2009 Ports of Call 52 - 54

 

Click on this link and you will be directed to pictures of all 2009 trips.

 

Greece:  Kos Island

Aug 29 - Sep 1

 

Kos is the island of Hippocrates, Father of Modern Medicine, born there in 460 BC.  It is also the home of Kos/Cos lettuce, better know as Romaine in America.  Cousins Jean and David joined us here, redeeming their 2007 Xmas Coupon for a week on The Prize, shown above.

 

Asklepieion is Kos’ most important site.  It was once the greatest healing site of antiquity, attracting emperors and ordinary citizens from all over the Med.  It sits on the side of a mountain on several broad terraces connected by a monumental staircase with temples and altars, in addition to the treatment area.  Hippocrates’ Altis (a 2008 addition by the ‘tree people’) and Foundation are nearby.

 

Kos town is a place of many ancient ruins as well as Italian architecture that blend with the modern city.  The 15th century Castle of the Knights of St. John towers over the harbor.  Beside it is the plane tree of Hippocrates that he supposedly planted and taught under its shade.  There is a large ancient agora (market place), many temples, Roman baths, a restored Roman villa, Roman gymnasium and odeon as well as a lavish public latrine.  Too many things to list!  Oh, and we partied hardy as well, thanks to David.

Greece:  Symi Island

Sep 1 - 3

 

Symi’s star attraction is the town of Symi, a virtual museum of  19th century neoclassical mansions that sit on a hillside above its harbor.  However, the island is arid and barren.  Following Kos, it was a bit of a let-down for sightseeing, but we managed to do a bit.  Actually, it was a restful stop.

 

Symi was once famous for shipbuilding and sponge-diving.  The ‘mansions’ on the hillside were built by the wealthy ship-wrights who built many of the fast galleys for the Knights of St. John and later for their Turkish masters.  Today they still build boats as we saw a wooden ship being built by hand during our trek to Pedi Bay.

 

We walked through Symi, taking pictures of the breath-taking views (Symi Harbor shown above), ruined mansions, and a few of the 360 churches.  We were told that every family on the island of Symi has a church.

 

Like most Greek islands, Symi has been inhabited since pre-historic times, it has myths connected with gods, Homer wrote about it, several civilizations occupied it, the Italians took it from the Turks after WWI, and it was reunited with Greece after WWII.

Greece:  Rhodes Island

Sep 3 - 8

 

We entered Rhodes’ ancient harbor where the giant (350’) bronze Colossus supposedly stood.  It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world but was toppled by an earthquake in 227 BC and later sold for scrap.  David, who has never met a stranger and was still trying to replicate the parties in Kos, immediately started talking with new neighbors alongside as they docked.  No luck with this chartered boat and after the boat that regularly docks there arrived and emptied its holding tank during the night (while our windows were open), there was no chance.

 

The walls of Rhodes are one of the great medieval monuments in the Med and the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We walked the walls and moats, toured the town and several sites around town as well as Kallithea Springs beside Anthony Quinn Bay (ala Guns of Navarone, Zorba the Greek), shown above, and the city of Lindos with its hilltop acropolis.  Rhodes has even more sites than Kos, although many of the floor mosaics were taken from Kos..

 

Sher endured her first root canal and celebrated her 59th.  What a memory of Rhodes!  Jean and David went back to Athens and we’re going back to Turkey.