I Love Time Together - Greece Trip Part III

We woke up on Wednesday morning, docked at Rhodes.

As you can see, the old walls and gates are so impressive, and are still in use today.

We were really excited, because we had the whole day to explore the island.

A short walk from port brought us to the Main Gate or the city.

After a little shopping, we went to the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes.

The architecture of the buildings, and the beauty of the grounds was amazing!

It felt as though you were transported back in time.

There were some places where photography was not allowed,

but thankfully, we were able to take some pictures to remember our visit.

I am a sucker for these sort of architectural details 

The mosaics on display were so detailed and had such great imagery

These three mosaics were huge - they each took up a large wall, 

although they would have originally been on the ground, surrounded by large seating areas.

The grounds were so well maintained, and had a lovely mix

of native flora, fish ponds, and artifacts

Built into the museum, there was a mansion from a later period

The woodwork was really impressive.

We spent a few hours taking in all the museum had to offer.

Then we walked a little further down the cobbled roads 

to the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Roads.

A wonderful example of Gothic design,
this was previously a citadel of the Knights Hospitaller, 

that functioned as a palace, headquarters, and fortress.

Once again, the building was expertly maintained,

and the beauty and magnitude of its design was awe-inspiring 

Photography was prohibited in many of the exhibits,
but I feel the most beautiful things were able to be photographed.

The fireplace below was absolutely gigantic...I could have walked right in!

The furniture and sculptures were so ornate.

The view from one of the palace windows.

After another few hours of touring the palace,

we decided to get a late lunch.

I had grilled octopus, and Jared ordered a whole fish.

Our waiter was a fish expert, and cleaned it for us.

He even took the head apart just after this shot, 

so that Jared and I could eat the cheeks and eyes - yum!

We took a walk out to the harbor entrance, where it is said The Colossus once stood.

There were walls and structures all along the way,

from which there were beautiful views of the ocean

I thought it was so nice that the public was welcome to climb up 

and walk on so many of these structures.

We had such a full day! All the walking and taking in the sights was exhausting.

Rhodes was amazing - I'd love to go back someday, 

because there is still so much there we did not have the time to see.

We went back into town for some shopping, and then got back onboard our ship

to have dinner and sail off to the next day's destination.

Crete!  

We arrived very early in the morning, 

so we took a walk along the shoreline.

The sea had become more tempestuous overnight,

and waves were crashing over the rocks

This fort was out on a long stretch of rock in the harbor.

It was closed for repairs, but fairly impressive nonetheless. 

Next, we ventured into the city of Heraklion.

There was a map showing places of interest,  so we followed it 

In stark contrast to Rhodes, the city was very modern.

Sadly, being surrounded by such a bustling and large city 

seemed to have taken its toll on the buildings and sculptures.

Many were in disrepair, were dirty, and even had graffiti on them.

The church above is known as The Church of St Titus 

- the first bishop of Crete - his skull is kept inside.

We didn't go in though, as they were holding a morning mass.

This building is the Town Hall, which is housed in the reconstructed building of Loggia - Armeria.

It anciently used as a munition store, and a city Club.

We passed most of our time watching the businesses open,

and shopping. 

Then we got back aboard and headed for the second stop of the day

Santorini!

We went up on deck to see the beautiful views as we approached.

Santorini is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history,

which occurred 3600 years ago at the height of Minoan civilization.

The result is the islands formed by the caldera left after the eruption.

We took tender boats to the shore

The cliff face of the island above was really high - How high?

Enough that they had a railcar system to assist in reaching the top in a timely manner.

The other option was a rocky trail that wound its way back and forth up the cliffside.

Or donkeys!  We would've taken them, but we were warned by the cruise crew that 

they were both slow and unpredictable, sometimes refusing to budge, 

and thus leaving their riders to hike the rest of the way.

So, the railcar it was.  The view from the top was so breathtaking!

The color scheme of the island was white buildings, with soft blue and buttery yellow accents.

Some of the walkways were beautifully cobbled with mosaic patterns.

There was also lots of pretty iron scrollwork 

We shopped and stopped at a restaurant for some appetizers.

The shrimp and calamari were perfection!

The wind picked up, and we had a blustery walk back to the railcar,

and a very rocky tender boat ride back to the ship.

We left as the sun began to set.

Then our ship carried us back to Pireas overnight, and we disembarked.

Our cruise was over, but we had a long drive back to Thessaloniki,

where I would be catching my flight to Istanbul, and later JFK airport.

The traffic was good for us, and we had a lot of fun talking and spending time together 

before I had to fly back home.  

Again, I could not have imagined a better trip.

I am indeed blessed to have such an amazing, thoughtful companion to spend eternity with!

I can hardly wait for our next adventure together :)