Robin's Adventures

The acropolis at Lindos is an ancient citadel with ruins dating back to the fourth century BC, although it has been modified over the years by Greeks, Romans, Knights of Saint John, and the Ottomans.

At the base of the stairway leading to the entrance is the relief of a large trireme, or ancient Greek warship, that dates back to 180 BC.

The current walls and towers, which follow the natural contours of the cliff, are from the Castle of the Knights of Saint John which was built on top of older fortifications in 1317. The circumference of the outer walls is about 1,667 feet.

Within the walls of the acropolis are the remains of the Temple of Athena Lindia, built around 300 BC. Inside the temple is a table for offerings located at the base of the former site of a statue to Athena.

There are also several columns remaining from the original 42 columns of an ancient stoa, or roofed colonnade that was built sometime around 200 BC.

The remains of a bricked building with arched windows is part of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint John which was built around the 13th century on top of the remains of a previous church.

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes was built in the early 14th century on top of the remains of a seventh century citadel. There are more than 150 rooms in the rectangular shaped castle with a large courtyard in the center of the structure. A medieval town with old cobblestone streets also lies within the castle walls.

Just a handful of the 150 rooms of the Palace of Knights are opened to the public. Within these rooms and also in the castle's museum are some interesting statues, pottery, and mosaics.

Wandering through Rhodes also provided an interesting stop at an ice cream shop that had a unique way of displaying their wares.

Our visit to the island of Cypress began in the ruins of the ancient city of Kourion. This large flourishing city, which was destroyed in the earthquake of 365 AD, has the remains of a few private villas, some baths, an agora or marketplace, and a small temple.

There are mosaic floors from the 5th century that are in remarkably good condition in the Eustolios House. The theater, from the 2nd century BC, has recently been restored and is used during the summer for open air concerts and theatrical performances.

The Temple of Apollo was an important religious center since the 8th century BC. Along with the temple, there are several dormitories and baths on the site which were utilized by the large numbers of people who made a pilgrimage to the site to worship Apollo.

Omodos Village is a small wine producing community in the hills of Cyprus. The village has cobblestone streets lined with stone houses and shops. While wandering through the village we came across a medieval wine press and we saw the old Holy Cross Monastery.

During our visit to Haifa, Israel, we saw the beautiful terraced gardens that surround the Baha'i Temple located on the foot of Mount Carmel. The gardens are laid out in nineteen different terraces along the slope and the shrine at the top is the final resting place of the founder of the Baha'i Faith.

Caesarea National Park contains the archaeological remains of a maritime city built under the rule of Herod the Great between 22 and 10 BC. The city was named for Herod's patron, the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus.

Caesarea, which had an elaborate aqueduct system to bring in water, had a nymphaeum, or public fountain, as well as a palace, a Roman amphitheater, a temple, a hippodrome, or stadium for chariot races, and a very large harbor.

During our visit, we also saw a Great Egret (Casmerodius albus). It is interesting to note that females generally lay 3-5 eggs at a time and that the young chicks will generally kill and eat their youngest sibling.

Ruins at Caesarea include public baths as well as Herod's Palace with some beautiful mosaic floors.