“Discovering Rhodes, Greece 🇬🇷 | From Castles 🏰 to Coastlines 🌊☀️”

“Discovering Rhodes, Greece 🇬🇷 | From Castles 🏰 to Coastlines 🌊☀️”

Roads, Greece was one of my favorite ports to go to. It’s so cute. First time around, we didn’t know what we’re doing, so we ordered a driver to take us around, but you don’t need one cuz you could walk there on your own. We did see where the former Colossus was. He was on these pillars and was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This statue of the sun god Helios was to be about 30 m high. I had to look it up, but that’s around 98 feet tall. Can you imagine? That’s about half the height of the Statue of Liberty without the pedestal just to give you an idea. This statue existed around 280 BC. They worshiped Helios as their main deity. According to mythology, Roads was named after a sea nymph named Road and was a lover of Helios. It stood tall for about 54 years until a major earthquake took it down. Sadly, Colossus was never rebuilt because they thought it would bring bad luck. After the earthquake, the remains of the bronze statue laid around for about 800 years. It was eventually sold off during an era raid and the scraps went towards making weapons and things like that. Colossus was the main thing that stood out about the tour and I knew I wanted to know more because the driver didn’t say much about it. So, I knew I had to look it up because it piqued my interest. He did try to upsell us on a longer tour, but luckily we said no because we really wanted to explore the old city. I know in the beginning of the video I called roads cute. It’s more than that. I say it is more on the enchanting and charming side. While walking through roads, you’ll notice different architecture. Among the Greek ruins, you’ll see Gothic castles, Ottoman mosques, Italian art deco architecture, all within a small walking distance from each other. The reason for this is over centuries roads was ruled by Greeks, Romans, Italians, knights of St. John and they all left their architectural marks on the city. Archaeologists say it’s like a lasagna of civilizations. The old town of Roads is one of the largest inhabited medieval towns in Europe and it’s also an UNESCO world heritage site. The streets and roads were configured like a maze. It was designed to confuse invaders. There’s a lot of hidden corners and alleyways. There are also secret tunnels and passageways that allow the town’s people and knights to go undetected. They also had some architectural tricks to trick invaders and slow them down. The buildings would often be staggered and angled, which created blind spots that would at times trap or slow down the invaders and give the defenders higher ground to see what they’re doing. Personally, I got lost a couple of times cuz there’s a whole bunch of hidden little streets, but that’s what makes it fun. Here you’ll see one of their mosques during the Ottoman period. Roads actually has several historical mosques. These are used as cultural and historical sites because today roads is mostly Greek Orthodox. Roads is often referred to as the island of the sun god and that’s because it gets about 300 days of sun a year. It’s considered one of the sunniest places in Europe. With the lovely sunshine comes the heat and the humidity. So, I suggest you pack very lightly sundresses, cotton, wear a bathing suit underneath your clothes because there’s a lovely beach that I went to, but unfortunately I did not get in the water and I regret it to this day. I say that because not all beaches in Greece are created equal. Some are calmer than others and more pleasant to be in. Like for my last stop in Iraqon, I was planning a beach day. And I really wish I planned the beach day for roads. And I’ll explain that in my next video when I do. It also looks like they’re improving the beach area. It looks like they’re putting in a wood boardwalk type. Maybe I’m wrong, but it’s a nice beach to go to and it’s not busy. After the beach, we walked around a little bit more, did some more sightseeing, and we worked up an appetite to get some gelato. Of course, I definitely loved the gelato scene in Greece. Every day we went to a different gelato place when we were out and about. And of course, I had to get the pistachio. It was so good. I miss the gelato already. Where I’m from, we don’t get a lot of gelato, so I have to take advantage when I see it. If you’re still watching, thanks so much, and I’ll see you next time when we go visit. [Music]

Discovering Rhodes, Greece 🇬🇷 | From Castles 🏰 to Coastlines 🌊

Join me as I explore the stunning island of Rhodes, Greece, a destination filled with sunshine, history, and breathtaking views. From wandering through the UNESCO-listed Medieval Old Town to relaxing on golden beaches and visiting the legendary sites of the Knights of St. John, Rhodes has something for everyone. #rhodesgreece #travelgreece #greekmythology #rhodesbeach #unescoworldheritage