Summer Dream in Crete
A week ago, I was feeling depressed and desperate about the absence of heat during the entire summer in Sweden. In fact, I thought I had developed S.A.D. So I decided to do something about it. A chance came up for me and Durox to take a last-minute trip to the Greek island Crete, so quickly we arranged a weeks' holiday at our work and off we went!
Because of the spontaneous decision, we hardly had any time to form any sort of expectations for the place we were going to visit. When we arrived, we were randomly placed at a hotel in a city that we had not even heard of. But everything turned out to be wonderful. The weather was extremely warm and sunny. For a change, we didn't have to worry about clouds or rain for an entire week. Every day we woke up to a blue sky and we didn't even have to wear any cardigan or jacket early in the morning. What a nice change from the chilly weather in Sweden!
Our hotel, called "Summer Dream," was truly a dream place--the best hotel we've ever stayed in. We had a so-called "apartment," which has a living room with two extremely comfy sofas, a dining table for four, a complete kitchen and even a washing machine. There is a balcony facing the hotel's swimming pool. So we were able to just climb over the balcony and jump into the pool and sit on the sun chairs. The apartment is much bigger than our own studio back home. So we were really overjoyed with all the space we had!
The city where we stayed in, Rethymnon, is a beach-party town. There is a 10-km stretch of beaches three minutes' walk away from our hotel. At the far end there is an old town built by Venetians, who ruled the city during the Middle Ages. Throughout the city there are countless restaurants everywhere. Some of them are pretty tacky and many waiters like to lure passersby into their establishments. We decided that the restaurants hidden in side streets and back alleys would have better qualities, and fortunately we found a really good one already on our first day. The owner, Andreas, used to be a sailor (and has visited China). He is a very laid back guy and told us that gyros are usually for tourists. He recommended seafood and I tried several of them during our stay. The grilled octopus was a blast! We went back many times and tried all kinds of Greek delicacies including Souvlaki and Mousaka. There was always a dish of fresh fruit offered to us for free after the meal.
Besides going to the beaches and the pool, we spent most of our time visiting different towns and archeological sites. First we visited the Fortress at Rethymon and the old town. On the hill where the fortress stands, we had a magnificent panorama view of the Cretan Sea and the city. The old town has many interesting narrow alleys lined by ancient, Venetian style houses. Inside the alleys one can observe the local Cretans going about their daily lives. There is a distinct quietness in the air from about 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., when the locals take their siesta.
Then we went to the famous ruins of the Palace at Knossos, just outside the capital city Heraklion. It was here where King Minos ruled the Minoan folk, believed to be the first high civilisation in Europe. We imagined how the mythical Minotaur got chased and captured in the lybrinths under the palace. After Knossos we went to the museum in Heraklion and saw the original frescoe paintings found inside the palace, such as the famous Bull Leaper, the Minotaur and the Blue Bird.
On another day we went to Chania, the second largest city on Crete and the most charming one. Like Rethymnon, Chania was also a Venetian city and many of the houses built by Venetians are preserved. The old town, built around a circular bay and lit by a lighthouse, has many colorful houses and storefronts, with many arts and crafts shops selling unique and artistic gifts such as glass, jewelry and pottery. We had a wonderful stroll in a relaxed atmosphere. The traffic is the calmest here among the major cities on the island--there are actually traffic lights and the scooters actually go more slowly where there are pedestrians crossing the streets! We finished off our day in Chania with a wonderful dinner with Mouzaka and Cretan wine in a restaurant right next to the ruin of a Turkish bathing house ("taman"). (Yes, the Turks had also ruled the island for many centuries).
On the last day of our stay, we visited the ruins of an ancient Roman city from the 5th-4th century B.C., called Gortyn. It is located on the South of the island, so we had to take a two-house bus journey through the mountains to Agia Galini (by the Libian Sea), where we transferred to Gortyn. This time we saw a completely different side of Cretan--high mountains, valleys and plains covered with olive groves and vineyards. Every now and then, we saw herds of sheep and goats grazing on the hillsides. Tiny villages and churches are scattered over the hills and plains. Here, life seems to remain the same way it was many decades ago.
But motorists on the roads are dare devils and many have the latest models to show off their prowess. Even in the middle of nowhere you will be surprised by cars and motorcycles who are always in a hurry to pass over others on a narrow road. And Cretan men like to flurt with their cars or scooters' horns.
Gortyn, located not far from another ancient city, Festoes, is the largest archeological site on Crete and one of the largest in the entire Greece. It is still under exacavation and when finished, it will probably become the largest archeological site in Greece. We saw the main group of ruins which included the Odeon. On the wall of the ruin, we saw ancient inscriptions that covered the entire law for the city. This is the earliest known European law code and known for its progressiveness.
Our vacation was like a summer dream, just like the name of our hotel. We were so relaxed and happy that we had even forgotten the date of checkout! So when we returned from our long trip from Grotyn, we were told to get ready for the bus ride to the airport that evening! Alas! Our summer dream had to end abruptly. But the sunshine and warmth will remain in our hearts through the upcoming cold and dark months here in the North.
Crete Photo Album
