PAPHOS TO RHODES
We docked at Rhodes at noon. I am not a big fan of small boats or ruffled water and so always prefer it when we dock rather than anchor. If we anchor, then we have to be tendered in to shore. You usually go in the ship’s lifeboats which are well equipped, but small. In Paphos, I watched the tenders (what the lifeboats are called when they are used for this purpose) rock from side to side crossing over and back from the ship to the shore. I wimped out and decided to walk the promenade deck instead. The Chief Penguin, being much less fazed by motion, ventured out solo and enjoyed his tour of some of the old sections of that island.
Rhodes is encircled by fortification walls, some going back to the Byzantine era. In the main district, the streets are narrow and lined with a mix of restaurants, cafes, and small shops. Lots of leather goods, ceramics, and jewelry plus the usual T-shirts and hats proclaiming Greece and Rhodes. Given the many different peoples and cultures who have resided here, churches, synagogues, and mosques with crosses, steeples, domes and minarets punctuate the skyline. After the walls and all the lovely stone arches, perhaps the most stunning building is Palace of the Grand Masters. It looks like you expect a castle of old to look!
We spent about two hours on our own just roaming around and checked out the ruins of a Catholic Church, peeked in the Suleyman Mosque where several men were at prayer, walked on the pointy stones through several residential streets, and then trudged up hill to the Palace. Some of the shops were clearly for the tourists, but overall this felt like a real place, and I loved all the walls and the architecture.
SANTORINI
Overnight we sailed to Santorini and anchored here about 8:00 in the morning. Santorini is built on lava rock and limestone and sits in a caldera, a crater that is the result of volcanic activity. We signed up for one of the ship’s excursions which was called Panoramic Santorini. We took the tender the short distance to Athinios, a somewhat depressing port. The local authorities require the cruise ships to use their tenders so we were on a slightly bigger double decker boat.
We then boarded a bus for the winding hairpin turn after hairpin turn up the mountain to Mount Elijah the highest point. If you arrive at the old port at Fira, the capital, you have a choice of walking 600 steps up the cliff, riding a mule up the same steps or riding the cable car, the latter being most people’s preferred option! Cars and buses have no access to the Fira port, hence our arrival at the other one.
We were initially disappointed since it was foggy and misty on the climb to Mt. Elijah and no reason to get out of the bus. The next stop was at the Santo Winery. Here we had some nice snacks of olives, tomatoes, and cubes of cheese plus a bit of the local white. The spacious terrace had plenty of tables and seats. For those so inclined, there was a well stocked gift shop with wine, of course, but also olive oil, soaps made from olive oil, mugs, candies, and other tourist trinkets. I didn’t buy anything.
From here, we proceed to Kamari, a beach town. It’s noted for its black sand which, to my mind, is really gray pebbles and not smooth sand at all. With only about three streets of shops and restaurants and the promenade along the beach, there was nothing much to see and, in no way, did it merit an hour of our time! After this, we had the option of returning to the ship via tenders or getting off the bus in Fira and seeing something of the town on our own and then returning by cable car and tender.
We opted to see something of Fira and were really glad we did! Here were the much lauded and much photographed all white buildings with blue trim or blue shutters or blue doors. Along with several churches and mosques, each of which had some color on it be it blue, coral or a golden yellow. We had a simple lunch of chicken gyros and sausage gyros with fries and tatziki overlooking the sea and the cliff side below. After we located the cable car entrance, we continued on foot uphill on stone steps for quite aways winding along the top of the cliff. This was a vigorous walk, but the views and the architecture were marvelous making it a worthwhile endeavor. Finally we saw what we had been expecting all along. And despite the lack of stunning photos here, it really is beautiful!
Notes: I tried to upload several photos showing domes and steeples, but they wouldn’t load correctly (poor Internet connection, I think). Photos and text ©JWFarrington.
