First in a 2-part series.

After a long journey we arrived in Rhodes, Greece and entered into the old city.

Old City

We made our way to where we were staying, the unique Nikos Takis Fashion Hotel.

Hadn’t slept in almost 24 hours, so naturally very much looked forward to checking in. As we made our way to our room, we entered into a cornucopia of color.  First the entryway…

…and then the room itself, called the Knight’s Room, which was bathed in a palette comprised of warm pinks, hot oranges and vivid reds.

The Knight’s Room

Spent our days walking through the cobblestone streets of this wondrous medieval town,

visiting such sights as the Archaeological Museum, which is housed in the 15^th century Knights Hospital and includes artifacts from prehistoric years through Hellenistic and Roman times…

Archaeological Museum

…the oldest Synagogue in all of Greece…

Inside the Synagogue

…and the Suleiman Mosque, which was built soon after the Turks occupied the city of Rhodes in 1522.

Suleiman Mosque

Also walked through the Palace of the Grand Masters which had been destroyed by a gunpowder explosion in 1856 and re-built by 1940 using guidance from old drawings and manuscripts so that it could be a faithful reproduction of the original.

Inside the palace was a wonderful display of different pieces of clothing Greek artist Nikos Flores created using beer and soft drink cans.

Spent a few hours at the beach…

Beach in Rhodes

…and of course did some shopping too.  Aside from the many stores selling the wonderful local olive oil and honey which Greece is known for, loved the variety of fresh sponges offered at the waterfront…

…and the beautiful blown glass made by local artisans and sold at Marika’s Dream, a shop specializing in this ancient craft.

And of course then there was the food…..fresh fish, wonderful salads, delicious yogurt with local nuts and honey. Particular highlights were breakfast at the Nikos Takis Fashion Hotel, lunch in the roof garden at Old Town and dinner on the outdoor patio at Byzantium.

And for desert, who could resist this colorful display of fresh gelato?

Next time:  Trekking through the streets of Thessaloniki, Greece’s cultural capital.