Finally we hit the jackpot! I'm not going to say that we deserved it, buuuuut....
To entertain ourselves on our dubious Ryanair flight to Rhodes, we happened to look in one of those in-flight magazines that are always so thrilling with their life-changing articles spotlighting where Julia Roberts shopped while in Madrid. Flipping through we found a small section on Rhodes in which there was a feature on a charming little place to stay in the heart of Old Town. After our catastrophe of hotels in southern Rhodes, we decided to go for it and yes! they did have an opening. The only room left cost 250 euros (not a chance!) but since the owner wanted to fill the room he knocked the price down to half. Still a splurge but at least I won't have to sacrifice food later this semester.
We had a lovely breakfast with "Doctor Love" before hopping onto the ONE bus the island has and going to the "last stop", which seems to be the only stop since it is all anyone mentions. Thankfully after a hot and cramped ride we arrived in the New Town and the owner of the villa, Jon, picked us up. Luggage in tow, we drove around the castle that encompasses the medieval city and its bustling streets. The place we stayed is in the heart of Old Town and without our trusty guide there is no way we would have found it. Twisting roads (actually, more like paths) paved in the tiny stones led us to a wooden gate that opened onto a beautiful courtyard complete with table, umbrella, cushioned lounge chairs and a stone fireplace.
Our room (discounted beyond belief) was the suite of the villa and featured a 4 post bed, couch, large bathroom, desk, espresso machine (that alone was enough to make me fall in love!) and wifi. The room was covered in courtesy items: soaps, water bottles, Greek candies, bath robes and slippers (though I don't think those were to take...) and maps galore. Needless to say our bags a at least a kilo heavier after we stuffed all our goodies into our already bulging luggage. Seriously, what are we? 12-year-olds on Christmas morning? Sheesh.
Old Town was hustling with tourists photographing the castle, day-trippers wandering through the paved streets into art stores, jewelry shops and restaurants, each shaded with umbrellas or ancient trees and decorated with wooden chairs fit for the tropics on which lay decadent cushions that awaited an exhausted traveler. It was very inviting. Jon gave us a phenominal place to grab lunch and once again we were enchanted by the freshness of something as simple as tomatoes, brilliant feta and cucumbers that literally dripped their juice.
This was the first place we ordered dessert (surprising since we are both obsessed with baklava) but it was completely unnecessary. Not because we were full from our salad and grilled eggplant, nor because the ceramic wine vessel that never seemed to quite empty, but because they brought a lemon smoothie out as a finisher along with the bill, which of course, was tucked away in a small wooden box painted with gold swirls.
We left the shade under our large tree and wandered through the streets, abandoning our unnamed map entirely. The stone walls of the city's perimeter stood tall and supported Greek flags flapping in the wind. The castle had been built by the Knights (the Knights of what was never really clarified), taken over by the Turks, the Italians, the British and finally given back to the Greeks. The churches went from Catholic to Muslim to Catholic throughout history.
We found a great jewelry store that made anything one could imagine from local coral in which we spent so much time deciding what to buy for gifts that the store girls thought they might need to pay us hourly. We browsed through other shops that had original glass, ceramic plates and natural stone pieces. The main road (who knows the name-- as per Rhodes only a few were actually named on the map) ended at the harbor where several yachts were docked waiting to take people to the surrounding islands. It was tremendously helpful of them to advertise the cost of the ride directly on the side of the ship.
Very informative.
We were sweating (shocker!) by early evening and decided to retreat back to our room for showers and leisurely time since, obviously walking around, completely enjoying ourselves was too strenuous a task. We dressed and ventured out to find dinner, which took some convincing because it was so lovely in our room that moving sounded like an excessively arduous undertaking, but we hadn't eaten in about 2 hours-- an unthinkable interval that must be remedied immediately.
Dinner was at a place boasting of "top chefs from around the world" and held up to its grand declaration. We started with bread stuffed with feta and spinach dipped in spicy cheese or olive tapenade. Next was the most tender octopus that ever was cooked followed by grilled squid stuffed with the national cheese--feta-- a few other herbs and drizzled with olive oil that was more golden than any I've ever seen. This could have been the best dish we've had so far, which is saying a lot. Tender doesn't even come close to what this meat was. Sinful is a better word.
Dessert was ordered but, again, it was thoroughly gratuitous since they brought out not one but two complimentary treats: a mousse made from nougat and cherries cooked and fried like a doughnut only to be rolled in cinnamon sugar. I mean, beach doughnuts are good but they don't even compare... these Greeks don't mess around. Cherry dessert wine was brought gratis by the waiter but we couldn't even think of sipping it since we had just eaten Heaven and could imagine nothing more magnificent.
Back to our own Greek hamlet to sit outside in the perfect temperature, watching the sky and the candles flicker in the light breeze.
Warning: we might not come back home.
We had a lovely breakfast with "Doctor Love" before hopping onto the ONE bus the island has and going to the "last stop", which seems to be the only stop since it is all anyone mentions. Thankfully after a hot and cramped ride we arrived in the New Town and the owner of the villa, Jon, picked us up. Luggage in tow, we drove around the castle that encompasses the medieval city and its bustling streets. The place we stayed is in the heart of Old Town and without our trusty guide there is no way we would have found it. Twisting roads (actually, more like paths) paved in the tiny stones led us to a wooden gate that opened onto a beautiful courtyard complete with table, umbrella, cushioned lounge chairs and a stone fireplace.
We left the shade under our large tree and wandered through the streets, abandoning our unnamed map entirely. The stone walls of the city's perimeter stood tall and supported Greek flags flapping in the wind. The castle had been built by the Knights (the Knights of what was never really clarified), taken over by the Turks, the Italians, the British and finally given back to the Greeks. The churches went from Catholic to Muslim to Catholic throughout history.
Very informative.
Dinner was at a place boasting of "top chefs from around the world" and held up to its grand declaration. We started with bread stuffed with feta and spinach dipped in spicy cheese or olive tapenade. Next was the most tender octopus that ever was cooked followed by grilled squid stuffed with the national cheese--feta-- a few other herbs and drizzled with olive oil that was more golden than any I've ever seen. This could have been the best dish we've had so far, which is saying a lot. Tender doesn't even come close to what this meat was. Sinful is a better word.
 |
| mom and octopus |
Back to our own Greek hamlet to sit outside in the perfect temperature, watching the sky and the candles flicker in the light breeze.
Warning: we might not come back home.
 |
| Zacosta Villa's entry court |
