KOS our final Greek Destination

KOS

The following day we sailed off to Kos, our final Greek stop.  Kos is a very popular holiday destination, demonstrated by umpteen modern hotels along the town coastline.  Strips of beach were filled with sunbeds, parasols and 'pink' bodies.  The marina was on the edge of town, so thankfully it was relatively quiet.  


There were certain requirements to be met before taking the boat and ourselves out of Greek Waters.  So Alan spent the day busy with paperwork which entailed visits to Customs and Immigrations who stamped the papers so that the Port Police could give us an Exit Stamp.   We left him to it as processing paperwork can takes hours.  Kos town was a real mix of modern ‘tourist driven’ buildings and ancient Roman ruins interspersed with colourful blossoms and trees.   

mosaic in ancient Kos Agora

The ancient Agora (old market place) with its central position was fenced off – but not very well because we slipped through and inspected the large site.

Hippocrates' Plane tree with a few Roman Ruins

Nearby we found ‘Hippocrates Tree’.   Apparently ‘the father of modern medicine’ taught his students here.   Well - however old the plane tree was - I’m sure it wasn’t 2,500 years old, but I would like to think this was the spot and maybe the Plane tree a descendant of the original.  

We also spotted Minarets and a Turkish Bath house – a reminder of the proximity of Turkey and the historical fact that this island was in Ottoman hands until 1914 when the Italians took charge.  It only became part of Greece in 1948.

Later we caught a small train that climbed into the hills to reach the Kos Asklepieion – one of the three most important healing centres of Ancient Greece.  It was built after Hippocrates’ death (460-377 BC) to perpetuate his teachings.  

The placement of the sanatorium was thought to be as important as the healing methods and so we found the Asklepieion amidst cypress and olive trees on a peaceful hill with magnificent views over the Gulf of Kos.   Cleansing winds, medicinal springs and ample herbs would have been close to hand; the entire site had a calmness and serenity no doubt due in part to the beautiful situation.

After a quick lunch we resumed our exploration of Kos town and walked around the walls of the medieval Castle of the Knights that dominates the town harbour.  Entering the old town we passed through streets lined with oleander, hibiscus and bougainvillea......

Old remains were everywhere.....

We  stumbled upon Roman villas with intact mosaic floors and interior wall paintings.

Finally we returned via old Kos with its narrow streets and many squares and collapsed for refreshment before our walk back to Moody B'Lou.

We enjoyed our final Greek supper at a local restaurant on the Promenade and returned for an early morning departure to TURKEY.