On today’s tour history met technology as we visited the ancient walled fortress of the Doric Temple of Athena, built about 2500 years ago. The walk from the parking lot to the fortress was beautiful and a bit adventurous, traveling down and up pedestrian-only cobblestone streets enjoying the whitewashed buildings of the town overlooking the sea below, climbing a steep hillside and 250 steps to reach our destination. Once we arrived at the base of the fortress we were given special tablets that allowed us to see renderings of what the fortress would have looked like in its original state – just point the tablet a certain direction, click on the screen, and there you go. We tried to share the experience with you by taking pictures of some of the screens -please excuse the glare on some of them.
Following our visit to Athena we stopped at a ceramics store that specializes in hand-made Rhodes-style pottery. In ancient times decorative clay plates were a symbol of wealth. The more plates a home displayed, the greater the owner’s wealth was supposed to be. Sometimes the walls of an entire room would be covered in plates. The artists at Rhodes Potter carry on the ancient craft, using the same designs found at archaeological sites. They also recreate the famous “cup of justice.” In ancient times young men would arrive in Rhodes to attend university. Like young people of any era they were eager to celebrate their new-found freedom and independence and would often over-indulge. To help them improve their self-discipline, the famous mathematician Pythagoras of Samos (famous for creating the saying, “Everything in moderation”) developed a special cup. The cup has a line etched into the top of its inside lining. Fill your beverage to this line and all is well. Fill it beyond this line – even the slightest little bit, and the entire contents of the cup drains out a hole in the bottom!
Upon our return from the tour we made a mad dash to the Old City of Rhodes where on a reconnaissance mission earlier this morning Ken found an old castle that needed visiting. We had a great tour of the castle and fell totally in love with the Old City before meeting some friends for dinner on a rooftop terrace. It was wonderful!
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