GREECE - 1st. stop, CRETE

Looking forward to a month in Greece with great food, warm people, the blue, blue sea and sky, that familiar music, all the history, beaches and so much more.

Here is the loose itinerary, as always we welcome suggestions.  Some island-hopping was on the agenda but cancelled as it's very expensive, especially at this time of the year.

An overnight flight lands in Heraklion in Crete, then to a car rental place and on to Chania.  Getting used to the Greek spelling for a name plus it seems at least two versions of the word in English will take some trial and error.  Arriving late afternoon, tired at our Airbnb, half a block from a beach, relaxing is on the menu.  Summer starts early here, its 30 degrees, but unlike Mexico, it is not humid.

We had thought there would be three stays on Crete, but we like Chania and area so much that we stay longer, eliminating Rethimno and reducing time in Heraklion.

The Airbnb is within walking distance of old town, the port, the public market, restaurants and markets as well as the beach.

The beach is rocky but still welcome.  A river runs into the sea here.

Here are the biggest thistles and bees that we've ever seen.  These blossoms are 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Our first explorations are the old area of Chania.  The architecture here reflects the domination of the Venetians from the 13th to the early 17th. century, to the Ottoman's in the 17th. to the early 19th. century and finally the Egyptians for a short ten years in the 19th. century.

The building top right below is the Kukuck Hassan Mosque, which is the oldest Ottoman building in Crete.  The collage below features a couple of examples of warehouses from Venetian times.  The top middle photo in old town Chania is of an ancient Minoan Palace and Town, now known as Kydonia.

The walk to the lighthouse often referred to as the jewel of the harbour features the Firkas Fortress built by the Venetians to protect the entrance to the harbour.

These electric wooden rental bikes attract our attention although I'm not sure about the wooden seat.  About the third bicycle in is what looks like a black water bottle - its the battery.  So clever.

The main square at the waterfront and all the narrow, winding streets with shops and places to stop for a drink and food seem full of tourists, and yet locals complain that tourism is down just now.  We did some needed clothes shopping and found that shop owners were more than willing to offer discounts off their posted prices and sales were common.

After a couple of days, we move to a hotel on the water, just behind our Airbnb.

The views here are great from early morning to sunset.  The water is especially calm and the area peaceful in the early morning.  We see a fisherman and someone kayaking amongst the rocks from our breakfast table on the patio.  We could easily spend a summer right here.

A little homeless dog who lives on the beach lets us know that he's hungry and thirsty.  We bring him food and water.  He stays near us much of the day, but as we watch him over time he goes readily to anyone who pays him the slightest attention.  He is young enough that he still has puppy teeth.  We report him to the owner of the hotel who says she will call the society that looks after such animals but I don't think she ever does.  He is truly a sweet animal and would make a great addition to any home.  It's so sad to see him on his own.  We see numerous homeless dogs here.

I take time out to see a doctor for a prescription then to have a day or two to rest to recover from an intestinal bug picked up in Morocco, while Paul does the 16 km rugged hike of the Samaria Gorge.  Considered one of the epic hikes of the world, it truly is probably more than I can manage with OA of the knees.  This gorge is one of the longest in Europe.

The bus ride to the Xyloskalo trailhead is the crazy beginning to the hike, up and down mountain roads with hairpin turns and switchbacks.  The hike starts at an altitude of 1250 meters in the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) and is a two-kilometre precipitous journey straight down into the gorge.  This is where most accidents happen and mules walk the trail, ready to carry injured hikers out.

In 1962 the Samaria Gorge National Park was first formed to protect the Cretan wild goat known  as kri-kri which is the largest wild animal on the island and has been around since pre-historic times.  The thirty families living in the area were re-located when the park was formed.  Some of the former homes have been re-purposed for functions such as a forest outpost, a medical centre and lodging for researchers. The park is only open for hiking in the summer.  Even this early in the summer, Paul could smell the heat rising from the earth and while smoking is not allowed in the park, he saw people smoking at the rest stops.

This little kri-kri is at one of the rest stops insists on sharing Paul's snack.  Good thing the food is vegetarian.

There are places to stop and rest and to fill a water bottle.  The photo top left is a spring, clean enough for drinking.

And remnants of the old village.

At times the river in the gorge is visible and at other times it is underground.  Nearer the end of the trail, hikers must crisscross it many times.

The 'Gate' at four meters wide is the narrowest part of the gorge while soaring to 300 meters in height.  People walk on fragile wooden bridges, while the mules, shy of this route, choose the river.

Some mules need more encouragement!  Paul had to assist the handler to get this guy to move.

The hike ends at 14 kilometres, then there's a further hike into the town of Agra Roumeli.  Hikers can relax here, swim and get a bite to eat while waiting for the ferry that takes hikers back to their bus.  Paul was picked up at 6 in the morning and dropped off after 8 in the evening.

The church below is built into a cave.

Random photos from the hike

This was a great hike and one that Paul will remember for some time.

One afternoon a drive to Therisso Gorge and Village leaves us hopeful of another hike. The drive alongside the Gorge is beautiful.  It's too bad there are no hiking paths.

The village is small with only a handful of people living here full time.  There are a tiny church and a museum that acknowledges the role of the Resistance movement during the German occupation of Crete.  It's a 'living' museum in the sense that it's very active and involved in speeches, lectures, memorial events and workshops.

Apparently, people go to Therisso to eat meat in the restaurants, especially lamb served in traditional ways.  We are not hungry when there.

Before heading east to Heraklion, our destination for today, we circle the Akrotiri peninsula, stopping first at the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Agia Triada of Tzagarolon, built by Venetian nobles.  On the way to the monastery its hard to tell where the grounds start and end with acres of olive trees and crops.  The drive is lined with stately cypress trees and one approaches the fortified complex from the base of a grand staircase.  Photos are not allowed inside the church.

Here the monks have created a museum, a shop where they make, sell and export organic olive oil and wine.  Tastings are hosted here amongst a collection of antique equipment used in olive and wine-making.  The shop also sells local honey, herbs and spices, the famous raki and many products made from olive oil.  The museum has some very rare books and artifacts dating back to the 12th. century.  The grounds around the church are nicely landscaped.

The next stop on the peninsula is where the movie: Zorba the Greek was filmed.  It's but a short stop at this small, packed beach.

We try, but fail to find Venizelos Graves - poor signage.  The graves are supposed to be on a hill in a beautiful park and panoramic views of Chania and the sea.

Heading east now towards Rethimno, Kalives is a lunch stop.  Photos are allowed in this Greek Orthodox church (Agia Paraskevi).  The paintings are so vibrant, the chandelier hanging from the dome and before the alter, enormous.  The locals here are very welcoming and friendly.

A quick walk around town.  The beaches here seem manufactured, but people still enjoy them.  The photo top-left was a watermill, built and used by the Venetians in the 16th. and 17th. centuries.  The ducks are hanging out in a plaza, perhaps their home is the Xidas River that flows through town to the sea.

Our next stop is Georgioupoli another lovely beach town with a small harbour and less than a thousand residents, to do the rugged walk out to the 'The Church in the Water' providing the tides are in our favour.

Our final stop before getting to Heraklion is to see Crete's only natural lake, Lake Kournas.  Its a small, shallow, but pretty lake.  This is a very touristy place with lots of trinkets for sale, so a quick walkthrough satisfies.  The main activity here is paddle boats that are everywhere for rent.  It may be small, but there are at least two legends about water nymphs that have survived time.

Heraklion, the capital of Crete its biggest city and we are staying right in the heart of the old town ... with a car!!  What parking?  We are only here for a day and a half so visiting the ruins of Knossos Palace,  the Koules Fortress and Old Town set a fairly relaxed pace.

Humans inhabited Knossos Palace since Neolithic times.  Much has been written about the different peoples who lived here through the ages, all available on the internet.  I think the experience of walking the archeological site would have been enhanced by going to the museum which we didn't do.  There is also some controversy about the restoration at the site and the man Evans who was behind it.  All in all, we left with more questions than what we arrived with (in our ignorance).

Knossos was home the mythical Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature that ate young virgins.

You can't miss Koules Fortress (originally known as Castello a Mare or Fort of the Seas) at the entrance to the Venetian harbour of Heraklion.  It is well worth the time and admission fee (1 euro for seniors) to see it.  This fortress was built in the 13th. century by the Venetians.  The fortress has been restored several times, after a devastating earthquake and for re-purposing.

There are fascinating exhibition rooms dedicated to research by Jacques Yves Cousteau and the Ministry of  Culture and Science and the Department of Underwater Antiquities on shipwreck findings from nearby Dia Island.

This is a truly formidable fortress with exterior walls up to 8.7 meters thick and interior walls up to 3 meters thick.  Despite these dimensions, it's surprisingly airy inside, but that could be due to the many windows from which cannons could release their ammunition.  It was used both for defence and for the storage of food.

The most cannonballs we've seen in 1 place

Its time to leave Crete.  We really liked this island and Chania in particular.  We could have just chilled here and done slow-paced exploration for a couple of months.  The weather has been perfect.  On to Athens.