Saturday September 21, 2019
NAXOS, Greece – Hello, everyone. It’s been two weeks since the last blog and there are a few reasons.
First, daily activity. We spent the last two weeks on Crete and by the time we arrived back to where we stayed, frankly, I was way too tired to start writing around 11 each night.
Yet, there was a far more dominating reason. My laptop simply died. Just a few days into the trip, the screen would not illuminate and the option of writing the blog on Waynette’s iPad loomed as a real possibility. Along the way, I clandestinely hoped to have this unit repaired. While I was optimistic, I was willing to wait until I returned the states, get a new laptop and transfer the data from this unit.
Here’s what happened. On Friday, the 20th, we found a small computer shop around the corner from our hotel in Santorini. The guy pulled apart the back of the unit, said I need a new battery and the memory card froze. He then cleaned up a few things, charged 5 euros, and said just use your power plug. We arrived on the island of Naxos late Saturday afternoon and the women from whom we are renting an airBNB met us at the dock. The apartment is terrific and as soon as we settled in and received wifi information, I was curious if my laptop would operate.
Alas, lights and action. So, I’m back in business.
The new battery is definitely on the radar screen but because we’re in the middle of the Aegean Sea, the computer guy said it takes several days to order a part. So, I’ll wait until we arrive in Istanbul and find a computer store. That should not be too difficult in a city of 12 million people. We’re scheduled there from October 7 to the 14th.
Now, the travel part.
We just spent two weeks on the island of Crete. We did have a car for the two weeks and traveled throughout the island. We did travel to several beaches and each had its own characteristics. One was Elafosini, with dramatic pink sand. There were also were two dramatic effects.
First, the color of the water. It is beyond spectacular with a combination of emerald green, teal and turquoise. Each time I went into the water, the amazement was compounded. Plus, the temperature was delightful, upper 70s, I would guess. For the most part, the beaches on Crete are rocky and you definitely need rubber water shoes. We hit main beaches on the west coast and Vai, the largest palm tree forest in Europe on the far east coast, next to the Via beach.
Then, there is the drive. Crete is predominately mountains and driving along the coast is dramatic. There are great vistas and when when the sun hits the water, the color is spectacular. Having driven the Big Sur in California, Amalfi Drive in Italy and the Great Ocean Route in Australia, the drive along the coasts of Crete are more dramatic.
Among historic sites on Crete, we managed to see the two most important venues on the island.
First, there was the former leper colony at the island of Spinalonga, which is only accessed by boat. You pick this up from Elounda and it’s about 20-25 minutes to the island. The ride out and walking around the colony has a feel of being on Alcatraz. Lepers began arriving the early 20th century and were housed there until 1957. This was originally built as a military fortress in the late 16th century and fortifications around the structure are still in place.
We also visited the Palace at Knossess, on site of the oldest city on the planet. The site has been inhabited for more than 7,000 years and the place remains as a treatment to the Minoan civilization.
The Minoans contributions were two-fold.
First, they developed early pottery and made important advancements in design, size and function. Too, they built early great palaces, of which Knossess remains. The Minoans are considered pre-ancient and pre-date Greek antiquity.
The palace was originally constructed in 1900 BC but destroyed by a earthquake. The second palace was destroyed in a fire and lay undiscovered until the early 20th century. That’s when Arthur Evans, a British archaeologist who studied the Minoan civilization, came across Knossess in northern Crete, about 7 kilometers south the port city of Irakleio.
Evans reconstructed the palace as he thought would have taken place, in terms of housing, administrative enters and social gathering locations, and historians have not questioned him. Since no written records remain, Evans’ assumptions have taken without question.
From Crete, we took the ferry to Santorini, noted for those sun-splashed white houses and blue-domed churches. For my money, Santorini is overrated and we found the place over-crowded with tourists and money-grabbing taxi drivers. A day-trip from a neighboring island fits the bill. When the ferry docks, you’re immediately hit with a thousand guys screaming for you to climb into their vehicles. From the port, it’s a ride straight up the side of a mountain to the main town of Fira. There, you’re met with small streets of shopkeepers selling everything from tee-shirts, jewelry to gyros and geleto. That’s pretty much nothing you need.
We spent two nights and parts of three days and that was enough. We overheard more Americans than on Crete and rationalized Santorini was simply a tourist trap.
On Saturday, we arrived in Naxos, which is supposed to have some of the longest beaches, in terms in length, in the Cyclades.
Sorry I didn’t write every day and give more details. At this point, I’m just happy to have my laptop back and continue the blog.
About the weather … it’s been amazing. Each day, it’s between 85 and 90s, shorts all the time. It was windy the first few days in Crete and the water was rough. Once the wind died down, the water became calm and perfect for swimming.
We did take ferries out to two of the noted beaches outside of the Crete mainland. One was Balos and we also took a boat to Chrissy Island. Both were spectacular and the color of the water continued to captivate me.
We have the next four days on Naxos and then four on Mykonos. We hope to leave for Turkey by Sept. 29 or 30.
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