Engaging moments in Rhodes

How refreshing to once again visit an island with trees, grass and culture that isn't purely tourism. We liked Rhodes pretty much instantly. Rhodes old town is one of the best preserved medieval castles in all of Europe - on all of the entrances you pass through spectacular castle gates, built in walls 12m thick in parts. And unlike all the package tourists who stay in highrises in the new town, we checked into a tiny little pension right in the heart of the old town's cobbled passageways.

Apart from wandering among the marketstalls in the old town streets, we also rented a scooter and explored a little of the rest of the island. This included a trip to the Valley of the Butterflies - a fresh pocket of green nestled along a tiny stream, with the masses of butterflies resting on rocks and trees in the cool shade - followed by lunch at the refreshingly non-tourist Alexandros cafe looking out over the valley. We only briefly stopped at a beach for a quick swim, before retreating back to the sanctuary of our airconditioned room :-)

The best part of our visit (and holiday so far!), was a wonderful moment we shared on Saturday night - sitting out on the beachfront watching the Arabian nights sunset with Turkey in the distance, Lecky placed a ring on his guitar, got down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. Of course I said yes! After sharing the great news with family (sorry for the early morning calls everyone!), we celebrated by demolishing the best all-you-can-eat Greek buffet in the whole of Greece.
I'm pretty sure we'll be back to visit Rhodes again after the wonderful time we've had, but for now, we're saying goodbye to the islands, and heading to the Peleponeses for a bit over a week.