We woke up to another beautiful day in Greece, at a port in Rhodes.
Our balcony on the ship.
Before our trip we had prearranged a 4+ mile hike along the sea with a tour company. They picked us up at the dock and drove us several miles away to the start of a trail along the rocky coast.
Chapels are everywhere. This was St. Agatha chapel located at the beginning of our hike on Rhodes.
We had a wonderful guide, and the views of the sea were stunning.
Look at that water!!! photo by dh
It took several hours, and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Apparently this photo was added to her company’s website.
Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Beach in this photo is Agatha Beach.
We stopped at Limni Beach to swim in the cool, refreshing, clear waters.
Swimming in the Mediterranean. photo by dh
Anthony Quinn Bay ~ made famous because of the 1961 movie Guns of Navarone he starred in.
The next day we disembarked on the isle of Crete where we went to a local family organic farm where they grow olive trees and grapes. We tasted the wine and had some cheese and bread and tomatoes while watching traditional Greek dancers performed for us. It was delightful.
We also had a chance to dance with the dancers at the end. It was fun.
photo by gb
The last stop on our cruise was Santorini. We opted to stay onboard because the next day we would fly to Santorini for a four-night stay on our own. It was very pleasant to be on the ship with so many passengers disembarked. We had the hot tub to ourselves and a nice relaxing experience.
photo by gb
The cruise went quickly. We had a lovely dinner on board, on our last night.
A super-sweet flower arrangement tucked away in the corner of the winery.
"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling." Shanti
Our time in Greece was marvelous. It was divided into three parts. Five nights in Athens, a four-night cruise through the isles, and four nights on the island of Santorini. I couldn’t decide where to begin writing about our adventures. I decided to start with my favorites, instead of chronological order. But then, I couldn’t determine between the four-night cruise or the four-night stay on the island of Santorini…I decided to start with the cruise.
Our ship in the forground.
I love being on the water and was happy to be on the Celestial Discovery, a smaller ship (1200 passenger) cruising the Mediterranean Sea and stopping at a couple of the 1,200 islands in Greece. We had a delightful tour director who took good care of us. We disembarked on a four islands: Mykonos, Patmos, Rhoades, Crete, and also disembarked at a stop in Ephesus, Turkey.
Approaching the island of Mykonos.
Besides seeing the scenic, small, cubical white-washed buildings (some with blue trim and all with no peaked roofs) and the narrow alley ways between houses on the islands and the picturesque scene of these buildings enveloping the hillsides up from the water, each island was unique in its own way.
A road in Ephesus.
Our first stop was not an island, but we sailed to Turkey, to visit Ephesus. The incredible ruins of this town where Apostle Paul, and other Biblical personalities walked the streets, 2,000 years ago, was incredible to see. The ancient city of Ephesus’ excavated remains go back several centuries.
“The Library of Celsus is the most iconic structure in Ephesus — and one of the most beautiful ancient libraries ever built. Completed in the 2nd century A.D., it once held over 12,000 scrolls…” quote off internet
At one time Ephesus was a massive economic and intellectual hub of the Roman Empire, and a center for early Christianity. It amazes me that so many of these ruins are intact today…and that we can meander through them and envision all the activity they represent.
The Temple of Hadrian was built in the 2nd century AD (before 138 AD) to honor Emperor Hadrian’s visits to the city.
The town’s dwelling places.
A structure attached to the library.
Amazing detail, so well preserved.
Later, that same day , we sailed to Patmos where the apostle John was exiled from Ephesus, and where John had his visions described in the Bible’s book of Revelation. Researchers are confident the cave ~ The Cave of the Apocalypse ~ where we visited, is indeed where John actually received his divine visions. It is said the crack in the rock wall above (we looked up) is believed to be the spot where God’s voice echoed, symbolizing the Holy Trinity (3 fissures in the rock). This site, as is Ephesus, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a landmark or area formally recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as possessing “Outstanding Universal Value”)
The chapel attached to the cave. No pictures were allowed inside.
It was meaningful to me to be there in this cave on Patmos. Our guide told wonderful stories. The one I remember is that after the ruler who sent John to exile at Patmos died, John returned to Ephesus as an old man. In church, when the congregation asked him for a word, he would simply say “Love one another.”
When his disciples grew weary of hearing the same phrase and asked why he always repeated it, John replied: “Because it is the Lord’s command, and if this only is done, it is enough.” Amen. I enjoyed hearing that story.
Back on the ship, we sailed during the night, to Rhodes…(to be continued.)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
