No, I didn’t see him there, of course, because he died some time ago (1990), but when I was there recently I passed by his old house. This is one of those places you might not know about, and might not think to visit, but should you find yourself in Rhodes with spare time, waiting for a ferry or something, you might want to pass by and take a look.
The Lawrence Durrell House (Villa Kleobolus) is a little villa by the old Turkish Cemetery and the Mosque of Reis, right next to the Casino. It has also been described as the gatekeeper’s cottage, which it may have been, and it’s right on the edge of the road, so easy to view. Durrell was there from 1945 to 1947 and was working for the British government because Britain was overseeing the Dodecanese for a while following WWII. The British administration was using what is now the casino, so the villa/cottage was handy for work. As Information Officer, he supervised the publication of three daily papers, in Greek, Turkish, and Italian.
I am not sure of the status of the property today. I read that ‘it houses the Association of Literature and Arts but it was closed’, but that was in a review on Trip Advisor, so… I’ve never seen it open for any reason, it doesn’t look used, and I’ve never seen anyone going in and out. I’m sure you could find more info about the place on a trip to Rhodes, I only mention it as something of interest to see while you are there. Also nearby, you will find the soup and salad bar (more or less opposite) which is a handy, healthy and relatively cheap place for lunch.
