John’s place was an amazing find: tucked away on a side to a side street in the Rhodes old town, yet only about three minutes’ walk to the nearest gate and taxi stand (at San Francisco Square, near the northwest corner of the old city). We were supposed to call the host, John, 20 minutes before our arrival, so that he would have time to come meet us, but we had rented a car and found a parking place so close to the gate that we were virtually at the place before we called. Nevertheless, less than five minutes after we called, John picked up our bags with his motor bike, and we followed, unburdened, on foot—no cars are allowed in most of the old city.
The old city is a magical place at night, after most of the day’s tourists are gone. The cobblestone streets are well lighted, and though nearly empty when we were there, seem perfectly safe. The apartment itself is a dream: spotlessly clean, beautifully furnished, with new kitchen and bath. There is a stove and either microwave or toaster over (we didn’t use it, so I don’t now recall). The fridge is nearly full size, though without a freezer. The A/C works wonderfully, and the unit is incredibly quiet—so we decided to close the windows and use it, making sleeping very comfortable and blissfully noise-free. Topping it all off, so to speak, is the roof terrace, two steep flights up, but well worth the climb. There’s a full size table with four chairs, plus another small table with two more chairs, so plenty of room to enjoy a fascinating view of the old city along with a drink or coffee. It’s a two-minute walk to Marco Polo, one of the top restaurants in the old city, but John has recommendations for plenty of other places in and out of the old town. At the end of our stay, he picked us up again with his motorcycle and got our two large suitcases to the taxi stand. Highly recommended.