did someone say Rhode(s) trip?

Before this summer, I probably couldn’t tell you anything about Rhodes. Honestly, I might not have even had the slightest idea about its location! However, two of my wise professors at University, suggested I visit Rhodes this summer. Trusting their expertise, we decided we should head over to Rhodes, Greece for about 6 days. Our time in Rhodes was absolutely, positively wonderful.

I cannot say enough about this island. What surprised me most about Rhodes was all that it had to offer. Our time in Rhodes was filled with culture, history, natural beauty, beaches, and friendly faces. The city of Rhodes holds one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world and it is truly a mind boggling experience to see the old town of Rhodes.

There were so many highlights during our time in Rhodes and I will quickly mention a few of my favorite moments from our time in Rhodes.

1. Staying in a medieval building right off the Street of Knights. Our apartment building was built in the 14th century and what a treat that was to stay there! We booked this apartment through Air BnB and our host made our experience very memorable. He sat down with us, told us a bit about Rhodes and prepared us traditional Greek coffee and spoon sweets. Our host George was actually an architect who had worked for 20 years preserving and restoring many of the old buildings around Rhodes. To me it was incredible that George had worked to preserve many of the beautiful sites we went to see during our stay in Rhodes.

2. Befriending a local man named Lampros who was a very talented street artist. We met him one night at dinner and we would see him every day working on portraits in the main square. He shared with us many tidbits of life advice, comical stories, and made us feel like we had an old friend in a place very far from home.

3. Walking around the medieval city of Rhodes. Simply walking around was an unforgettable experience in and of itself. The streets are picturesque and pedestrian only (only locals are allowed to drive their cars within the city walls). This makes the old town of Rhodes have a certain sense of magic to it. My favorite part of each day was when the streets were especially quiet in the morning and in the evening after all the cruise ships left!

4. Visiting unreal beaches such as Lindos, St. Pauls Bay, and Kalithea Springs. Each beach was so beautiful and the water was refreshingly cool. Being in the Greek Islands has spoiled me with turquoise water and now I think I will be in shock when I return to the Atlantic coast. The town of Lindos especially was a wonderful experience because the town was just downright stunning.

5. Hitting the road was another fun experience that I will never forget. We rented a car one day and took it out to the very small mountain town called Vati. Nestled within the mountains and hills, Vati is just SO adorable. We saw a total of 7 people, 3 cats, and 1 dog while we were in Vati. While in Vati, we stopped for an afternoon snack at one of the two restaurants in town and the food was out of this world. As we were the only tourists in the whole town of Vati (remember there were only 7 people there), the restaurant owner sat down with us and we chatted the afternoon away. It was one of those afternoons that you wish would never end.

6. Seeing a mountain goat casually standing atop a person's car (hopefully it wasn’t someone’s rental!). 

7. Also seeing the millions of kittens EVERYWHERE. Animals are always a highlight because they are obviously adorable.

8. Learning so much about the unique history of Rhodes. The history of the city is just fascinating! The city had been ruled and taken over by countless different groups throughout history. It has influences from the east and west scattered all throughout its history, culture, and architecture.

So as you can tell, there were many many wonderful things I loved about Rhodes. Staying on the island was an experience I will really never forget. My favorite part of all though was the people I spent it with—my adventurous mother and sister! I am so glad we got to spend a little island time together before my mom boarded her plane home after a week travelling with her. I am feeling so beyond thankful for all the memories and experiences I am having during my time abroad. My heart is so overjoyed as I am constantly amazed by the miracles all around me.