A morning in Heraklion - the provincial capital. Amongst the historical buildings there is a thriving modern commercial centre. We had breakfast in Lion’s Square, a leafy area filled with cafes and restaurants.
A typical breakfast
The fountain inspired the name of Lion Square
The main cathedral with its highly polished dome
Some graffiti-inspired décor
A memorial to WW2 with a gum tree backdrop. We thought there might be some Australian connection but nothing on the plaque to reflect that. Australians proudly served here to support the Greeks against the Nazi regime.
P
Remnants of the past
The Archaeological Museum with articles found in sites in relative proximity to Heraklion, particularly of the Minoan period. A very stylish modern museum with items clearly displayed and labelled.
Early pottery - thousands of years old - coffee anyone?
Burial chambers, similar to the Egyptian sarcophagus
Early frescoes
This story particularly appealed to me with so much emotion shown by both characters. The details below.
Fine gold work, this is a bee gathering pollen
A snake goddess
Early forms of writing
The discovery and introduction of metal into artwork brought a new level of sophistication
After our whistle stop tour of Heraklion, we walked around the port to the bus station. Sea was a little rougher today
Icarus
Busy bus station coping with the throngs of tourists
We were heading to Chania (15€ pp), a three hour drive to the west
A rather elaborate bus stop along the way
Rocky hills covered in olive groves
Attractive coastline
Some small resorts
We arrived in Chania about 3.30pm. We are staying in the old town near the port in the Enetiko Rooms (60€). It is a very attractive area.
Our room
With sea views
Some interesting light meals today. Zucchini boureki and escargots. For dinner I had a seed-encrusted fried feta and strawberry salad. Everything is very reasonably priced. Wines so far have been quite rough, and sometimes unpalatable, but plenty of other choices.
Late in the afternoon, although still very warm (30C+), we walked around the port to the lighthouse.
Many attractive buildings, varying from Venetian and Turkish (both ruled here for a time) and more latterly Greek.
The original tannery district
The harbour view from the lighthouse
The mosque, Giali Tzamissi, dating back to Ottoman times in the 17th century. This was the first mosque built in Crete in 1649. It ceased being a place of worship in 1923, when the last Muslims left Crete.
Venetian arches ( 1252-1645)
Lights on as the sun sets
Keen photographers capture the sun set from the lighthouse
M&M
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