Sunday, November 6, 2011

Cruise: Heraklion, Crete

We didn't have a tour on Crete either. Although himself and I would have enjoyed the wine tour, we know what happens when long conversations about fermented grapes intersects with a bored teenager and a bickering pre-teen and five year old diva.

We also could have toured Knossos Palace, which is famous...however, it has also been "rebuilt" (not just restored), and while some love its colorful re-envisioning, others compare it to the Disney version of ancient ruins.  And all comment on it being incredibly busy, so much so that the guides are hard to hear.  Although our cruise ship only held around 1,000 passengers, other ships hold up to 4,000...when 5-6 arrive in one destination at the same time, this can become an issue. We decided to forgo Knossos, having just had three busy days.  The collective patience can only bear so much.  You can read about it here: http://www.heraklion-crete.org/knossos.html.

So we just walked into the town.  It was a ways away from the port, but it was a lovely day and the walk was fine.  Heraklion (the city we visited) had a different vibe compared to the other Greek places we visited.  The island actually has a lot to offer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crete), but weren't in the humor to devise our own grand adventures, so we meandered.



A wonderful market was under way.  This was a great place for wandering.

 


Lots of spices, just like here, but the smell was not the same (equally good, but different).


I'm a little disappointed that the Lecturer did not include a picture of the skinned rabbits hanging for sale.  They were fat ones.





Street musicians made the ambiance even more wonderful.


This was the Cretian dudes' coffee shop...like Dairy Queen in Texas.



I bought a long cotton dress, and one of the shop ladies brought Hannah a flower for her hair.


We ate lunch at a restaurant in the open-air market.  Stuffed peppers...mmmm.


Wild greens...sort of like collards...omg, I miss collard greens...


Then the owner brought us a big bottle of raki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakı)!
It was like ice-cold tequila...or lighter fluid...



On the path to/from the boat.

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