Harry and Diane’s 2006 Trip to Crete

We spent 2 weeks in Crete: the first week in the Western Part of the Island in the village of Douliana and the second in the far Eastern part of the island near the town of Palekastro.

Douliana is a small village located on a plateau on the peninsula between Chania and Rethymnon. Lots of pine trees along with the olive trees. Twice a day the neighbor’s sheep and goat herd walked down the dirt road in front of our apartment. There is a fantastic taverna located just behind the apartments where we sampled all sorts of Cretan delicacies.

View from our apt in Douliana.

Close by is Aptera – a site occupied from about the 7^th century BC until destroyed by an earthquake in the 7^th century AD. I’m sure the site was chosen for strategic reasons – but what a glorious view: from the snow covered mountains to the south to the Souda Bay immediately below.

View from Aperta.

One day we drove into Chania to see the museums, shop in the famous covered market (got some great olives there!), explore the narrow streets and Venetian buildings, and eat fresh fish at a taverna by the fish quays.

That afternoon we also drove out to the Akrotiri peninsula to see some of the famous monasteries – both active (accessible by car) and abandoned (via a footpath which also leads to a chapel in a large cave).

Another day we hiked the Imbros gorge. (The more famous Samaria gorge is only open in the summer). Nice scenery and we saw some wild goats quite close up.

Imbros gorge.

Another day we drove out to where the Samaria gorge begins – high up in the White Mountains. Although we could not hike the gorge – too much water in the stream this time of year – we did do a little hiking in the area. On the drive there I spotted a town that looked especially appealing, Lakki, situated on a steep mountainside.

Lakki

Samaria viewpoint

Another day we hiked in Myli gorge near Rethymnon - where until last century many watermills ran. Now they are abandoned and the ruins beside the stream make for a picturesque walk. No roads enter the gorge and the one operating taverna gets its supplies sent over via a basket and cable rig from the road above the gorge.

Myli gorge

Here is a still functioning church in Myli gorge built into a cave. The caretaker had just finished whitewashing it when we got there.

Myli gorge church

Leaving Douliana after a week, we drove Eastward, stopping for a break at the Minoan site of Gournia – a village with lots of workshops and a palace – beautifully sited on a hillside beside the sea.

Gournia.

After a long drive we arrived in Palekastro and our apt in the village of Kouremenos.

Kouremenos Villas

Here is the view from our porch:

the view from Kouremenos Villas

The town of Palekastro is about 2 miles away, and another half mile or so away is the archaeological site at Palekastro (also known as Roussolakkos). Although it is not as well known as most of the other Minoan sites, nor as often visited, it is the largest Minoan town discovered and is believed to be the earliest Minoan settlement. No palace has yet been uncovered, but satellite images suggest that there is a palace. Cambridge brings a team in every summer to work at the site.

A small section of the Palekastro site.

Minoan Palekastro had its own peak sanctuary at Petsofas – the peak overlooking the Minoan town. We hiked up there one day – beautiful view. We were surprised to see that there are still pottery fragments around. (Obviously the good stuff was excavated by the archaeologists and put in the museum at Sitea).

View from Petsofas – you can see Roussolakkos in the center of the picture.

pottery shards at the peak sanctuary of Petsofas – I have no idea whether they are really old.

The most famous of the Minoan sites on the far Eastern part of Crete is Zakros Palace. We visited the site and hiked a bit of the “Deads gorge” as it is translated on the signposts – there are caves in the gorge that are Minoan tombs. Here are a couple of pictures of Kato Zakros.

Kato Zakros – showing the beach and harbor.

Another view of Kato Zakros showing the Minoan site in the center of the picture.

After the midnight Easter service the owners of our apt, Yiannis and Aspasia, invited us to their house to share the traditional meal of soup made with lamb innards and foraged greens (mariritsa), which was surprisingly good. All week we had noticed scores of people on the hillsides and beside the roads foraging for the local greens and the wild herbs that grow abundantly. The next day we all feasted on Yiannis’ lamb cooked whole over a wood fire as the traditional Easter dinner. Best lamb I’ve ever tasted – and great hospitality as well.

Yiannis cooking our Easter lamb – you can’t see it in the picture, but the lamb is whole – including the head.

On our last full day in Crete we drove into the mountains of eastern Crete, stopping at Praisos, a site occupied from Doric times through the Hellenistic period, the medieval town of Voila and Etia which has an interesting Venetian villa.

Diane at Praisos.

Fountain at Voila – still works!

Venetian villa at Etia

The next day we made the long drive back to Chania airport to fly home. We managed to fit in a short detour to Fodele – said to be the birthplace of El Greco.

Church at Fodele.

All in all it was a wonderful trip. Mostly pleasant weather, great food, great hospitality, and we were practically the only tourists on the Easternmost part of Crete this time of year. I also made ‘friends’ with lots of cats. In Chania at the outside fish taverna we were eating tiny whole fried fishes and one broke off at the tail as I was maneuvering it into my mouth and fell on the floor. A short time later a slender momma cat wandered over to the taverna. I reached down, picked up the fish and flung it towards the cat. A Greek man sitting at the next table laughingly scolded me, but proceeded to feed the cat cheese and other goodies from his own meal. Cats are indulged in Crete.