Blogs from Knossos, Crete, Greece, Europe
July 13th 2010
We slept in a bit to complete the recovery from our Samaria gorge hike. We were just about dressed and ready to leave when the morning manager called to ask if we would be coming down for breakfast before they closed up, so we hurried down to the small all-glass restaurant. There was a buffet composed mostly of foods locally made or grown: fresh sheep’s milk yogurt, local olives and honey, grapes from the vineyard. At the table they brought us some home-made phyllo cheese pastries and then (somewhat incongruously) pink jello. It was a lovely breakfast with great views and warm hospitality. We packed up the car for a day out and headed first to Knossos - the site of a very old ruins (3500 years) of the palace of the Minoans. Legend has it ... read more
September 2nd 2009
Location: Aghios Nikolaos and Knossos Weather: Sunny, 27 °C Last tender trip into town for the cruise, it is nice to arrive in port by a boat rather than just walking down a gang way - adds some excitement to the process. Aghios Nikolaos is a pretty port town, the shops circle the port and boy did I do some shopping! All throughout the cruise I have looked at the jewellery in the various ports visited - I have wanted to buy something but have not seen the right something. Well in Aghios Nikolaos I saw two items that I loved and had to have - a beautiful coral evil eye bracelet and Minoan Bee earrings. The day would have not have been complete without an organised tour - in the morning I visited the Palace ... read more
August 16th 2009
Today's blog actually starts last night, with an evening briefing with our hotel owner here in Crete, Vassilis. He is a wizened old Greek man who manages the hotel during season, and spends the offseason in Ft. Lauderdale, so his English is very good. He spread out a map of the island, and gave Rickelle and I a twenty minute lecture about the various places we could reach for day trips, including historical tidbits, point of interest, and the timing of when things occur this week. More importantly, he mentioned that "the best lamb chops in Greece are just two kilometers outside where we are now". Now that certainly got my attention! One other thing that made us laugh was his intent stare over his glasses as he said that "in order for something to be ... read more
June 17th 2009
We had ‘compulsory reading’ of John Keats’ poem ‘Isabella’ a.k.a ‘A Pot of Basil’ in college. When young girls and boys go to the college in India, generally speaking, they are facing co-education for the first time because before that, they have been strictly segregated. Perhaps, they start having romantic thoughts about the opposite sex. Our college authorities had come up with an excellent plan to nip all such fancies in bud. The poem ‘A Pot of Basil’ is enough to turn your stomach and bury all romantic notions that the girls and boys may harbor. Readers, be forewarned. The poem is not for those who are timid or squeamish. You need a hard heart and strong stomach to read it. http://www.online-literature.com/keats/3812/ Read the above link at your own risk. The very idea of Isabella finding ... read more
June 11th 2008
Knossos was another uber-touristy bus tour haven in which we were sandwiched between groups so you had to move quickly from room to room because the group behind you wanted to see your 'room' but you couldn't go too fast because then you would be impinging on the group ahead of you. I'm not sure how much I will get out of the visit until I get home and review my photos with my notes as it was pretty hard to view while we were there. I really like our guide for this part of the trip, Lina, as she explained what was original, what was reconstructed and what the latest 'truth' is thought to be to help you imagine what the palace might have been like in Minoan times. It is an ENORMOUS complex with ... read more
May 22nd 2008
We got up early to catch an early bus to Knossos. We caught the bus at Liberty Square (Plata Venizelou) at about 8am. It was a city bus, cost 1.15 Euros each, and became quite crowded. Knossos is right on the outskirts of Iraklio, so you don't realize you're there until the driver yells "Knossos". The entry fee was 6 Euros each. Knossos is quite extensive, fairly well excavated, and partially restored. The columns and frescoes were really cool! The crowds of mostly tours were annoying. There is a stone replica (?) of a bull's horns large enough to sit between the horns, but it is outside the ropes (barely). People tended to ignore the rope and sit there for a photo anyways. We could hear the staff lady blowing her whistle at them quite often ... read more
September 14th 2006
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, ... read more
