Rhodes and Sulmona

Thirty-two CCI students and four teachers ventured to the Greek island of Rhodes April 28 to May 1 for a weekend packed with history, travel and great food.  After seven hours of travel, we arrived at our hotel and had a wonderful dinner of Greek food including tzatziki, Greek salad, hunks of feta cheese, chicken and of course Baklava. 

Friday we travelled by local bus down the West coast to the city of Lindos to visit the impressive 2500 year old Greek acropolis that towers over the town.  For most, the donkey ride up to the acropolis was the highlight of the trip, but the views from the top were equally rewarding. 

The site certainly dominates the surrounding countryside and its buildings represent influences of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Crusader knights.  The Roman temple was built by the Emperor Diocletion, who also built the bridge in Lanciano and the palace in Split.  Diocletion made Rhodes the regional administrative capital of the Eastern Mediterranean.

After another wonderful lunch of Greek delicacies and some wandering around the maze of streets in this small town, we returned to Rhodes.

The hotel was ideally situated a couple of blocks from both the east and west side of the Aegean and a few blocks north of the Old City, which was the focus of Saturday’s agenda. 

The knights of Rhodes were Crusaders who had guarded the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (the tomb of Christ).  After being forced out by the Ottoman Turks in the early 1300s, they bought the island of Rhodes and established a massive fortified town that lasted until the 1500s.  It remains today a UNESCO heritage site with its impressive Street of the Knights and Palace of the Grand Master.  The students wandered the maze of streets, visited the historic sites and did some serious shopping or window shopping in the souk-like markets. 

There were endless charming restaurants to stop for lunch.  

Some students spent time in the hot tub and some even ventured into the hotel pool, while others ventured out on a glass bottom boat tour of the harbour. About half of the students visited the Rhodes Aquarium which highlights the local marine life in the Aegean including some endangered species found only around Rhodes.

At check out, the hotel staff praised the students as one of the best groups they ever had and were looking forward to a return visit from CCI. 

Those students and staff who remained behind were treated to a lovely steak dinner cooked by Mr. C.

On Friday, we drove to Sulmona.

There we visited the Pelino Confetti museum and factory. Confetti candy is has either an almond or chocolate centre.

Sulmona is famous for the production of this candy and for making very creative uses of it. The brightly coloured flowers seen in the photos below are in fact confetti candies. 

Locally here, the poppies are in abundance in the fields.