Jeremy's Cool Travel Blog: Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek island. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, but is also considered by some to be a country within a country, with its own history and traditions. Crete was once the centre of the Minoan civilization (c. 2700-1420 BC), which is regarded as the eariliest recorded civilizations in Europe.

I arrived in the island's capital of Heraklion (pop. 135,700) in the afternoon of Thursday, December 12. High gale-force winds of over 50km/h had been affecting the region around Kalymnos and I was worried that my ferry to Kos and my subsequent flight to Crete would be affected. Luckily everything was running on schedule. Indeed, the winds were so strong the previous nights that I kept my shutters closed for fear of my windows blowing open.

I was greeted at the airport by Emmanuel, the owner of the small cabin that I would be renting for the next week through Airbnb. Emmanuel and his wife, Pamela, live a five minute drive from the airport in a small suburb called Prasas, which is also just a few kilometers from downtown Heraklion.

The cabin is in their backyard and is accessible via a narrow path through lush vegetation and olive trees. The cabin itself is small and cozy, but well-equipped and with a backyard that overlooks a valley and the sea in the distance.

Pamela was at the cabin to welcome me and explain a few things to me. She had also prepared a Greek salad for me and left me some food basics, including olive oil, wine and Raki (a Creteian spirit) - all home made!

After a good night's sleep sheltered from the blowing wind, I lit a fire in the wood stove and sipped my coffee while enjoying the beautiful view from my back deck. Emmanuel came by and let me know that he would be driving into town shortly and could give me a ride, which I accepted. I got a ride into town with a Russian girl, Margarita, who is renting the small apartment next to mine. Margarita and I spent the next few hours strolling the narrow streets of Heraklion before parting ways in the mid-afternoon.

I had to be at the airport for 5:00 to meet my friend Leah who was arriving from Amsteradam and who would be staying with me for the next three days. I was happy to have Leah visiting. She was traveling in Europe for the first time, so I invited her to come spend some time in Crete while she was at it. I was looking forward to have a familiar face to travel with.

Emmanuel was also kind enough to meet me at the airport before Leah's arrival to arrange a cheap car rental for the week, which would give us total freedom to explore the island. I was a bit nervous about driving a stardard tranmission car back from the airport, but it turns out that the practise I got in Iceland a couple of years back served me well.

Saturday, December 14

Leah and I decided to head straight south to visit the ruins of Phaestos Palace - a Minoan palace built around 1600 BC and destroyed around 1450 BC - and then continue further south to the coastal hippy village of Matala.

Enjoying the view before Phaestos Palace

The drive to Phaestos Palace was beautiful, taking us through green valleys with snow-peaked mountain ranges in the distance and a number of small villages. While passing through the village of Mires, the road was suddenly blocked with was appeared to be a street market. I was forced to drive through a series of very narrow streets to find a way around. Not being used to driving standard, I was stressed that I would stall the car at a busy intersection or on a hill (which I did several times, but without incident). Interestingly, the craziness of the Greek drivers also makes them pretty relaxed with road blunders, like stalling your car. The only time they seem to honk is if you're blocking their way forward. But if they can drive around you, they will.

Once through Mires, we stopped outside of Phaestos Palace to lunch on cheese, bread and sardines, while overlooking the mountains in the distance. Exploring the ruins of the palace didn't take long and we continued onward to Matala and the beautiful 'Red Beach', which is surrounded by cliffs and caves. The small caves have been known to house hippies since the 60s and we did see a couple that were visibly inhabited.

By 5:30 we were back home safe and extremely satisfied. For dinner we headed into Heraklion (Saturday night, afterall) for a fantastic traditional dinner and a stroll though the old town. Unfortunately driving home was less enjoyable, as we had a hard time finding the highway and I got stressed out weaving through narrow side streets trying to find my way (I need to learn to be more patient with my co-pilot!). But all ended well for our first day of touring among the Cretians.