Athens and Rhodes

Friday, March 13, 2009
Most of today was a magnificent tour of Athens, with a sensational tour guide who told stories of history, politics, architecture, mythology and culture.
For example, she pointed out that most people think the Acropolis is the beautiful building that we have seen in photos. But it is the high hill that the buildings sit on. She said that many towns have an Acropolis. The Greek word acra means "high" as in acrobats and acrophobia, and "polis" means city or community of people as in police, politics or metropolis. So it is the high hill within a community. The beautiful building of pillars that we are familiar with is the Parthenon.
We had 2 hours to spend at the Acropolis and I thought that was going to be way too much time. But it flew by and I wished we’d had many more hours to spend.
Walking around the Parthenon felt like a mystical, meditative moment. The beauty of the buildings plus the majestic view of the city were both exciting and serene at the same time.
As we were leaving, I turned back to look once more at the Parthenon, and still could not believe I was actually here. I felt totally present, a bit choked up and hated to leave. It was a moment I’ll always remember.
Then as our bus drove through the city, we paused and looked up at the view of the Acropolis. The view of the city from up there was breath-taking, and now, the view of the ruins from down here were equally awesome.
I thought how it must feel to live in Athens, go to the grocery store and glance up to see this inspiring sight. And I wondered if they just take if for granted and stop noticing it, or if Athenians daily marvel at the sight up on that hill. OPAA!!

Saturday, 3/14/09
Today we are in Rhodes, Greece, home many centuries ago of the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. At dinner last night, a fellow diner said, "Does anyone know the difference between the Knights of Rhodes and the Knights of Malta?"
I love learning about this era, know a bit about it, so I explained to him that the Knights Templar were a different order, but the Knights of the Order of St. John
Were first called Hospitaliers because they provided health care for the pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem. When they went to Rhodes in 1309 after the crusades, people called them the Knights of Rhodes but they were still the same order. And after being defeated by the Ottomen of Suliman’s Empire, they traveled to different countries for 7 years and finally were awarded Malta. The fee they had to pay for Malta was (can you guess?) one Maltese Falcon per year, to be paid on All Souls Day (Nov. 1 or 2 – I can’t remember which it is). So the Knights of Malta are the same order also.
Both the Knights Templar and the Knights of the Order of St. John were "warrior priests". They were highly trained & highly disciplined military men, and they also took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and lived the spiritual life of a monk.
Going to Rhodes and seeing their fortification, hospital and the palace of the Grand Marshall (the head honcho of the Knights) was a fabulous chance to experience history. Walking down the cobblestone "Street of the Knights" had my imagination spinning with thoughts of what it must have been like 700 years ago.
And actually being in their hospital seemed like a sacred space. It turns out that they had one special area of the building for the sick and injured, and the other areas were to provide rooms for weary travelers. The Knights would give them a warm bed (back then, it was a mat of straw) and meals and people could stay in their hospital until they felt "recharged". That’s where the word hospitality comes from.
Well, we haven’t been able to access the internet for several days. I’m off now with hopes that I can send this to you. If you love history, you would love this cruise. This is beyond my wildest dreams. Magnificent. Bruce and I are having a great time….
Cruising along
Rita