We were up early and after stowing our extra luggage with the hotel, made our way to their mezzanine floor in the hope of carrying away some bread and fruit for breakfast. Luckily however, most of the breakfast items were already laid out, so we got to have a sit down meal that we never expected. The day got better with an honest cab driver who dropped us to the airport on time.
The Olympic Airlines flight was uneventful aside from the fact that it was a tiny, propellered plane, and we arrived at 10 am into Rhodes. We took a cab to Rhodes town to our hotel, the Rodos Park Suites.
Since we were there pretty early, our room was not ready, so we dumped our luggage with them, leaving with just the day pack. The hotel is comfortably situated for visits to both old and new town.
Within about 5 minutes of walking, we spied the outer walls of the old town.
The entrance into the old town is a classic drawbridge and moat structure.
Our first order of business was to visit the Grand Master's Palace. In keeping with the tone of the day, entry was free ! We stepped into this gorgeous courtyard which now hosts performances.
We walked up the Grand Staircase to start seeing the rooms inside the palace.
The rooms of the palace are very well preserved, with the original architecture. Each room is well designed and has a focal point. In some cases its the furniture, in others, sculpture such as the "Laoccoon". This is a copy, the original was seen by us in the Vatican Museum.
Many of the rooms have beautifully preserved mosaics such as the "Medusa Mosaic" below, or the "9 Muses" right at the bottom.
After about an hour, we reemerged into the courtyard.
We walked alongside the row of cannon lining the outer wall.
The start of the Streets of the Knights is just a few steps from the Grand Master's Palace. It us beautifully preserved and even now, one can imagine the processions that took place here.
There are many such capstones marking some of the different houses and palaces on the street. Some have been converted into museums, some even house embassies.
At the very end of the street is the Archaeological Museum which was closed that day.
We walked on through the town ending up at the harbour outside the other gate.
One of the main squares of the old town, which was bordered by the more touristy cafes and restaurants.
We decided to have lunch in this taverna just off the main drag. It was our first truly Greek meal.
After lunch, we walked up the main street of the old town which was lined with souvenir shops.
Just a couple of lanes away were quiet cobblestone streets leading into interesting squares and quarters.
We made our way back to the entrance of the old town.
We walked back to the hotel and spent the afternoon catching up on some well deserved sleep and rest. By the time we got up, we were fresh and ready for dinner. We had earlier planned to return to the old city, but on the way there, we found this restaurant, which had been recommended by our hotel called Wonder Restaurant. It is managed by a Swedish couple, and is known for its modern interpretation of traditional Greek food. They managed to accommodate us in a packed garden restaurant, even though we had no reservations. We had an absolutely delicious meal, which made my birthday feel even more special.
After dinner, we made our way to the old town again to walk around the streets. Somehow, it seemed even more atmospheric, even though the streetlights were not enough for good pictures.
We made our way back to the hotel and turned in. We would be up early the next morning to check out after breakfast.
