fertile land

Written: 15 june 2008
Travel time: 1 — 7 june 2008
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Hi all! I want to talk about visiting the incomparable Greek island of Rhodes. Whoever was there will once again plunge into the fertile atmosphere of this piece of Greece, and whoever has not been yet will (I hope) discover a place on the globe that you simply must visit! do not jinx it, so I will describe the work of the tour operator in two words: competently and clearly! Hotel and room. A wonderful comfortable bus took us from the airport to the Delfinia resort 3+ hotel, which is located in the town of Kolymbia on the east coast of about. Rhodes. I was very pleased with the location of the hotel, it seems that on three sides the hotel is surrounded by rocks, and on the fourth - by the sea, although it is quite far from it (8-10 minutes on foot). The distance from the motorway gives a feeling of abandonment and tranquility, which is actually not far from the truth. Pleasant hotel with three buildings, approximately 120 rooms, two fresh water pools, a bar next to them, very friendly staff. The disadvantages include: not always impeccable work of plumbing (breakdowns, however, are eliminated very quietly and as soon as possible), terrible beer and powdered juices (but this is brightened up by the presence of cola and Greek U’zo vodka). No frills food, but very tasty and nutritious. From the foregoing, I dare to conclude that those who need a rest in a horizontal position with a cocktail in their hands and a view of the philosophically endless expanse of the sea should not, when choosing a hotel, focus their attention on Delfinia Resort. Our room was equipped with three beds, a TV, air conditioning, amenities and a balcony, where you can very comfortably drink something so as not to catch the eye of "curious" Germans, of whom there are a lot in Rhodes and most of which (as it was not strange to me) , very nice people. Car and roads. Of all the variety of excursions offered to us by our guide Valya, we took only a trip to the nearest island of Si'mi. All 10 days traveled around the island on foot or in a rented car. A lot has been written about car rental abroad on the Internet, so I will only say that it is better to take a car from trusted, well-known companies (a guide will help with this). We want to say a big thank you to Budget, who provided us with a car. Everything was done quickly and without unnecessary talk, and at the same time the representative patiently listened to all our questions and slowly (unfortunately, my English is far from perfect) repeated the answers to them. The roads delighted us. They are equally magnificent both on the main highways and in remote villages. Everywhere and always there is a markup. The absolute absence of pits and potholes allows you to fully concentrate on road signs. You should not break the rules, because in Rhodes, as well as on the mainland, it is very expensive. The roads at the end of May were almost empty and the behavior of drivers on them can be called exemplary. You can completely carelessly follow the letter of the traffic rules, without fear of either signals or swearing, tired and excited people. The pedestrian is the head of the road! On Rhodes, vehicles carefully pass intersections, politely giving way to oncoming pedestrians. Although sometimes there are exceptions, manifested in the form of teenagers rapidly rushing on motorcycles. Kolimbia and the Greeks. On the first day, we first of all took a walk in the town of Kolymbia. Once a fishing village, it is now a street lined with shops, restaurants, bars and car rentals. Greeks are very friendly and unobtrusive people. Nobody will force you to do anything. More often you even have to look for a seller who, however, is right there and fulfills your request with a good-natured smile. The decency of the Greeks is confirmed by the fact that there are no garages in Rhodes! The maximum that we have seen is a canopy. We left the rented car outside the hotel across the road. Getting sick in Rhodes (like probably any other resort) is very expensive. An elementary plaster cost 8 euros, a cream for sunburn - 12 euros. First delight. For 10 days we watched the magnificent landscapes of the most wonderful landscapes of Rhodes. The first attraction we visited was the Church of Santa Maria Tsambika, which is located at 545 m above sea level. The laborious ascent to the top of the mountain under the merciless rays of the sun is more than rewarded. A steep, winding mountain road leads to the ta-verna, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the coves and beaches of Kolymbia. Further along the steps of a winding staircase, we climb to the very top of the mountain, where that church is located. Small, neat, with faded and half-erased by time frescoes of the Gospel theme. Inside you feel grace, you find peace, you hear silence. From the top of the mountain, a completely fantastic panorama of the bays of Kolimbia and the bay and beach of Tsambika opens up. And contemplating all this magnificence, you understand quite clearly that all this was not created by human hands and could not be created by them. The hardships and hardships of the heavy lifting miraculously disappeared and we returned to the hotel in a great mood! Simi. On the agreed day and hour, the bus takes us from the hotel to the port of the city of Rhodes. An hour and a half later, a huge ferry delivers to the capital of the island. Photographers almost fell off the decks, trying to capture a picturesque bay surrounded by rocks with houses embedded in them with bright roofs. Two beautiful bell towers and, perhaps, these are all pleasant memories of the capital Symi. Another hour of boat trip and the ferry enters the most beautiful bay, on the shore of which, the monastery of the Archangel Michael is located. You can enter the territory through the arch in the bell tower, which is located in the center of the facade of the complex. Modest two-story white-stone buildings look great against the background of a clear sky, gray mountains and green treetops. Orthodox, at the entrance to the church, give a small icon of the same name. An unpleasant feeling was left by noisy foreigners, not allowing me to fully concentrate on my thoughts in front of a large, delightful icon of the Archangel Michael. After enjoying the beautiful bay for a while, we boarded the ferry that brought us to our "native" Rhodes. “Kiss of two seas” The next point of our voyage was seven springs. In the shady forest of Rhodes, there are seven springs that merge into one and flow through the tunnel of the times of the Italian occupation, 168 m long. There is a belief that if you walk through it, you will be cleansed of sins. The tunnel is very narrow - it is impossible even to spread your elbows, about 180 cm high. It is quite funny to walk through it in complete darkness, to the touch, ankle-deep in ice water. We passed it twice - there and back. They were already walking back with songs, so as not to accidentally bump their foreheads with someone else. It is somewhat strange that foreigners do not risk walking through this tunnel. In front of our eyes, only one German walked about five meters and came back. Further, exploring the route of the eastern coast of the island, we moved to the Praso-nisi peninsula - the southern tip of Rhodes. Be careful around the city of Lindos. We made an extra circle, passing a very inconspicuous road sign. Therefore, if you do not want to return to Lindos, carefully look for the sign to Gennadi on the way to Lardos. Approaching the peninsula, a magnificent view opens from above on the sandy spit, which disappears at high tide. . Local residents said that this church is about 1000 years old. In Greece, there is no need to buy candles. Entering any church, you can pray and put any number of candles. Nearby there is always a box with a hole where you can put money. Everyone decides for himself how much he can put. On the way back, we saw the snow-white, shining monastery of Tsambika, in which the ancient icon of Santa Maria Tsambika is kept. After spending some time in a beautiful cozy church, we visited a local shop, purchased some spiritual literature and received as a gift a small icon of the same name and “advice from an old man living in the world. ” Inspection of the island that day ended for us on the excellent sandy beach of Tsambika at the foot of the mountain with the church of the same name. The beach is ideal for swimming with children. Lindos. Siana. Being in Rhodes and seeing Lindos is like being in Tula and not tasting the Tula gingerbread! Lindos is a classic Greek city with narrow streets lined with large pebbles, small white houses, a temple and little churches. The main attraction of the city is the Acropolis. . A long climb to the castle can be done on donkeys, kindly offered at the foot, or you can stomp on foot. From the walls of the Acropolis overlooking the bay of Lindos and the magnificent bay of St. Paul. The rocks surround the wonderful place, leaving only a narrow passage to the sea. There are two beaches on the shores of the bay. I recommend the farthest from Lindos in order to avoid some incidents. In the Acropolis, you can see the restored columns of the ancient temple. Having passed the Rhodes villages of Gennadi, Vati, Apolakia and Mono'lithos on our way, our "expedition" drove into Siana - a settlement located on the slope of the mountains. The main attraction of Siana is the temple of the Healer Panteleimon, where the oldest icon of the same name is located. The whole temple is simply saturated with the spirit of Orthodoxy, it seems familiar and familiar. Tears well up when visiting this fertile place. In Xian, we met with a Greek dessert - local yogurt with honey and nuts. Delicate, but thick yogurt (whipped from goat's milk) has a slightly sour taste. In combination with honey, it acquires a truly delicious taste. . Reluctantly leaving the hospitable Siana we loved, we moved to Monolithos. Behind it, on the shore of the Aegean Sea, a medieval knight's castle rises on the mountain. In the center of it sheltered a small church of the Healer Panteleimon of the same time of construction as he himself. Two icons leaning against the wall, a tray with sand for candles and a box - that's all her decoration. The dilapidated walls offer magnificent panoramas of the island and the sea. At the foot of the mountain there is a pointer to Fourni beach. This very picturesque and pleasant beach with small pebbles is worth a visit, but the path to it runs along a narrow, winding and rather long mountain road that does not have fences. The descent from a height of about 700 m is dangerous and difficult, so I would recommend this beach only to experienced and confident drivers. Ancient Kami'ros, Golgotha ​ ​ of Rhodes, Psynthos. Kamiros is an ancient city found by archaeologists. It was very interesting to wander through the ruins and appreciate the natural beauty of this place, located on the shores of the Aegean Sea. . The Golgotha ​ ​ of Rhodes was built in our time and is a shady alley to a huge (17 m) cross located on the top of the mountain, which you can climb along a narrow spiral staircase and admire the panorama of this part of the island. 12 monuments were built along the alley, embodying the milestones of the path of Jesus Christ to the place of his execution. Tip: Stay on the main roads on your way to Golgotha. On winding roads with an incredible number of turns and intersections, it is easy to go astray. On the way back, we planned a stop in the village of Psinthos. She is located in a valley among the mountains, which hid her from the greedy eyes of the pirates. In a small tavern we tried another local dish - tzatziki. This is the same local yogurt with garlic and Greek herbs. Delicious, nutritious salad! Along with the bill, the waiter brought yogurt with honey and nuts - a gift from the tavern owners. Rhodes. The old town of Rhodes is a huge medieval castle of the Ionite knights. The fortress walls, built in several lines, reliably protected the inhabitants of Rhodes from enemies. . Stone pavements, narrow streets, buildings striking in their scale - all this speaks of the incredibly high cultural level of people of those years. Life is in full swing in old Rhodes. Numerous merchants, restaurants and bars are always open for tourists. But as in any crowded resort place, everything is very expensive. These were our most vivid impressions of Rhodes. But, believe me, it is impossible by any technical or any other means to convey what we saw, heard and felt on this beautiful Greek island.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original