The weather looked very promising, (16-10 degrees,
western wind, cloudy, no rain - according to the forecast) so we decided to drive south to Lindos and
explore the famous city.
Traffic on the main road was busier than we experienced
so far, but we were not in a hurry, and enjoyed the beautiful trip via the
coastal road.
From Faliraki it’s only 36 km. to Lindos. We parked the
car on one of the parking lots and walked down to the still quiet city. Empty
streets, no tourists around – a wonderful opportunity to take lots of pictures!
Lindos was founded by the Dorians in about the 10th century BC. And one of
six Dorian cities in the area known as the Dorian Hexapolis. The eastern
location of Rhodes made it a natural meeting place between the Greeks and the
Phoenicians, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre.
The importance of Lindos declined after the foundation of the city of
Rhodes in the late 5th century.
Above the modern town rises the acropolis of Lindos, a natural citadel
which was fortified successively by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the
Knights of St John and the Ottomans. This makes the site difficult to excavate
and interpret archaeologically. The acropolis offers spectacular views of the
surrounding harbours and coastline.
Nestling at the foot of a steep rock and beautifully surrounded by the sea
lies the traditional settlement of Líndos; on the top of the same rock stands a
centuries-old acropolis, proudly overlooking the archipelagos. The acropolis
bears silent witness to Líndos’ glorious past, a major naval power of ancient
times which reputedly had a population of 17,000. The landscape of Líndos
encapsulates the essence of Rhodes: a surprisingly felicitous blend of ancient
and medieval! With 600,000 visitors annually, Líndos competes with Delphi as
the second most visited archeological site in Greece.
The view of Líndos village with its cubic houses sprawling down the
hillside under the acropolis is one of the most photographed scenes in Greece.
The whitewashed labyrinth of little alleyways was deliberately designed to
confuse pirates; today this layout makes wandering around the town a real
adventure! There are picture-perfect medieval captains’ residences built around
votsalotó (meaning pebbly) courtyards with emblems on their heavy wooden
doorways. Arched entrances adorn the streets adding a cosmopolitan flair to the
settlement.
Some scenes of the film, The Guns of Navarone, were filmed here.
Most of the shops were still closed, so we zigzagged from
one end of the city to the
central square, where a fish monger was selling a
fresh catch from the back of his truck. Now I understood why so many cats were
sitting nearby!
Thankfully a coffee bar was open, so we could have our
caffeine shot, use the toilet and shelter for the rain.
Because we left one of
the rain jackets at home, we had to buy two umbrellas in the local mini market (boosted
the owner’s daily sales…). It helped us stay dry for the short period that it
rained. By the time we began climbing the many stairs towards the castle, the
rain had stopped, thankfully!
At the top we learned that the castle was closed on Mondays! 😊 Instead, we walked around the castle towards the sea and were blessed with amazing views, plus a big variety of wild flowers we otherwise would not have seen. Even bumped into an Israeli father and son – of all places!
At the top we learned that the castle was closed on Mondays! 😊 Instead, we walked around the castle towards the sea and were blessed with amazing views, plus a big variety of wild flowers we otherwise would not have seen. Even bumped into an Israeli father and son – of all places!
It was great, being able to walk through the beautiful
city, without having to bump into busloads of tourists! In all, we saw a total
of 6 fellow tourists – not bad! Pre-holiday season, there still was a casual
atmosphere, with food standing on doorsteps, keys still in the door, or a plastic
bag with left-over food and bread hanging on a door knob.
Our next stop was the beautiful bay below the city – St. Pauls Bay.
Our next stop was the beautiful bay below the city – St. Pauls Bay.
St Pauls Bay (Agios Pavlos) is a picturesque bay just south of Lindos. It
is claimed that Paul the apostle landed here in the year 51 AD (his 3rd
missionary journey) to preach Christianity to the Rhodians. According to
legend, the bay was created when Paul’s ship encountered a sudden storm before
the coast of Rhodes. The ship and its people were saved because suddenly an
entrance appeared towards a safe haven, as if it had been created by the hand
of God. (What now is the narrow entrance to the bay.) The small church built on
the hillside is a very popular wedding location.
The church was closed, but it was a worthwhile walk down
to the water, because of the beautiful view of the hills, and the castle
against the lead grey sky, promising more rain!
After eating our sandwiches in the car, we planned to
take the scenic route via the center of the island, but somehow missed the
correct exit. So, instead we went back the way we came, and ended up behind a
very slow moving transport. It was a TANK! We’re used to those in Israel, but
didn’t expect to see one here!
We quickly bought a few groceries at ‘our’ AB supermarket
and returned home.
Nice to have some ready soup to heat up, after Wim took
his longed-for nap.
As the afternoon progressed, the weather cleared up. So
much, that Stergos informed us the sky would be clear enough for a tour of the
observary. He’ll be showing us the moon through the telescope and later we can
have a look at Saturn! Wow.
