Arrival in Rhodes
It is good to be on the Blue Star Patmos – It is like meeting and old friend again – and one that I’ll be seeing a bit more of during the next leg of my trip!
The journey from Karpathos takes just over four hours so I arrive just after 5.30pm. Once we are level with the bottom of Rhodes it is two hours sailing before we reach the port at the top. My family fly in from the Manchester and London this evening and luckily are scheduled to land within 20 minutes of each other.
Acandia Harbour where the ferry docks is big and it’s a good five minutes before I’ve dragged my suitcase to the main road. The pavements leading to and from the port aren’t in the best of condition and you’ll occasionally have to veer off onto the road and face oncoming traffic just to avoid trees and lamp posts plonked right in the middle of the pavement.
I’ve booked an apartment at 7Palms which is located quite close to the old town and to the port from where Google maps says it’s about 20 minutes away. (I’ve heard that one before!). It did send me a bit of a funny route – up to the edge of the city wall and the park next to Diagoras Stadium. It then sent me through a residential area and down a street called Mitropoleos. The houses on this street were really attractive – they had a kind of faded grandeur that I love to photograph but now was not the time as I was laden with luggage!
I eventually find the 7Palms and receive a lovely warm welcome from Domi who practically runs the business. Once I’ve offloaded my luggage into the apartment, Domi gives me directions to the bakery and supermarket where I go to pick up supplies in time for the arrival of my family. The area of Epta Vagies (7 Palms) lays outside of the touristic area and on the edge of a classic Rhodian neighbourhood offering the best of both worlds – access to the port and old town but also peace and quiet. You’ll see little clusters of ancient ruins set in juxtaposition to a commercial area hosting IT shops. This area has a really nice feel about it.
7Palms itself is a really nice aparthotel and has everything there that we need including a swimming pool! Two sofas in the living room double up as two single beds and there is plenty of storage – not that we’ll be here long enough to unpack! The day after tomorrow we catch an early evening ferry to Nisyros so will be packing as much in over the next day and a half as possible. Now – where are my little band of merry men!
