first ‘proper’ latte in months. We think the picture below says enough about that reunion.
Sarah was beside herself with excitement when we ventured out in the afternoon to get groceries. It is the little, seemingly-mundane tasks you miss when travelling for so long. The thrill of choosing your own dinner ingredients is out of this world!
Homemade bolognese for dinner, followed by wine and a game of gin rummy and chess (Tosh won both… annoyingly)… life couldn’t get any better!
On Day 1 in Rhodes we…
- Made our own breakfast! This was a novelty after eating strangers’ cooking for 4 months. Sarah took particular pleasure in making her own tea just the way she likes it.
- Wandered the streets of the medieval city of Rhodes. A stunning jumble of pebbled streets and ancient walls intermingled with souvenir shops, restaurants, ice creameries, jewellers and restaurteurs goading you to come in and eat.
- Explored the Palace of the Grandmaster of the Knights of Rhodes (which was really just a giant clubhouse) and the Archaeological Museum. It was a relief to pay reasonable prices for these experiences. Turkey may be cheap in some ways, but visiting anything a tourist might be remotely interested in is not one of them!
- Returned to our apartment for a homemade lunch! Yes, that’s right! Three homemade meals in a row!
- Tosh crashed for not 1, not 2, but 3 consecutive naps in a row! Sarah on the other hand hung out the laundry, worked on the blog, researched plans for the following day, read a book and had a cup of tea. Clearly, productivity was possible for one of us that afternoon… the other snored.
- Emerged from our apartment after dinner (home-cooked!) to go hunting for dessert. Tosh had the most incredible, life-changing chocolate ice-cream. Seriously, it somehow reinvented and perfected the flavour of chocolate. Who knew that the third best gelato in Europe was in Rhodes? (Seriously…they have the medals to prove it).
On Day 2 in Rhodes we…
- Hired a car to explore the southern parts of Rhodes Island.
- Had our breaths taken away as we arrived at the seaside village of Lindos. Crystal clear blue water surrounded an imposing medieval fort perched on top of a hill. The town at the base of the rocky slopes was composed of white-walled alleyways bustling with tourists, restaurants and shops. (We get it… you’re an idyllic Mediterranean island town paradise…leave something for the rest of us.)
- Climbed the many stairs to the top of the Lindos Acropolis. This ancient structure had seen many eras and undergone many transformations, with the era of The Knights of St. John seeing the addition of fortress walls.
- Created the nicknames ‘Swigs’ and “Chuggsy’ for ourselves based on our drinking behaviour. We will let you guess which one was which. These continued to be used for the rest of the day. We even began scheming as to how our new band ‘Chuggsy & Swigs’ would work. We can assure you the album artwork would be epic.
- Stopped at a cafe overlooking the beach and coastline to enjoy a flat white and fresh orange juice.
- Swam in the beautiful water at Tsambika Beach. Tosh was a big baby about the temperature at the start, but he eventually got over himself and enjoyed the swim.
- Dropped in to the fishing village of Stegna. We had the best Gyros of our lives here. Tosh had a transcendent experience reserved typically for life changing moments, such as meeting God on a brisk morning stroll. It is interesting how many of Tosh’s life-changing moments are about food.
- Shared some constructive criticism regarding the European attitude to public beaches. The concept of littering a beach with sunbeds and charging 10 Euro a bed was completely foreign to us Aussies. We are sure it would incite riots and revolution akin to 1700s France if it were to even be suggested back home.
- Walked through the Seven Springs area – a nature reserve where you can walk along a creek and the natural springs it is connected to. Unfortunately, the creek was very low with hardly any water, but the walk was nice enough.
- Scoffed down more of the delicious chocolate ice cream we had found the previous evening on the way back to our apartment. (Be aware…this happened a lot in Rhodes.)
- Made the rather important executive decision that we would, in fact, return to Lindos for two nights after our time in Rhodes Town.
On Day 3 in Rhodes we…
- Enjoyed a well-deserved sleep in and Sarah’s famous french toast for breakfast. Tosh then heroically ventured out into the town to retrieve coffees.
- Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon updating Instagram and finally getting around to updating our blog (it had been months).
- Individually explored the Old Town again. Sarah bought some new bathers and collected the ferry tickets to Crete, while Tosh marvelled at the many medieval alleyways. We ended up meeting at the clocktower to enjoy the panoramic views of the city and an ice-cold beer and ice tea.
- Played a game of Jenga and Chess. Tosh won both (again), much to Sarah’s disdain.
- Ate out! After many days of home cooking we decided to brave the restaurant scene once again. Taramasalata dip and pita bread (our favourite!) went down a treat with lamb shank and a glass of wine.
On Day 4 in Rhodes we…
- Finally resolved our issues with Commbank! A long ridiculous saga that isn’t worth the kb of data to explain, nor worth your time. To celebrate the win against the bank we had a hankering for nachos, so we went out to the supermarket to collect supplies. Sarah freaked-out at the register when Tosh abandoned her to find something that had been forgotten. He gave her his phone to use for payment and she completely forgot how to pay by card using one’s phone. Turns out you forget how to do the simple things when you’ve been away for four months.
- Strolled along the waterfront and visited the site where, allegedly, The Colossus once stood. If it did once stand at this sight, it must have been truly… big.
- Drank beer and milkshakes at a charming cafe in the more modern area of Rhodes Town. It was an hour well spent.
- Chose to have ice cream (once more) as an entree to dinner. It was a wise choice.
On Day 5 in Rhodes we…
- Checked out of our wonderful studio apartment and picked up another hire car (this time for 3 days).
- Dropped in on ‘Butterfly Valley’. There weren’t many butterflies, but the walk alongside a creek and its waterfalls was stunning… like something out of a fairytale.
- Drove along the stunning west coast of Rhodes. Tosh spotted the ruins of a castle he just had to explore. It was from the top of these ruins that the true beauty of the Mediterranean sea became apparent to us. Never had we seen blue like it!
- Stopped for lunch (pita bread and taramasalata) at a viewpoint overlooking Monolithos Castle. The castle had seen better days, but the location would have allowed it to maintain a high price point in the property market. Not one minute after sitting down to enjoy the view all to ourselves, we were swamped by a bus of tourists. In a flurry of cameras and loud voices they came, got the shot they wanted, and left. We were left in a daze wondering… why not just sit and enjoy the incredible view?
- Hiked up to Monolithos Castle and took in yet another incredible view of the coastline and sea. I tell you, it would have been hard serving as a knight in “The Order of The Holy Sunbathers and Drinks With Little Umbrellas.”
- Wound our way down the knife-edge of a cliff so we could frolic in the pristine clear waves at Fourni beach. It was tough alternating between sunbathing on the pebbly shore and swimming in the water, but we somehow managed.
- Squeezed out the very last moments of the day after arriving at our new accommodation at Lindos by swimming in the pool, buying groceries, cooking dinner, and chilling out until bedtime.
On Day 6 in Rhodes we…
- Wandered down to Lindos beach. The water was beautiful. It was surreal swimming in a sparkling, blue bay next to a rocky mountain, atop of which lay the ancient ruins of Lindos Acropolis.
- Strolled the white-walled streets of the town to find Gyros for lunch. Enjoyed a post-lunch drink at a local taverna tucked away from the crowds.
- Ate out at a charming taverna. Sarah’s moussaka was out of this world. Tosh accidentally-on-purpose ordered a half bottle of wine… all for himself.
- Sought out (at Tosh’s insistence) the ancient theatre of Lindos. He just can’t be aware of a ruin and NOT go to see it. His eyes must gaze upon it, lest it be a lie!
On Day 7 in Rhodes we…
- Had an early morning swim at the beautiful Lindos Beach. We could bang on forever about how clear the water is, how stunning the cliff top ruins and white buildings are next to the bay… but we think you probably have the idea by now.
- Popped into the town of Stegna to enjoy a fancy seafood lunch by the water. It was an idyllic setting with the waves gently lapping the shore below the deck. We went the whole nine yards and ordered the Fisherman’s Basket. We were not disappointed when several types of (whole) fish were presented to us with calamari, chips and salad. Blissful!
- Indulged in a pebble beach swim. The pebbles were super ouchy on our feet, but the lack of sand made up for it. Say what you like about pebble beaches, you can’t deny that one walks away with far less sand in all their… crevices.
- Enjoyed more life-changing gelato for dinner after checking-in to our hotel back in Rhodes town; Chocolate and Orange & Yogurt for Sarah, Chocolate and Pistachio for Tosh. We both couldn’t pass up the chocolate, which is the best chocolate gelato we have ever had…. CHOCOLATE!
- Realised that the UEFA Champions League final was being broadcast, and so found a bar where we could watch the game (and order cocktails). The game had a rather boring first half, so we decided to check out another bar that had live music before heading back for our final night’s sleep in Rhodes.
One Response
What’s with Tosh winning all the games on this trip!? Disappointing, Sarah.
This portion of the trip sounds truly spectacular. You had me at CHOCOLATE!