Continuing on this rapid fire cruise across the Med has again brought us to several enjoyable locations one after another. Over the course of three days we made port on the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes before venturing on to Kuşadası, Turkiye. The two Greek islands were lovely to say the least and we recommend them to any cruise travelers as great locations to wander on your own. Our stop in Kuşadası was a bit different this time as we joined a crew excursion for a visit to the ancient Ionian Greek city of Ephesus. Here is a recap of our time in each of these locations while cruising Greece and Turkey.
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Crete
The cruise port in western Crete is Souda, but the destination is Chania. Chania is a medieval city built on the site of an ancient Minoan city. With such an incredibly long history it is full of remnants of various civilizations. As we walked the narrow old city streets we saw evidence of the changing rulership over time. From the middle ages to modern times the city has vacillated between the Byzantines, Saracens, Venetians, and Ottomans. Among the architectural highlights of the old port city are the 16th Venetian lighthouse, the imposing Venetian Fortress, an Ottoman mosque, Venetian arsenals, and Byzantine churches.
The perma-grin is hard to lose as you stroll along the vibrant city streets chock full of pedestrians visiting the many cafes and shops. Everything in Chania is walkable. Just be aware of cars and cycles that randomly drive down what you think is a pedestrian only street. We enjoyed a delicious Greek lunch on the shady patio at Krio Vrisali. There are so many great places to eat you won’t have any difficulty finding a delightful location to sate your appetite.
Crete has so many things to do and see beyond the old port city of Chania. Whether you want to chill at the beach, indulge your love of nature, or soak up the ancient history you will find something awesome. We would love to go back for a visit to the ancient Minoan palace of Knossos and an outing to the ancient olive tree of Vouves estimated to be between 2000-4000 years old.
Rhodes
Our journey continued on to another equally awe inspiring port, the city of Rhodes on the island of Rhodes. The ship docks just a short walk into the old city. Can I just keep using the term old city? It seems to apply constantly in this part of the world, so we’re just going to run with it. Similar to Crete, Rhodes history spans millennia. According to ancient Greek historians it was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes. In medieval times the city of Rhodes was turned into a walled fortification by the Knights Hospitaller of Saint John. The entire old city is still defined and surrounded by the walls built in the middle ages. You can stroll up the Street of Knights to the Palace of the Grand Master. If you are a history nerd like I am you will just be in a state of happiness as you take in the fantastic sights of Rhodes.
We wandered among the cobblestone medieval streets of the old city. As you would expect, there are a plethora of restaurants, vendors, shops, musicians, and artists. Along with some light shopping we enjoyed a lovely Greek lunch on the rooftop garden of La Veranda. The food was delicious and setting even better. If you want something quicker, cheaper, and equally fantastic, grab a gyro downstairs from La Veranda at Pita Nikos. Yes, we sampled both…
Of course the old city of Rhodes is just one location on the island of Rhodes. Like Crete there are many ancient sites, adorable villages, and gorgeous beach resorts on the largest of the Dodecanese Greek islands. Our friend Chris’ family hails from Rhodes and he’s told me in the past that I need to visit the island. Chris was so right. He may have downplayed just how amazing it is. Like so many other places in this part of the world we can’t wait to go back for a longer explore.
Ephesus
The Oosterdam’s next port of call was in the Turkish port of Kuşadası. We’re told that is pronounced Koosh-uh-das-uh. Dragon and I went on our first crew excursion, which was an outing to the ancient archaeological site of Ephesus. We were surprised to discover the tour made a stop along the way at the House of the Virgin Mary. Who knew? After that it was on to Ephesus or Ephesus 3 as our guide referred to it. We finished the day with a bizarre meal on back along the port.
Let’s start with the House of the Virgin Mary. This was a bizarre stop for several reasons. The home was a reconstruction of what it may have looked like, probably. So why is it in Turkey? Jesus apparently instructed the apostle John to look after Mary. The apostle John reportedly lived in Kuşadası for a time. Fast forward to the 19th century when a bedridden German nun was having visions of Mary living in a house near Ephesus close to a pool or cistern. Some 60 years after her death a French priest searched the mountains around Ephesus for a property matching her descriptions. Now it is a major tourist attraction and pilgrimage site for Christians and Muslims alike.
Side note: along the way to Ephesus we drove past an incredible castle on a hilltop nearby, Ayasuluk Castle. Our guide literally said something to the effect of “That castle is only 500 years old. It is nothing. Who cares?” That is only two times older than the United States. The cradle of civilization over here is just on another level. To be fair to the castle it seems appropriate to correct our guide. The castle is “only” 1500 years old as it was built in the 6th century. That may make it worse actually…
Onward to Ephesus! Ephesus is an ancient Ionian Greek city in what is now Turkey or Turkiye. According to ancient Greek scholars Ephesus was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis. While there isn’t much that remains of the Temple of Artemis today, the site of Ephesus is quite extensive. There are many buildings, roadways, the agora, temples, and a massive theater. The entire site is much larger and more impressive than we anticipated. The Grand Theater and the Library of Celsus are two jaw dropping, awe inspiring structures that took our breath away. After our grand adventure to Ephesus we returned to the port of Kuşadası.
After walking some of the shops and perusing the “Genuine Fake” watches and other imitation goods they try to sell you as if that is the most normal phrase in the world, we grabbed some lunch. We ate lunch with our friend Paul Kenny at a Turkish restaurant on the port. Having no idea what to order we let the waiter decide. He brought us a massive platter of food that was quite delicious. Unfortunately the restaurants must turn over regularly, because we can’t find it on Google to share with you.
Like our tour and shopping, lunch was equally strange. The waiter didn’t like seeing food left on the platter so he literally took my fork out of my hand, speared different pieces of food, and shoved them in our mouths like we were his children. Turkiye, pronounced Turkey-eh. I’m just throwing that out with a Wisconsin/Canadian accent as a question/statement. If Kuşadası is a reflection of the rest of Turkey this is truly a bizarre country.
Onward
This stretch of our current Mediterranean journey has been pretty interesting. The Med is probably my favorite region I’ve ever been. There is so much history and unique culture cruising Greece and Turkey that it just leaves me with an overwhelming feeling of awe and joy. Once you throw on top of that the perfect weather, scenery, food, beverages, activities, and people then this part of the world just leaves me stunned into a ridiculous grin. Cheers my friends. We’ll update you on the next leg of the journey soon.
