April 4 - The Fast Ferry...a Catamaran Ride!
The day began by catching our early 8
a.m. fast ferry ride to the island of Rhodos.
There were many children and families aboard and we met a cute American family stationed in Ankara. I gave the girl, named Adele, age 10, a quick vocal lesson aboard the ferry. Because her name is Adele, it's obvious what songs she likes to listen to and who she wants to sound like. They let me borrow a travel book while we sped across in the water.
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| Leaving the Marmaris Port |
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| Boats along the Turkey shore |
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| Bye-Bye Turkey!!~ We really enjoyed YOU! |
There were many children and families aboard and we met a cute American family stationed in Ankara. I gave the girl, named Adele, age 10, a quick vocal lesson aboard the ferry. Because her name is Adele, it's obvious what songs she likes to listen to and who she wants to sound like. They let me borrow a travel book while we sped across in the water.
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| "Adelle, you really shouldn't try to sing like Adele - be yourself!" |
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| What a sweet Grandpa and Dad! |
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| Here is Mom and little brother |
I do well reading and traveling (usually), but as everyone
around me was using their little white bags and coughing and missing
the bag, I, too, did not feel so well. Needless to say, it was not a
pleasant journey as I did get really sick.
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| We're taking off and feeling great! |
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| Passengers not feeling well, including me! |
Our host family was there to meet us.
We were pleasantly surprised as our arrival was about 2 hours later
than they expected. Larisa and Victor have two children, Aries, age
9 and Nafeli, age 13. They are very musical, studying piano, guitar,
and flute, saxophone, and drums. They took us to their home and fed
us a delightful meal.
Victor is quite resourceful in his art - the following are only a couple from his most decorative home.
Rhodes
used to be the sungod Helios'
island. According to mythology, he had fallen in love with the nymph
Rhodes, and when he shone his light on her, she transformed into the
island. The name means "rose" and the island is known since
antiquity as a flowery place.
The ancient Greeks used to call Rhodes "the Island of Sun" because of its patron god, and other names that the island has had are Ofioussa ("Snake island"), Asteria ("Star island"), Makaria ("Beauty") and Ataviros (its highest mountain).
The first inhabitants were probably the Minonans, Cretans, followed by Dorians at the end of the 2nd Millennium BC. Initially, the island was forced to fight the Greeks along the Persian side during the Persian Wars in the 5th century BC, but managed to break free and became a member of the Athenian League. The island kept flourishing and had an important school for scientists and philosophers. The astronomer Hipparchus worked here in the 2nd century BC.
It was probably during the Classic period that the Colossus of Rhodes was built. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and we only know of its existence through ancient literature and coins. It was a statue of the sun-god, Helios,about 35 meters high, standing with one foot on each side of the harbour of Lindos. After an earthquake it fell apart, but when the people on Rhodes wanted to rebuild it, an oracle told them not to. So it lay in the harbor for hundreds of years until the Turks took it.
Larissa and Victor dropped us off in Old Rhodes Town where we went to the Archaelogical Museum, and wandered all over the old city site of amazing history.
To enter any of these gates is to enter another world. Now it happens to be a world of tourist shops, restaurants, cafes and museums, more like a Turkish bazaar than any Greek city, but anyone with imagination can't help but be touched by the history of the place where a handful of Knights were the last Christian holdouts in a part of the world that had become completely dominated by Muslims, in particular the Ottoman Turks. When the city finally did fall after a seige that exhausted both defenders and beseigers the remaining Knights were offered safe passage and on January 1st of 1523 left Rhodes along with 5000 of the Christian inhabitants of the island who chose to leave rather than live under the Sultan. In the defense of the city 2000 Christians had died. The Turks had lost 50,000 trying to take it. This is not, however just an old town filled with ghosts of the past. The old city of Rhodes is a living, vibrant community with many homes and business, not all of them connected to tourism.
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| Looked so good, but not after a FAST Ferry ride! |
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| Very musical family - we had a lot of fun making music together! |
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| Hanging Lights over their dining table. The top is from drift wood - very beautiful! |
The ancient Greeks used to call Rhodes "the Island of Sun" because of its patron god, and other names that the island has had are Ofioussa ("Snake island"), Asteria ("Star island"), Makaria ("Beauty") and Ataviros (its highest mountain).
The first inhabitants were probably the Minonans, Cretans, followed by Dorians at the end of the 2nd Millennium BC. Initially, the island was forced to fight the Greeks along the Persian side during the Persian Wars in the 5th century BC, but managed to break free and became a member of the Athenian League. The island kept flourishing and had an important school for scientists and philosophers. The astronomer Hipparchus worked here in the 2nd century BC.
It was probably during the Classic period that the Colossus of Rhodes was built. It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and we only know of its existence through ancient literature and coins. It was a statue of the sun-god, Helios,about 35 meters high, standing with one foot on each side of the harbour of Lindos. After an earthquake it fell apart, but when the people on Rhodes wanted to rebuild it, an oracle told them not to. So it lay in the harbor for hundreds of years until the Turks took it.
Larissa and Victor dropped us off in Old Rhodes Town where we went to the Archaelogical Museum, and wandered all over the old city site of amazing history.
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| The balls were used for cannon ball ammunition |
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| Dallin will love this Lion - almost like Aslan! |
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| Amazing and Intricate - Tile-work in the floors |
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| Pottery found in the grave sites |
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| Shield of St. John |
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| Relics found in a child's grave tomb |
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| Things found in a young woman's tomb |
To enter any of these gates is to enter another world. Now it happens to be a world of tourist shops, restaurants, cafes and museums, more like a Turkish bazaar than any Greek city, but anyone with imagination can't help but be touched by the history of the place where a handful of Knights were the last Christian holdouts in a part of the world that had become completely dominated by Muslims, in particular the Ottoman Turks. When the city finally did fall after a seige that exhausted both defenders and beseigers the remaining Knights were offered safe passage and on January 1st of 1523 left Rhodes along with 5000 of the Christian inhabitants of the island who chose to leave rather than live under the Sultan. In the defense of the city 2000 Christians had died. The Turks had lost 50,000 trying to take it. This is not, however just an old town filled with ghosts of the past. The old city of Rhodes is a living, vibrant community with many homes and business, not all of them connected to tourism.
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| The moat between the wall and the castle walls |
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| The Princess going into the Castle |
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| The Street of the Knights...very famous! |
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| Romeo..Romeo... |
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How many from the past have looked out this window like I am?  |
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| Palace of the Grand Masters |
We came back after dark and
unfortunately got off too early on the bus to their house. After
walking awhile, we decided to call them and they came and got us. We
had a pleasant meal with them of pasta in a fantastic cream sauce and a lovely Greek Salad.
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