GARY AND RHONDA VISIT CRETE, GREECE: June 16-24, 2015
Gary is selected to present a paper during professional meetings in Chania, Crete. Of course, Rhonda is more than willing to go along. This is our second opportunity to visit Greece. In 2008, we toured Athens and Santorini during a Mediterranean cruise. We are excited to return to Greece. This time we actually lodge, dine and interact locally for over a week, so we learn much about life in Greece.
Getting to Crete is our longest, most exhausting travel day ever--a 22-hour, three-leg trip with flights from Houston to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Athens, then Athens to Chania--but we are well rewarded for this effort. During our week of discovery in Crete, we are continually surprised by this island, its beautifully wild topography and especially by its amazing place in world history. We take five very diverse tours. Each guide seems eager to educate visitors with a variety of information about his/her beloved land.
During our first morning in Crete,
we enjoy a walking tour of Chania's Old Town Harbor and Venetian Port.
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Chania's Old Town Harbor
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Mosque Turret near Venetian Port
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Venetian Port
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View of Chania from Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
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Several days later, we tour Old Town Chania and Venetian Harbor via Segway. Riding a Segway is a first for each of us, but surprisingly easy and fun. Our guide Chris is a friendly fellow who takes pictures during the tour, then emails them to us free of charge, no strings attached.
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Maritime Museum at Old Town
Harbor
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Overlooking Old Town Harbor
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Our third tour in Crete is a White Mountain Safari Tour--a wild ride up rugged mountains on the roughest, most deeply rutted and
rocky roads we've ever experienced. Our tour guide/driver speaks of attending his boss' wedding the night before. He admits that he has been up all night partying and drinking heavily and that he is now hung over. Needless to say, the eight patrons in the gear-grinding Range Rover become increasingly worried about personal safety and well being as we are driven along the edges of these very steep, gorgeous mountains! Some verbalize concerns. I say a silent prayer.
During the morning, we stop partway up the
mountain to tour a lovely vineyard. After
lunch, we continue driving up, up, up into the White Mountains. The views are absolutely amazing! At the end of the road, we meet a local
shepherd. We learn about his lifestyle, including his primitive methods of milking goats and
making cheese.
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Beautiful Views from Crete's White
Mountains
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Our fourth tour in Crete is a ten-mile hike through Samaria Gorge, the largest gorge in Europe. When we first consider this hike, it sounds quite doable. The journey begins at the top of the gorge and is downhill most of the way, ending at a black
sand beach along the Libyan Sea. Easy, right? The thing we didn't realize, however, is
that the descent is over loose rocks of varying sizes. Walking over rocks is slow and tedious, especially for the age 60+
crowd. Gary's knees (which have never bothered him before) become an
issue. My right foot and leg become numb, which compromise my
balance. Thank heavens we each have a walking stick!! Happily, neither of us requires a donkey rescue. These pack animals are posted at several points along the trail, just in case...
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Hike Begins at Top of Samaria Gorge
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Two Endangered Kri Kri Goats (Native to Crete)
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Along the Samaria Gorge Trail
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Lunch Stop at Ghost Town of Samaria
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One of Many Stream Crossings
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Iron Gate (Gorge Narrows to 3-yards Wide)
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We definitely save the best for last! On our final day in Crete, we travel to the capital city of Heraklion--a 3 1/2
hour bus ride from Chania. We tour the ancient Minoan ruins (3000 to 1100 B.C.)
of Knossos Palace, unearthed by Sir
Arthur Evans during a legendary excavation at the beginning of the 20th century. Evans continued this work for over 35 years. The magnificent Minoans built great centers of political power and
luxury on Crete, when the rest of Europe was a place of primitive
barbarity. They loved art; traded in saffron, gold, spices and tin. Following our tour of Knossos Palace, we visit the Heraklion Archeological Museum, where the vast collection of artifacts unearthed at Knossos are now displayed. Touring Knossos Palace first enhances our understanding of the museum's exhibits and appreciation for the priceless artifacts of the amazing Minoan civilization.
As you can see,
Crete is a gorgeous tourist destination. Even though their country is on the brink of financial default to the European Union during our visit, the Greek people seem exceptionally cheerful, friendly and helpful. Those with whom we interact speak English and appear to have an special affinity for Americans. The bustling housekeeping staff at the Samaria Hotel keeps our room immaculate. Every tour bus or taxi we schedule arrives either early or right on time. Every tour guide provides hours of interesting stories and historical facts. We make many wonderful memories while learning so much about the amazing civilizations and colorful history of this beautiful island.
