A Medieval Town

June 22 2010
After working hard again this morning and afternoon (I gave my lecture and then had to face a friendly but intense “Socratic” examination by the moderators), a colleague and I decided to spend the 3-hour late afternoon break exploring the Old Town of Rhodes, founded in 408 BC. The first stop was for lunch! The bottom photo shows the squid stuffed with feta cheese and tomatoes we ate. Delicious! Although Rhodes has had essentially six eras (ancient Greek, or “Hellenic,” Byzantine, Medieval [1308-1522],Ottoman [1522-1912], Italian[1912-1944], and modern), the overwhelming impression is that of a wealthy strategically placed medieval town in which the Crusades were serious business. I did not see the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of a man that straddled the harbor and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This is because it was demolished in a powerful earthquake in 226 BC.
Modern Rhodes is quite touristy, but once you step away from the main streets you can see the juxtaposition of the different conquests. The photos show the remnants of the Medieval and Ottoman years, with turrets and saints interspersed with minarets. It was a gloriously sunny hot day with a nice breeze. Although it must look to blog readers like this is a joy ride, the business at hand (educating specialists in fetal medicine) is actually quite serious. There are obstetricians here from all over the world- Ghana, Japan, Lebanon, Pakistan, France, England, Russia, and Argentina, to name a few of the badges I’ve observed. We are videotaping the entire Congress, and the proceedings will be posted on the Prenatal Diagnosis journal website, where it will impact many more health care providers with access to the internet. The fact that I can teach and help women worldwide while enjoying a World Heritage site makes me a very lucky person indeed.