Crete, the Greek Island I Fell in Love With

In the past, before we had hobbies like raising a kid, we spend our money on traveling. And so we ended up in Crete, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. Since we both like a bit of history this looked the place for us, especially since you can actually touch most of the antiquities. And another reason was of course, the beautiful brochure displaying palm trees and nice hotels, we always go for that, even if the same palm tree happens to be in Greenland.But thankfully these palm trees were in Crete and so we went.

It appears that while most of the globe was unpopulated, Crete was inhabited. Excavations prove that around 5000BC there were people living on the island.They lived in small communities and produced crafts. Around 2600 BC the Minoan times began. King Minos was not to be messed with; he controlled the Greek seas completely. Also the island was described by Homer as the "hundred towns", what suggests that it was a densely populated country.Apparently most of these people came down from Asia Minor, and brought new skills with them. A time of great prosperity arrived and it lasted until about 1100 BC. But in the meantime they had built the most beautiful palaces, of which one is partially reconstructed, called: Knossos. We have been there, and touched the frescoes, looked at the square mosaic baths and were speechless! In Minoan times it was 21,000 sq. meters and had no less than 1400 rooms! Knossos is situated in Heraklion, the island's capital. The more fragile artifacts are in the Archaeological Museum, also in Heraklion.

Another must-see would be the church of St.Minas which has mouthwatering icons and beautiful woodwork.

The Monastery of Arcadia has a sad story, although it is a rather nice building. In 1866 it was besieged by 15,000 Turks during a revolution. Nearly 1,000 men, women and children had locked themselves up in the monastery. They wouldn't surrender to the Turks and blew themselves up. When you visit the monastery, it still has a bit of a spooky feeling. Some bones are on display. The monastery (at the time) had about twenty monks, whom we didn't get to meet. If you want to meet hem, be aware that htese people are not part of the attraction and you'll need to observe the fact that they might be at work or praying.

Glurnia is a must see if you want to walk streets that are truly ancient. Dating back to pre-historic times this town was well layed out, before building the houses someone must have had a plan. Archaeologists think the houses must have been 2 stories high. The huge Terra-cotta pots on display there at the time (over 6 ft tall) were for putting the dead people in).This town is close to the town of Gournia.

Near Heraklion is a small (really small) village called Fodele and this was the birthplace of the famous painter El Greco. Of course we art lovers set out to find this place in our rental car and driving through the place about 3 times before realizing that this was "the place" .We decided to stop for refreshments, at a local taverna. In Greece it is polite to go to the kitchen and have a peek under the lids and show interest in what's cooking. So I smiled at the lady, sniffed my nose a couple of times appreciatively and went on to ask for the bathroom. Of course this conversation didn't go in Greek, but with the Universal language of arms and legs. She led me to a door and smiled again. There was no toilet-bowl to be seen, just a sort of shower-tray. I won't go into details, but be warned: this is the toilet, Greek-style. I thought to bring it up because I was very confused at the time.

The landscape is absolutely beautiful. Most people live a simple live, with a couple of goats. In Heraklion it is a bit of a different story, and a bit more "western world". If you decide to visit Crete, you will see some tourists who'll want to do things that they, at home would certainly not do. To us it might look very foreign and picturesque, but for these people it is their home. Ask before you take a picture of their homes or them, and don't stare through open doors or windows. Also, it is advisable to behave on the beaches;(and everywhere else) most girls still have a chapperone over there, If you want to talk to her you'll have to ask this lady first! Remember that in Greece family-ties are very strong; and all the girls seem to have a lot of brothers who won't take kindly to a stranger talking to their sister! If you do persist making advances without the rest of the family's blessing you might be looked upon as a definite son-in-law or you'll get a visit from the aforementioned brothers! So please observe the local customs.
Also: you are not familiar with the law there so please keep your nose out of trouble; after all you are a foreigner who doesn't speak the language and the Greek policemen looked rather big to me. I'm also told that the prisons there are very unpleasant.

I can write about Crete forever. The rich history alone would take me weeks to write; the places to visit, the warm and inviting people. The sun, the beaches and the food, what can I say, I am still in love with this place and so will you.