Athens Arachova & Delphi Meteora & en route Tinos & Delos Mykonos & Santorini Naxos & Syros Crete Cats
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We just scratched the surface of this fascinating place in our four-day trip extension. Unfortunately there was no convenient way to get out of the city of Herakleion and see much of the actual countryside. |
 Our delightful guide, Lina, was there to greet the plane and whisk us to ... |
 the charming mountainside village of Marathos ... |
 Where the women's cooperative was there to show us their successful cookie factory, serve us some raki (Greek moonshine) ... |
 And serve us a fantastic home-cooked meal. These were just the appetizers! |
 We started the next day, not on the horns of a dilemma, but at the horns of the famous archeological site of Knossos. |
 A well-known and somewhat restored site of the Minoan civilization from 1900 to about 1500 B.C. |
 The massive palace area has plenty of evidence of a sophisticated plumbing system ... |
 and the remains of some of the labyrinths for which it is famous. |
 King Midas' stone throne, made to look like wood, is at the center of the throne room ... |
 ... which has stone benches around the walls, possibly for priests ... |
 A wooden restoration of the throne. |
 The pillars purposely narrower at the bottom than the top. |
 Next to the throne room was the temple of the Minoan snake goddess (The small statue at the right is from the archeological museum.) For a closer look at the description, click hre. |
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 Reproductions of a prince ... |
 and other scenes. |
 Reconstructed storage jars. |
 One can see the sacred mountain of the goddess from the palace courtyard. |
 The theater and Sacred Way at Knossos. |
 The museum in Herakleion had a wooden model of Knossos. |
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     The fantastic archeological museum on Crete, in Herakleion, was founded in 1883 and is filled with beautiful pottery from thousands of years B.C. (TIP: The museum is scheduled to be closed for over a year for renovations, so check if you're planning a trip and hope to see these exhibits.) |
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      The meaning of the disc is yet to be deciphered. Note the intricate design on the second bowl and the octopus on the urn. The large urn and the two containers on the right were used for burials. |
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      The small vase on the left is of alabaster and had to be reconstructed from hundreds of tiny shards. Two representations of the famous Minoan bull and an unidentified creature. Mosaics were found on walls and floors. |
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 These large slabs of copper, were once used as money. (For size, note the bystander's legs in the background.) |
 Not much larger than a modern Parcheesi board, this tile table was used as a game. |
 This mosaic illustrates an ancient sport of somersaulting over a bull. Forerunner to today's rodeos? |
 A more modern, larger-than-life sculpture, of a Grecian woman. |
 Herakleion is a big, sprawling, not particularly charming city, but it does have nice waterfront ... |
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 ... where you can see local fisherman and an ancient fortress from the 1300s. |
 Many of the ancient city walls remain ... |
 ... including the ancient gates. |
 The Dominican Monastery of Ayios Petros (Saint Peter) is being reconstructed. |
 Wildflowers found there way among the stone and concrete. |
 A number of interesting artifacts can be found at the Historical Museum of Crete, including a fascinating WWII exhibit of Crete's brave resistance against the Germans. |
 There you'll also find a couple of originals by the famous painter El Greco, a native of Crete. |
 The museum also has displays of folk art, including the interior of a rustic Cretan home. |
 The intricate decorations on this representation of a large loaf of bread echo that of the small fancy cookies that are among today's products of the women of Marathos. |
 Herakleion did offer some interesting dining possibilities, especially around Lions Square. |
 Or, you could collect a picnic from the bakery ... |
 ... the cheese shop ... (Carnivores had also had a wide choice, including this hare, ready for the oven, ) |
 ... and don't forget your vegetables. |
Athens Arachova & Delphi Meteora & en route Tinos & Delos Mykonos & Santorini Naxos & Syros Crete Cats