Rhodes

Rhodes is a Greek island as opposed to a Turkish one. (Cyprus is partly Turkish and partly Greek!) We arrived mid-morning after a fairly long sail from Cyprus. We took a Hop One/Hop Off bus for a bit of a tour and then walked along the harbour. We located the House of the Grand Master of the Knights of St. John and went for a tour. A spectacular building with tiled floors and extravagant furnishings. The ceilings were all different and intricate. There was an interesting presentation in each room - the original monk who created the Order in Jerusalem spoke to us about the purpose of the Order - to help and provide care for people on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Over the years the Order grew and included sons of the wealthiest families in Europe. When the Muslims overran Jerusalem the Catholic Pope granted various islands to the Order. In time, it grew to be a military force which was evidenced in Malta when the Knights of the Order repelled the Muslims. Eventually the Order came into disrepute as they disavowed themselves from the Christian faith and just did what they pleased.

On the way back to the ship we walked through a warren of streets which were filled with delightful shops. These were all contained within the confines of a walled city which included the castle built by the Order of St. John.

It was very hot! We spent all our time seeking shade and taking in all the wonderful sights. We wound our way back to the ship, had another delightful dinner and a gorgeous sunset.

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