The road to Heraklion, the capital of Crete, is stunning, lined with flowering bushes and hugging the northern coast of Crete, so you have the sea on your left and a beautiful mountain range on your right. The road itself is in great shape and taking the snaking mountain passes is really fun driving. Our car is a very perky Fiat, and this also makes the driving pleasurable.

Our first stop was an area where there are several mountainside monasteries which have a centuries-old history. The main one, translates to Holy Trinity, dates back to the 17th century. It is quite beautiful, in all shades of amber-coloured stone and walls, with a very calming affect. Landscaping is carefully tended, and it also lends to the feeling of peace and holiness. Visiting is considered a must-do for visitors, how could we resist? 

Once in Heraklion, we visited the old town of the city, with some of its original walls still evident, as well as an imposing fortress built at the port by the Venetians when they ruled the area. One of the principal areas of the city is a pedestrian street lined with shops, markets, cafes/restos, etc. It was just okay, in our opinion, but provided a much needed opportunity to stroll after the car ride. Our hotel was just a 15-minute drive away, and was designed as a typical Cretan village. It was high in the mountains, with the air fresh and the view outstanding. Vineyards and olive groves as far as the eye could see. Our room had a fireplace (!) as well as a two-room suite, all for a very reasonable price including a complete breakfast buffet. This is one of the benefits of travellng at this time, just before the tourist hordes descend, prices rise dramatically, and the weather gets unbearably hot.

To continue the history theme, we visited Knossos, a major archaelogical site, and one of the most complete in the world. It's located here in Heraklion, so of course, we went (along with the few thousand other daily tourists). It was built for Minoan kings back in the 2000 B.C., although the site has been inhabited for over 7000 years. The Minoans were very advanced as a society and this could be seen in the elaborate architecture of the huge palace. (It even had the first flush toilets for royalty). Wandering the well-signed site, we saw the remnants of the palace, residences, trade workshops, storehouses, etc. and learned about their significance. Very worthwhile.

The day was capped by dinner with a music and folk dancing cultural extravaganza at our hotel. We saw some pretty fancy footwork, I can tell you.

Another day, while driving in the village neighboring our hotel, we saw a sign for a snail farm. Since Bonnie loves seeing them on her plate, and we’ve never been to a snail farm, we followed the circuitous route through farmland until we got to the farm. Our reception could not have been more welcoming. We were the only ones there, and the owner and his wife not only gave us a tour of the farm, with their tens of thousands of sails, but we also learned about all the intricacies of snail-farming. The little suckers have their own behaviours. For instance, they hibernate in the summer and are active in the winter. Each night, the owner sprays the snails to wake them, and they’re up all night, doing what snails do. After our tour, we were invited to dinner, and when a Greek invites you to dinner, you gladly accept, and can expect to have a table full of dishes offered. The highlight for Bonnie was a plate of the little suckers grilled and very happy looking. Well, maybe they weren’t happy, but Bonnie was ecstatic, as she dug in. We spent a few hours with them, and it was delightful, as they gave us details of their 10-year marriage, how they got into the snail business, insight into the Greek financial crisis and paralyzing taxes which they are suffering through. It was a very different perspective than we got from the media. We came as visitors and left as friends. One day, we will return.

Tomorrow, we leave for parts unknown, in the eastern part of Crete. We have heard about some spectacular beaches, quaint villages, and other attractions which all sound good.. Where we will wind up is anybody’s guess, but if our unbelievable luck on this trip continues, it will all work out. We have a few more days in Crete before we ship off for Santorini, our second visit there this time around (we spent a day there a few weeks ago while on our Med. cruise). Otherwise, we haven’t been to Santorini in 6 years. It was when Bonnie’s mobility was severely limited due to a foot problem (see our former blog called Mediterranean Musings), so we always felt cheated and wanted to return to see it the way it should be seen. It may be the most popular of all the Greek islands, so we are expecting it to be way more touristic (read: expensive) than any of the islands we’ve visited thus far. 

Ultimately, we are planning on meeting Amy and Atiq, our daughter and son-in-law, who will be on the island of Naxos. She is into her sixth month of pregnancy and they are having a 'babymoon’, their last big trip for a while. It will be great seeing them. Also, for the first time ever, her profile and mine will be similar!
 One final sad note--- Travelpod, my blog company for the past 10+ years is ceasing operations as of mid-June . Some of you have been trying to add comments to the blog, but this hasn't been possible, for whatever reason. Therefore, if you would like to send us a comment (which we love getting), can you send it directly to my email (lilien@sympatico.ca). Thanks.