Rhodos island in Dodecanece islands in Aegean Sea in Greece The Village of Archangelos
Once you walk into the narrow side streets you will understand why Archangelosis regarded as one of the most unusual villages in Rhodes. The local people are faithful to the village traditions: they still bake their bread every day in the old wood fired ovens ( ask if you can photograph one and you' re very likely to come away with a gift of a loaf, made from dough kneaded by hand ); they keep alive the skills and crafts of their grand-fathers; they marry in traditional ceremonies and still speak in their own distinctive idiom. Although last year saw the departure of the last of the old vrakades (vrakas was the word for those who wore the traditional black breeches ), The village cobbler Papanikolas Ziodis still makes the high leather boots that a number of the local people ( men and women ) still wear.
Mrs Anthoula Chatzinikola weaves rugs by hand on her own loom ,and Stefanos Giaseris Keeps up the traditional potter's art. Archangelos is the biggest village on Rhodes, with some 6,ooo inhabitants. The centre of the village is dominated by the church of the Archangel Michael, with its fine campanile dating from 1845. The distinctive atmosphere of the narrow streets around the church owes much to the traditional houses, painted in vivid yellows, blues and greens, with their arches and walls decorated with ceramic plates from Lindos . In the village square you' ll find banks a post office, health centre and taxi rank. If you 're here in the evening ,have a drink at 1900, the cafe- bar run by Locals in a building that once housed an old olive press.
On the slopes of the nearby Mt. Strongylos there still live some of the small .black, wild horses of the region, which the local people used in times gone by for threshing the grain. Efforts to save the few remaining horses have now received funding from the EU Leader programme. You can see the four horses that have been enclosed in a fenced area by the Aithonas Society. On high ground about three kilometres from the village, on the road to the beach at Stegna, lies the cave of Koumelos, famous for its extraordinary stalactites. Many local people claim that the cave communicates with the cave communicates with the sea . The cave is definitely worth a visit; you can get the key from the Town Hall .
ACCOMMODATION in RHODES island Look at Rodos island Photo Gallery The map of Rodos
|
