Monday, 1 June: My wife and I don't start our real vacation until Wednesday, so I have two days with my grandson Justing, my daughter Serena, and my son-in-law Jeremy. Somehow on the way up from Pensacola, a rather large crack showed up in the Jeep's windshield. After getting the windshield replaced, everyone but Jeremy, who had to work, went to the Greenville Zoo for the day. Although the zoo is fairly small, it did have a nice assortment of animals, including elephants, giraffes, and lions. The place was well-maintained and nicely laid out. After a couple of hours wandering around the zoo, we ate lunch at a nearby park/playground, where Justing and us big kids had some fun, then headed home. Tuesday, 2 June The new HD video camera is great, but until I get ... read more

After a couple days of rest and meeting family, we went to watch a bullfight in San Lucar de Barrameda, near Chipiona. I had never been to one, so I was anxious to see what it was like. Tickets were a bit more expensive than we expected, at 35 Euros each... for almost the cheapest seats. After a brief wait, during which we watched the horses and bull out back, and move further from the band that was right behind us, it began. First an announcer came out to announce the fight and introduce the judge (I think), then the three bullfighters and their entourage paraded in. This was a bullfight from horseback instead of on foot. After the parade, began the first of six bullfights. Each caballero would fight two bulls, one in each... round. ... read more

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

We arrived at the town square to wait for our minibus for the tour at 9:30am, to be safe. When they finally showed up at 10:35, we'd been worried for a while. Along with us, the driver, and the guide, there were 7 other people, all from Australia, and all apparently... well heeled, as one couple told us they came from Australia on their yacht! We rode up into the White Mountains above Kalives a bit to a town called Mahteri. Here we stopped at an old house where we met our chef and hostess. After a brief tour of the property with its fruit trees, plants, and oddities, we all sat down for some coffee/drinks while the guide explained what we were going to do and eat. First, we would pick some mint and grape ... read more

We woke up in plenty of time for the bus at 7:15am, but again, the bus was a no-show. We decided instead to rent a vespa scooter for the day and try to find the U.S. Navy base near Souda, with the hope of sending some excess weight home. We did find the base, hidden away on the other side of the Chania airport, but unfortunately, they wouldn't let us on since we weren't on the access list. We continued on to Hania and strolled around the old Venetian harbor and gift shops, having capuccinos at the Teraza Cafe. The harbor is really picturesque. We ate lunch at a quaint taverna on the harbor called Kavouras. We decided to try their spacial, with a Greek salad, mousaka, and a dessert for two at 15 Euros. They ... read more