Knosses calling

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Arrived in the middle of the night in Iraklio after a bumpy ferry ride from Mykonos.
Managed to find a bed in a rather Seedy youth Hostel. Next morning i rocked up at the hotel i was meant to meet my folks at - turns out they had been on the same ferry as me from Naxos onwards. my mum was most surprised that i hadn't heard her on the ferry coughing and spulttering away with a cold she's picked up. She blames me for it of course.

Spent the day at the Cretean Archeological museum admiring Minoan Pottery and Jewelery. The painting on the pottry is striking in how modern it appears with simple floral patterns. Bulls, octopus and 2 headed axes feature promenatly. The wall fresco's the have from Knosses are amazing as well, back in the day they would have looked stunning - bright colours, lithe people, breasts, bulls and the odd patridge.
Spent the evening partaking of the obligatory beer and last cards as we caught up on the last weeks goings on.

Next day we headed out to Knosses - along with several tour buses and a group of young army boys. Huge site with a lots of reconstucted sections. Scott was very happy, he'd been waiting 43 years to see the alabaster throne of knosses. Worth the wait i asked? "I alway's though it'd be bigger" he replied.
Bus in the arvo To check out Phaestus, 2nd largest Minoan city. Amazing hill top location with views in 3 directions of olive planted valley floors.
Arrived in Matala in time for an afternoon swim. Matala being an old hippy commune out on the south of Crete. Back in the Days it's sandstone cliffs where used in much the same way as the catacombs (ie an old cristian burial ground). Then in the 60's the hippies moved in and made the caves home. You can appreciate why, given the awesome swimming and snorkling we did and the genaeral lax, middle of no where attitude that goes with the town. spent the next day checking out Red Beach ( just over the hill from the main Matala beach). Bit of a nudie beach filled with people who really should keep there clothes on, thankfully my olds didnt join them. Lots of crazy carvings done at one end of the beach as well - love the octopus.
Got rather drunk after a night on the Raki and consequentially had a big hangover the next day, thankfully all was did was take the bus (plural) up to Hania.
Hania being a quaint venetian port with some lovely old buildings - restored thankfully, was getting a bit sick of looking at bland greecian edifaces. Sorry just having an architectual moment. Stayed for longer then we should have - and was rather bored for it, before heading off to Mainland greece.

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Photos

Kiwi at the zoo
Hes at a nudie beach donchya know

Sphnx Girls
Respecting Knossan ruins

Milatary education
They marched across the parade ground later

Gumbys in Hats
Style icons of Crete we were

George at the beach
He moaned about the lilo most of all

Off to the beach
Look at the tan!!!! and mama sporting minoan ruin hair.