We approached the town of Rhodes just as we were heading to the gym so we were able to watch the harbor and its myriad of anchored and docked boats slink past from the big picture windows in front of our treadmills.

We were off the ship by 9:30am but the heat had already started. By 10am we were seeking the shade from every tree or awning we came across. A kindly Frenchman who was monitoring a free art exhibit at the French Consulate told us that the oppressiveness was caused by all the stone block buildings holding in/releasing all the humidity. Regardless, we persevered in our roaming of the town, abbreviated as it turned out to be.

From a distance the Old Town of Rhodes seems to be completely surrounded by magnificent medieval stone walls.  Even the harbor, which has its own protective walls, is separated from the city so one must enter through one of the massive entry gates dotted along its perimeter.
We wandered along the harbor first, seeing if I could recognize any of the few yachts docked there, then ducked thru the walls and headed up the Street of Knights to the Palace of the Grand Masters.

Home to the Knights of Rhodes from the early 14th C till 1522, it became an Ottoman fortress until the mid-1800’s. it’s open these days as a museum but my research said it was poorly signed and as Mom is not a fan of such we satisfied ourselves with admiring the exterior.
We wandered down and around the shopping district, being a bit overwhelmed by all the souvenir shops; then through the Old Jewish Quarter, before finding ourselves back outside the town walls and heading back to the ship! We managed to return ‘home’ before really suffering from the sun but any longer and it would have been close. Luckily Santorini is forecast to only be in the mid-80’s!

Food: ate at the Italian restaurant “Toscana” tonight and had a fabulous meal. I couldn’t resist having 4 courses (6+ easily possible): eggplant rolotini filled with a veal stuffing topped with a fresh tomato sauce; spinach salad with delicious kalamata olives, vine ripened tomatoes and the creamiest feta ever; lobster fra diavlo over fresh tagalini; and a Creme brûlée far better than that served in the French restaurant!
Tomorrow: Santorini