Rodos

Rodos (also known as Rhodes) is the second largest island in Greece, and much like Kos in its terrain and plant life. The main town, however, is remarkable.  If I had just a day to introduce someone to Europe, I would bring them here ...  Everything is to be found, from classic battlements to diesel choked streets, from artistic masterpieces to discos.  The only thing that's missing is the miserable weather. Rodos Town is a bit crowded for my taste (pop 90,000) but there are enough quiet places that it is bearable for a week or two.  It's unfortunate that I couldn't stand living here long term, because this is the first place I've fallen deeply in love with a potential home.  T'was not to be, I suppose.

It was in Rhodes that the wonder of the arch finally sank in for me.  These buttresses are supporting the second stories against each other all the way down this street.  What's supporting the buttresses is the arch braced against both walls.  These particular arches have stood over 400 years, but there are others in the world that have stood over a 1000.

Of course, once you have an arch over an alleyway, why not build yourself a little extra living room? A lot of these additions have a haphazard look, like they were constructed from start to finish before the local building inspector happened to walk by.

I like to believe that sometime in 200 B.C. a mosiac designer said "You know what?  I'm tired of Gods and bloody war scenes.  This time I'm going dolphins and hearts, all the way."

I'm not usually a fan of decorating the local foliage, but I thought this was well executed, and the site was *very* well chosen.

I'm told that proper lighting is very important for photography.  I'm sure that St. Francis of Assisi, Harbinger of Doom would agree.

The top of the city wall and the moat.  I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the palm trees in the moat are not strictly historical.

I had the liver.

Cats were skittish in Rhodes. This was probably due to the large number of loose dogs, but I prefer to believe it was because they were afraid of Elsa. Elsa was the stalwart watchdog of the Pension Stathis.  She was a fierce defender of random doors and patches of pavement, although she could often be bought off with a head scritch.

This glass and steel construction is a nearly abandoned mall in Rodos Town.  It looked like it might have flourished sometime in the eighties.  However, these pictures are mostly here to show contrast to the next one.

In the back of the third story of a nearly abandoned mall I found this.   Note the solid wood door and cinderblock construction, totally different from the rest of the mall. On the other hand, nobody emerged to confiscate my camera after I took this picture.  Maybe it *is* the East European News Agency.

The one place I went outside of the main town was to Lindos, to see this Bas Relief of a Trireme.  The bow is on the right, apparently a statue used to stand on the left, where the "deck" is.  It's not high art, but it's not bad for 200 B.C. either...

And at last, my dirty little secret is out.  When I get tired of touristing, I head off to the local Internet Cafe and play video games all day.  Fortunately they're not all as full as this one....