7. Rhodes

 Rhodes, Greece – A Familiar Port with a Stormy Departure

We arrived in Rhodes Town so early that it was still dark as the Marella Discovery approached the harbour, with the island’s medieval old town gradually coming into view. Despite the early hour, Rob was up on deck to watch our arrival, never one to miss an opportunity to see a new day dawn over another beautiful Mediterranean destination.

Having spent a week in Rhodes earlier in the year, we decided not to venture too far from the port on this visit. Instead, we planned a leisurely stroll around some of our favourite spots and enjoyed a more relaxed morning ashore.

Our first stop was one of our old haunts, the Yacht Club, where we settled down with a refreshing Greek frappé and took the opportunity to catch up on our messages. It was lovely to revisit a familiar place and enjoy a little taste of local life before continuing our walk along the waterfront.

We then made our way towards the Mole des Moulins, the historic windmill pier, where we found a good vantage point to photograph the Marella Discovery in port. With the ship providing such an impressive backdrop, it was well worth the walk.

From there, we took a brief stroll through the famous medieval Old Town. However, with three cruise ships in port, the narrow streets were particularly busy, so we didn't linger for too long. Instead, we continued along the newer waterfront promenade, enjoying the coastal views and stopping to admire the remains of the old city walls, a reminder of Rhodes’ fascinating history.

Before we knew it, it was time to return to the ship. We had an early departure scheduled for 1.45 pm, and as the Marella Discovery slipped away from Rhodes, the weather seemed to have other ideas. We sailed towards increasingly stormy skies, with dark clouds gathering and thunder rumbling in the distance. It certainly made for a dramatic change from the sunshine we had enjoyed ashore!

That evening, we headed to the Showtime Theatre for the night’s entertainment, a glamorous 1920s-themed production called Flair. With its vintage style and theatrical atmosphere, it provided an enjoyable end to our day.