Crete: The Big Greek Island

Crete is the largest Greek island, and the fifth largest island in the world. There is plenty to see, and the entire island caters toward budget travellers. Tavellers can find many hostels and clean 1-star hotel in the capital city of Heraklion. Many people from the Balkans come to Crete for a beach holiday, so there is also a good nightlife scene in Heraklion. When I went in 2002, I stayed at the Mirabello Hotel for two nights for about $20 a night.

Getting to Crete can be a little difficult. There are plane flights to the island, but most are very expensive and only take you to the Greek mainland. A better option is to take a day and cruise there on one of the many ferries. For less than $30, you'll be treated to great views of the Aegean sea, and will see some cute island towns as the ship drops off passengers. The ships are not all that nice in themselves, but they get the job done.

Crete is home to one of the oldest civilizations on earth, the Minoans. Several Minoan ruins are scattered about the island, but the most famous is the Palace at Knossos. The semi-restored Minoan city allows the explorer to get a glimpse of what city life was like, while at the same time experiencing ancient ruins. Be sure to look for which mosaics and paintings are authentic, and which are reproductions. The Palace was organized like a maze. King Minos organized the temple this way to keep the mythical Minotaur inside and captive, so he couldn't harm his subjects. Also be sure to look at the many red columns in the Palace area. Do they look strange to you? They are wider at the top than they are at the bottom. This is one of the ways to distinguish

The Disk of Phaestos is one of the truly astounding artifacts on the planet. A visitor to Crete should not miss seeing this treasure. It is a clay disk that has writing emanating from its center in a swirl pattern. The lines of text are in a language known as Linear A, which has not been deciphered, despite the best efforts of dozens of linguists. We know the language is related to later languages like Linear B, and eventually Ancient Greek. The Disc is on permanent display at the Museum of Heraklion (http://www.ancient-greece.org/museum/muse-iraclion.html) The museum is open during the winter months (Nov. 1- March 31) from 8:30 AM to 3PM. All other months, the museum is open 8AM to 7:30PM. Cost is approximately $5, depending on exchange rates with the Euro.