Greece

Crete: Heraklion

Joanna July 11, 2018 8 3

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Hello from Crete! This ferry boat took us from Santorini to Heraklion (Iraklio) in 2.5 hours. Crete is a great destination to explore some of the most fascinating stories of antiquity, to see its mountainous landscapes and rocky coasts. Venetian fortresses, Turkish mosques and Byzantine churches bring history alive in many places in Crete. Crete’s people are very hospitable, this statement comes from our own experience. Please join us when we walk around Heraklion or Iraklio. We are here on Sunday, so let’s visit one of the local churches.

St. Titos was a disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first Bishop of Crete. Sunday morning at the church of St. Titos:

Now it’s time for the most famous museum on Crete: the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The Minoan civilization was one of the very  first in Europe. Traces of this enigmatic society were uncovered in the 20th century when British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans discovered the palace of Knossos and named the civilization after its ruler the mythical King Minos. The Minoan civilization begun in the 3rd millennium BC. The best way to know its history and art is to start your visit at the museum first and then take one of the local buses to the ruins of the Palace of Knossos located 5km south of Heraklion.

The famous “snake goddess” figurine:

Excavation of the site started in 1878 with Cretan archaeologist Minos Kalokerinos, and continued from 1900 to 1930 with British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who controversially restored parts of the site.

Evans’ reconstructions bring to life the palace’s most significant parts. They may be controversial in the eyes of archaeologists but we liked them:

Saint Minas Cathedral with its shiny dome:

The typical Cretan Wedding Bread;

This is a braided bread decorated with dough pieces in the shapes of various objects like leaves, roses or stars and is a real piece of art. The bread may also be decorated with candied and dried fruits and may contain many spices, like cinnamon, coriander, cloves, allspice, anise, nutmeg, ginger, also orange and lemon peels, and almonds are other things adding to its flavor. They say that the aroma of this bread represents the sweetness of marriage and the love between the bride and groom. (Source:

www.kadifeli.com)

Venetian Loggia:

Lions Square and Morosini Fountain:

Basilica of St. Mark (Lions Square):

Now it’s time to try Cretan salads:

Traditional Cretan salad contains bread crumbs:

Old Port and the 16th century Venetian Fortress:

Thank you for walking with us around the lovely town of Heraklion. Next time we will visit two Venetian towns of Chania and Rethymno.