Call me crazy, but Greece had never been high on my list of places to visit. I really don’t know why, maybe because I associate Greece with beach vacations and those aren’t really my thing, but upon arrival in Rhodes I was shown that Greece is so much more than just a pretty beach. Ironically, the second I saw the beach I wanted to sit and stare at the water for hours.

The waters of the Mediterranean are truly mesmerizing.

Our previous port destinations required some type of transportation into the city centers, either through a tour or through a shuttle provided by the cruise, but once we pulled into the Rhodes port everything was right there. It’s a good thing too, because this was the only day we didn’t book any tours or have any plans. I am so thankful we kept this day free, this was likely my second favorite day of our trip.

Our plan for the day was to wander, and as fate had it right before we entered into the Old City we saw a Hop on Hop off bus. I am A SUCKER FOR THOSE TOURIST BUSES!

The full rotation of the bus was about an hour. Our plan was to ride the loop in full and decide where we wanted to get off and explore more. These busses provide an affordable option for getting a lay of the land, some historical information, AND transportation for a full day. I love walking as much as I can, but I also love maximizing time with the option of location hopping by bus.

As we started our tour Duncan and I decided to count the cats we saw for the day, and I was already up to 12 by the time we chose our first place to explore.

After one full rotation we decided to get off at the Acropolis of Rhodes. Here there are many old ruins including the Temple of Apollo, the Odeon (small marble theatre), and the Stadium (what we came for.) As we were walking towards the Stadium my cat count shot up and I officially lost track of how many I had seen. I was loving the old Stadium, but I was enamored by the cats.

Our original plan was to spend some time here and then walk down to the beach where we would catch the bus and ride back to the Old City where we started. I was trying to maximize time while also wandering by foot, but we spent just enough time at the Acropolis to warrant waiting for the bus. This gave me the opportunity to find more friends.

I wonder if these cats were around when the Stadium was in full swing, lounging on the benches like they do today.

As we walked back towards the bus stop, I saw my future as clear as the shallow waters of Hawaii. A woman speaking in Greek was summoning the cats in the above photo, with a bag of cat food in her hand. She splayed food out in piles along the flat stone and it was here I learned the way in which humans and cats coexist in these Mediterranean locations. She was such a sweet older woman, and I have never been more certain of my purpose.

We decided to skip the beach and go straight to the Old Town. If time permitted we could walk to the beach, but we wanted to ensure enough time in the Old Town and some of the surrounding locations. We entered into the city through the Gate D’Amboise, one of the many gate entrances, and it was my favorite of them all.

We wandered the bustling streets inside the Old City, but eventually found our way towards the quiet residential areas where we both enjoyed the solitude.

We walked, and walked and walked, petting as many cats as we could. They were everywhere within this city. They were everywhere on the entire area of this island and it was pure paradise. While we were inside the Old City we climbed some stone stairs providing a view of the water as well as a view of a spit of land leading out to the Windmills of Mandraki (once used to grind grain that was brought to Rhodes via the ships), and the Fort of St Nicholas (designated as a place for guarding the entrance to the harbour.)

A vantage point to show us where we would wander next, off we went!

Our walk towards the spit was not without reward, the views of the water were stunning and we eventually stumbled upon the most adorable catuary I have ever seen. A small piece of the old fort was filled with cats. I only wish I’d had more Euros on me, but I spent most of what I brought on water earlier in the day. I gave the only change I had to the cats, anything for the cats.

As we got closer to the fort we tried to climb on the rocks to get a view of the front facing the water, but the rocks got a bit sketchy. Instead we stopped to soak up the view for a bit before walking towards where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. There is much debate over the true original location of this giant statue, but what seems to be accepted by all parties is the earthquake causing the statue to fall only a handful of decades after it was built.

I like to believe the statue was standing over the entrance to the Mandraki harbor, where today you’ll find two deer statues standing atop pillars.

We spent the rest of the day wandering more within the Old City. The entire day was full of winding in and out of new streets, getting “lost”, and finding cats. It was one of the most enjoyable days I have had throughout all of my wandering travels. I was thankful to have spent the day with Duncan, we walked around 10 miles this day, and he was loving it just as much as I was.

We did not end up riding the HOHO bus again, but we also didn’t need to. We saw a larger area of the city thanks to the bus, but we managed the rest by foot. It was nice to have this mode of transportation at the beginning of our day to maximize time, as the Acropolis would have taken over an hour round trip to walk to without having GPS.

If you’re short on time, or if you want an idea of places to visit I highly recommend any of the HOHO style city bus tours.

As the day came to an end we stumbled upon a community of cats, where we were surrounded by over ten at once. All of them wanted pets and love, and I so badly wanted to take all of them home. Duncan was such a trooper with all the photos I wanted to take. I never want my photo taken, but put me next to a cat and I become like a D list celebrity lusting for the paparazzi.

Rhodes is a beautiful, relaxing city. History abounds for those who enjoy it, and for those who don’t there are endless shops, cafes, and beaches to satisfy your needs. There is quite literally something for everyone here. If I have the opportunity to visit Rhodes again I will likely rent a car because there is so much more to the island than this tiny port area near the Old City.

The Old City is a must see of course, but I would love to drive the entirety of this island one day.

We left no stone unturned in Rhodes. I felt we saw all that we wanted to see for this particular day, and we made it back to the ship with empty bellies ready to devour the dinner buffet. We chose to predominantly eat on the ship for this vacation, while I love experiencing cultures through food, I also love saving money.

Food was already included with our trip, so we ate as much as we could on board.

My opinion of Greece was changed after this day. I look forward to an exclusive Greek vacation in the future, spending at least a week touring a handful of Greek Islands. I have some food to eat, and more cats to pet. Our next stop of the cruise brought us to Turkey where we visited an amazing ancient city, with even more cats. Go figure.

Q: Would you eat the food you already paid for with a vacation package, or splurge on extra local foods?