RODOS / Rhodes Kolos sa Dodekaneza THE COLOSSUS OF THE DODECANESE
One of Greece’s most popular holiday destinations, Cor- fu is an island in the Ionian Sea that’s known for its cosmo- politan Old Town, spectacular sand beaches and stun- ningly beautiful scenery. Corfu has a rich history woven from a dizzying number of influences - Venetians, English, French and Russian, all left their mark here, so that along- side ancient ruins, a really unique eclecticism exists. Still, this Greek island firstly occupies a special place in the collective consciousness of the Serbs as the place where the Serbian army and state recovered after the Al- banian Golgotha of World War I. There is so much here in the Ionian Sea that bears the historical stamp of the un- breakable bond between the two nations, and the es- sential tour for Serbian tourists includes a visit to Serbi- an House (a memorial gallery housed within the Serbian consulate, dedicated to the period spent in Corfu by the Serbian army) and a visit to the ossuary of Serbian sol- diers on the island of Vido, just off the coast of Corfu Town. A place of sadness and silence, it was most beau- tifully described in verse in Milutin Bojić’s famous ode The Blue Tomb. UNESCO has declared Corfu Old Town a World Heritage Site. Who wouldn’t be left impressed by the magnificent buildings, with neoclassical elements, or the Palace of St. Michael and St. George, the Catholic Cathedral, the Par- liament or the Kapodistrias family villa? In the famous alleys of Campiello, you will feel like a star in some film. Regardless of its many cultural and historical values, Corfu wouldn’t be such a popular destination if it didn’t have out- standing nature. The beaches are very varied, from sand to rocky outcrop, and over thirty beaches sport a “blue flag”, indicating that they satisfy the highest ecological and logistical standards. The sea is warmer and calmer along the eastern coast of Corfu, while on the western side there are more winds and waves, but the beaches themselves are actually more interesting. There are also many plac- es adapted to families with small children, such as Sidari, where the water barely reaches one’s knees even a hun- dred metres from the shore. It is also home to an interest- ing natural monument known as the Channel of Love: a mass of limestone outcrops and coves that form interest- ing shapes and are popular among bathers, walkers and loving couples. You have to swim through a natural pas- sageway made of smooth rocks that form a tunnel, so be sure to give us a call if you find your soulmate at the end, as the legend promises. One local product that’s very popular is the kumquat, a small citrus fruit similar to an orange, which is served main- ly as a preserved honeyed sweet or made into a liqueur. The popular claim of Corfu folk that the kumquat grows only there and nowhere else in the world actually isn’t true, but it is true that it isn’t represented like it is here anywhere else in Greece. The most widespread fruit-bearing plant is, of course, the olive tree, which is used to make very high-quality oil and various delights, and the island is also packed with lemons, which the locals don't seem to know what to do with: almost every lemon tree you see sags un- der the weight of large, ripe fruits.
U isto vreme kosmopolitsko i tradicionalno, van- vremensko i moderno, jednostavno i spektaku- larno – Rodos je ostrvo u Grčkoj koje ima toliko lica i otkricete ih sva, ali jedna poseta neće bi- ti dovoljna. Pejzaž ovog ostrva Dodekaneza ima toliko pri- vlačne lepote, da nije ni čudo da je jedna od naj- popularnijih destinacija za odmor u Grčkoj. Ovde se ogromne peščane plaže, čista voda, zamkovi i drevne civilizacije bez napora mešaju sa gurman- skim restoranima i tradicionalnim tavernama koje služe lokalne delicije. Rodos je prelep mozaik do- življaja: ostrvo vitezova i mitskog Kolosa sa Rodo- sa, gde su Vizantinci, Grci, Mlečani i Turci ostavi- li ponešto po čemu ce ih pamtiti. Pored luksuznih odmarališta, ovde se nalaze sela u kojima žene i dalje peku hleb u peci na drva na otvorenom. Jedno od najbolje očuvanih srednjovekovnih na- selja na svetu, Stari grad Rodosa, proglašen je
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Greek islands » Grčka ostrva | 81
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