Rhodes and around: (June-October 2022)
Close to Symi is the island of Rhodes, the biggest in the Dodecanese. It has several different
harbors, but the oldest one is Mandraki in the North-east. Two columns with a deer on top mark
the entrance to the port. Mandraki is the oldest port, but some other ports have been built for
the ferries and the passenger boats that are sometimes over 200 meters long. These boats often
stay for a day to let the passengers visit the island. In the harbor, you will see the big castle
that dominates the city. The first settlements on Rhodes have been dated to around 300 BC, but
not many traces still exist. Due to it’s strategic location, over time, Rhodes has been occupied by
the Turks, the English, the Ottoman empire, the crusader knights, the Italians and the Germans
at the end of WWII. The longest occupation was from 1308 till 1521 where the knights of St
John occupied Rhodes. Eventually, they decided to move to Malta. The island was also a place
where many Jews lived. During the second world war many Sephardic Jews from Spain moved
there thinking it was safe. Unfortunately, when the Germans took control of the island towards
the end
of the war, they were transferred to extermination camps. Since 1948, the island has been part
of Greece. A lot of tourists visit Rhodes because of the international airport and the many
beaches and big hotels. But Rhodes is also a historical place with many interesting sites. South of
the island there is Lindos where an old Greek temple is located. The temple is being restored
which some people object to as the stones are being restored to the original condition as if they
were new. However, it is visited bya large number of people and at all times of the day there are
long queues to get access to the site. Besides the temple, the other interesting place to visit is
the archeological museum and the Rhodes Castle. In fact, the museum is located in the old
hospital where the wounded knights returning fromthe crusades would seek medical care. You can
find a big room on the first floor that is 60 meters long where the wounded were treated. If
there are not many visitors, do not hesitate to talk to the guardians as they like to share their
knowledge with visitors. The rest of the museum consists of a large number of rooms with many
objects on display. Next to the museum is the castle. It is there that the rulers stayed in a place
with numerous rooms. Some parts of the castle were destroyed in around 1850 by an earthquake
and shortly thereafter an explosion that seriously damaged the building. Mussolini decided to
make this place his summer residence and restored it. In fact, he never stayed there, but the
restoration work was completed. One room was decorated with vases he had received from the
Japanese emperor. The castle is located in the middle of the huge defensive walls that surround
the city. Inside, the roads are paved with cobblestones and it is not difficult to imagine the noise
of the horses trotting through the streets. The city has preserved the historical sites very well
and some famous movies have been made in Rhodes such as the Guns of Navarone, with Anthony
Quinn. After visiting Rhodes we went to the south west of Rhodes to the island of Khalki. The
island is very quiet with few tourists. The water is crystal clear. Once or twice a day, big ferries
enter the port and maneuver very carefully to dock at the pier. The ferries turn slowly in the
harbor and come as close as 5 meters from the yachts. It is amazing to see how those big
monsters, close to 100 meters long, can turn with such precision in the harbor. However, if there
is a lot of wind, they do not enter the harbor. We stayed there for 2 days and had a dive outside
the harbor. We discovered theremains of an antique wreck with some pieces of amphoras, but as
we were near the end of the dive we needed to return to the surface and could only see a small
part of the wreck. After Khalki, we anchored 5 miles away on the island of Alimnia. A large bay
offers
a good protection for boats. The only permanent resident of the island is Kosta, who has restored
an old chapel. He spends his time restoring the chapel and tending his goats. He likes to have a
chat with visitors when he explains his life and his work. He goes to Rhodes once a week to
purchase some supplies and visit his son. The rest of his time he spends on Alimnia where he likes
the solitude. For occasional visitors he has two little dormitories where you can stay free of
charge. On the southern end of the bay are the ruins of the old German military barracks. During
World War II, some German navy boats came here. On the walls of the barracks you still can see
some patriotic German drawings. The end of the season approached, and it was time to move to
Leros for the winter. On the 10 of October, Terus was lifted out of the water and will stay there
until April 2023. Despite the winds, we enjoyed the Dodecanese very much because each island is
unique.
harbors, but the oldest one is Mandraki in the North-east. Two columns with a deer on top mark
the entrance to the port. Mandraki is the oldest port, but some other ports have been built for
the ferries and the passenger boats that are sometimes over 200 meters long. These boats often
stay for a day to let the passengers visit the island. In the harbor, you will see the big castle
that dominates the city. The first settlements on Rhodes have been dated to around 300 BC, but
not many traces still exist. Due to it’s strategic location, over time, Rhodes has been occupied by
the Turks, the English, the Ottoman empire, the crusader knights, the Italians and the Germans
at the end of WWII. The longest occupation was from 1308 till 1521 where the knights of St
John occupied Rhodes. Eventually, they decided to move to Malta. The island was also a place
where many Jews lived. During the second world war many Sephardic Jews from Spain moved
there thinking it was safe. Unfortunately, when the Germans took control of the island towards
the end
of the war, they were transferred to extermination camps. Since 1948, the island has been part
of Greece. A lot of tourists visit Rhodes because of the international airport and the many
beaches and big hotels. But Rhodes is also a historical place with many interesting sites. South of
the island there is Lindos where an old Greek temple is located. The temple is being restored
which some people object to as the stones are being restored to the original condition as if they
were new. However, it is visited bya large number of people and at all times of the day there are
long queues to get access to the site. Besides the temple, the other interesting place to visit is
the archeological museum and the Rhodes Castle. In fact, the museum is located in the old
hospital where the wounded knights returning fromthe crusades would seek medical care. You can
find a big room on the first floor that is 60 meters long where the wounded were treated. If
there are not many visitors, do not hesitate to talk to the guardians as they like to share their
knowledge with visitors. The rest of the museum consists of a large number of rooms with many
objects on display. Next to the museum is the castle. It is there that the rulers stayed in a place
with numerous rooms. Some parts of the castle were destroyed in around 1850 by an earthquake
and shortly thereafter an explosion that seriously damaged the building. Mussolini decided to
make this place his summer residence and restored it. In fact, he never stayed there, but the
restoration work was completed. One room was decorated with vases he had received from the
Japanese emperor. The castle is located in the middle of the huge defensive walls that surround
the city. Inside, the roads are paved with cobblestones and it is not difficult to imagine the noise
of the horses trotting through the streets. The city has preserved the historical sites very well
and some famous movies have been made in Rhodes such as the Guns of Navarone, with Anthony
Quinn. After visiting Rhodes we went to the south west of Rhodes to the island of Khalki. The
island is very quiet with few tourists. The water is crystal clear. Once or twice a day, big ferries
enter the port and maneuver very carefully to dock at the pier. The ferries turn slowly in the
harbor and come as close as 5 meters from the yachts. It is amazing to see how those big
monsters, close to 100 meters long, can turn with such precision in the harbor. However, if there
is a lot of wind, they do not enter the harbor. We stayed there for 2 days and had a dive outside
the harbor. We discovered theremains of an antique wreck with some pieces of amphoras, but as
we were near the end of the dive we needed to return to the surface and could only see a small
part of the wreck. After Khalki, we anchored 5 miles away on the island of Alimnia. A large bay
offers
a good protection for boats. The only permanent resident of the island is Kosta, who has restored
an old chapel. He spends his time restoring the chapel and tending his goats. He likes to have a
chat with visitors when he explains his life and his work. He goes to Rhodes once a week to
purchase some supplies and visit his son. The rest of his time he spends on Alimnia where he likes
the solitude. For occasional visitors he has two little dormitories where you can stay free of
charge. On the southern end of the bay are the ruins of the old German military barracks. During
World War II, some German navy boats came here. On the walls of the barracks you still can see
some patriotic German drawings. The end of the season approached, and it was time to move to
Leros for the winter. On the 10 of October, Terus was lifted out of the water and will stay there
until April 2023. Despite the winds, we enjoyed the Dodecanese very much because each island is
unique.
Our Wakes: 2022
