Over the last few years we have been in the habit of taking a short break around Helen’s birthday. This is a win-win: a small indulgence for the two of us as well as an opportunity for some autumn photography for me. When we sat down to book something last month we were looking at a couple of nights around Kielder; four nights in Rhodes was not really on the agenda! The change in destination wasn’t completely random as Helen had been over the summer with friends and wanted to go back. She’d enjoyed the trip, but the heat and being part of a larger group meant that there were places left unexplored.

Coast and Harbour

We were in Malta earlier in the year, so given that both are Mediterranean islands with some common history comparisons are perhaps inevitable. However, it quickly became apparent that the character of the two historic centres is very different. Valletta has no beachfront and, consequently, there are very few ‘resort’ hotels close to the old town. Rhodes is different; the medieval centre is ringed with beaches and hotels encircle the old walled city.

My first impressions, then, weren’t great. The contrast between the antiquity of the walls and the modern, tourist-centric nature of the businesses both inside and outside of the walls is quite stark. That said, if you accept the commercial nature of the coastline it can be quite pretty with good views across to the Turkish coast on the horizon. The deer statues mark the harbour entrance (traditionally understood as the location of the Colossus of Rhodes), while the historic fort and windmills give a sense of the antiquity of the harbour. The art deco aquarium is also interesting in that it seems to mark a pivot in architectural style to more modern design.

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*Diving Platform, Rhodes.*
Leica Q3 | 28mm f/8.0 1/250s ISO 100

Lindos

The only firm plan we had for our time in Rhodes was a day trip out to Lindos. The town of Lindos itself is very picturesque, with beautiful beaches and whitewashed houses. Comparisons with Santorini are not unwarranted and, in fact, positively encouraged.

The highlight, of course, was the Acropolis of Lindos. It’s best not to think of this as a building, but rather a complex of buildings that has been built on and adapted over at least a millennium and a half. The Doric Temple of Athena Lindia dates back to at least the fourth century BC (although worship at the site extends back further), while the Castle of the Knights of St John is a much later construction from the early 1300s. Despite it being a popular and busy location even in October, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and I even indulged in a quick birthday portrait of the lovely Helen!

Medieval Rhodes

While the Knights Hospitaller (or to give them their full title Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem) are the most obvious connection between Rhodes and Malta, the shared history extends back much further. The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes does a brilliant job of illustrating this rich and storied heritage. The modest exterior also hides a surprisingly large and extensive network of buildings and gardens and we spent far more time than anticipated wandering around the site.

However, we started our first full day not at the museum, but at the smaller Our Lady of the Castle church over the road. If the first impression of Rhodes on the afternoon of our arrival was slightly disappointing, this small church building did a great deal to reverse that impression. The space, light and colour were much closer to what we’d wanted from the trip. The more we explored, the more we appreciated how these spaces preserved the cultural heritage of Rhodes despite its more recent commercialisation as a tourist destination.

By no means did we explore everything on offer, but we did manage to briefly explore of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, the medieval walls and the Rhodes Acropolis in addition to the time spent at the Archaeological Museum.

The Rhodes Acropolis sits out of town and, unlike the Lindos Acropolis, is free to enter. While the scale is impressive, it’s also clear that as a site it is much less well developed and, at least at the time of our visit, extensive restoration work is ongoing.

Impressions

While the large tourist attractions and historical sites are all very well done, the memories inevitably are about the sensory impressions. There’s no photograph that will illustrate the taste of the food, or the sounds of the city. What I do like, however, are images that capture some of the colour, texture and detail.

If Malta was largely a blue and ochre colour palette, then Rhodes builds on this with splashes of more vibrant colour. While the large, monumental buildings give a sense of Rhodes’ place in the grand sweep of history, the details capture just how much of this remains part of everyday life. We were left with the impression of a place that is steeped in history and despite the commercial pressures to continue the development, that sense of place is retained.

We were also left with an impression of cats. Lots and lots and lots of cats…

Conclusions / Photography Bit

From a photography standpoint this was a bit of an experiment. I’ve not travelled with this little kit for a long time, and I enjoyed the experience. There is no doubt that the Q3 is an indulgence; it’s also remarkably capable. Despite having a fixed 28mm lens I didn’t feel as though I was missing too much at either end of the focal length spectrum. And when I did want to get closer, 61MP gives an enormous amount of cropping potential. The camera is quirky in some respects, but the quality is second to none…

The holiday itself was a more impromptu break than is the norm for us, but none the worse for that. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, ate well and walked for miles. The temperature, which had been too much for Helen in August, was just about right. Warm enough to feel like a holiday, but not so warm as to prevent us getting out and about.

Rhodes: Holiday Snaps

Coast and Harbour

Lindos

Medieval Rhodes

Impressions

Conclusions / Photography Bit

Chasing the Sun - Bilbao