Europe: Greece 2022

 "I have always been consumed with one desire; to touch and see as much as possible of the earth and the sea before I die."

Nikos Kazantzakis, Zorba the Greek

Greece

Twenty years ago I came to Greece for a month (see my blog titled Greece 2002) and I decided it was time to once again revisit this beautiful country. 

Officially known as the Hellenic Republic, most of today's travellers come to Greece for the beaches and sunshine.  Literally millions of package holiday-makers make the pilgrimage every year, usually with only 1 to 2 weeks to spare, soaking up as much booze and sunshine that their bodies can take.  But if you only come for this, you'll miss out on all the other things Greece has to offer. 

Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with over 1,400 islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas of which 170 are inhabited.  The many islands help contribute immensely to its diverse scenery; with the semitropical lushness of the Ionian and Northeastern Aegean islands and southern Crete; the bare sun baked rocks of the Cyclades; and the forested mountains, icy lakes and tumbling rivers of northern Greece.  Influential in ancient times, it's known as the cradle of the Western civilization, the birthplace of democracy and the Olympic Games!

Our first port of call is the capital city of.....

Athens

We stayed in Athens for three days, of which all three of those days, were without our luggage (thank-you Air Canada for forcing us to wear the same winter clothes for three days in 25C weather); fortunately my younger brother Wayne and his friend, Lana, were also visiting at this time, so the wait was a little easier to take.

We stayed in the old town of Athens which, as Melanie described, was fashion central, except for the three Orthodox priest in front of us, their garb hasn't changed in 600 years!

At night the narrow streets are void of vehicular traffic and the bars, cafes and restaurants spill over onto the tarmac.  If there is live music playing then sooner or later a dance breaks out.  Oopa!

No matter where you perch yourself for a brewski, the Acropolis is in direct view.

First stop in Athens is to the Parliament Building to witness the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  The much photographed Evzones, who apparently got their names from the Macedonian village of Evzoni, can be the butt of many-a-joke given their dresses, tights, tassels and pom-pom boots.  These guys, however, are no joke.  The Evzones guard the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier around the clock.  They're an elite unit of soldiers that are handpicked for their physical strength and traits......OK but they still look silly!!

It takes five weeks of top-secret intense training to become a Evzone.  They have to stand at least 1.87 metres tall and they must like putting on dresses.

"I'm a Evzone
& I'm Ok
I sleep all night and I work all day
I cut down turks 
I wear pompoms
Suspendies' and a bra
I wish I'd been a girly
Just like me dear Papa"

  Monty Python, The Lumberjack Song

 He tried to get a reaction from these two stoic foot-soldiers—waving, making faces, taking photos—and failed.  Finally he gave up and just stood there in his dress and tights!

We make our way to the other historic sites within the city.  First stop is the Temple of Hepaestus.

Situated within the beautiful gardens of the Greek Agora, this temple, built in 449BC, was dedicated to the God Hepaestus.  

Next stop on the Magical Mystery Tour is the Stoa of Attalos.

'Stoa' means covered walkway.  I thought this was the 'Stoa'.  Apparently, this is not THE 'Stoa', but a 'Stoa' to get to THE 'Stoa'......

.....this is THE 'Stoa', a 120 metre covered walkway, built in 150BC, that has now been converted into a museum.

Greek God within the Stoa. 
As it turns out, I was considered to be disrespectful for taking this picture and was asked to leave....some people have no sense of humour.

After being ejected from the Stoa of Attalos we continue meandering through the gardens of the Greek Agora until we reach the Roman Agora.

The Roman Agora, cause you can't have too many Agora's.

The Tower of Winds within the Roman Agora, built around 50BC, it is considered the world's first meteorological station ever built.  All right, but apart from meteorological stations, sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

From the Roman Agora we join the hoards and climb up to the Acropolis of Athens.  The Acropolis towers 150 metres above Athens and contains several ancient buildings of historical significance.

The Acropolis of Athens located on a rocky outcrop towers above the city of Athens and is probably one of the most recognizable sites in the world.

The entrance.  In August the lines stretch nearly down to the city but in October, the crowds are much more manageable.

At the top. Wearing winter clothes for 3 days kept most people far far away from me!  The benefits of being stinky!!

The Parthenon, perhaps the best known Greek symbol next to ouzo, was constructed in 432BC and it still looks like it is being constructed.  I swear the same scaffolding was there 20 years ago.

The Parthenon was built and dedicated to the Goddess Athena, who apparently was quite the gal: she was goddess of warfare and wisdom and handicrafts (three things that definitely go together for sure!).

Another building dedicated to the Goddess Athena was the Erechtheion, built around 430BC.  These ancient Greeks really liked their handicrafts!

The Porch of Maidens on the Erechtheion.  I'm thinking they were part of Goddess Athena's handicraft club, but who knows?

From the Acropolis we can look down at the various ancient sites that surround the hill, including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in 161AD and is a 5000 seat Roman Theatre that in modern times host such greats as Jethro Tull, Diana Ross and most recently (only 2 days before we arrived) Patti Smith.

Another site as seen looking down from the Acropolis is the Theatre of Dionysus.

The Theatre of Dionysus was built around 400BC and held nearly 17,000 people.  I heard Goddess Athena held Handicraft Fairs here.

We left the Acropolis behind and headed back into Athens and came across our final pit stop, the Arch of Hadrian and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Arch of Hadrian, the same dude that commission the building of Hadrian's Wall in England.  This arch was the opening to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Apparently Zeus had more than being a God on his mind!  Occasionally, he had to get some pent-up relief and this place was THE place for finding relief in ancient Athens!

Melanie said to Wayne and I, "lean up against that column and I'll get a picture"........DAMN who knew it would topple over so easily.......

.....and that folks, was how the MacPhee boys got kicked out of their second Greek site.

On the third day in Athens, Air Canada managed to get our missing luggage to us, Wayne & Lana headed for Italy, and Melanie & I headed for the Saronic Island of......

Hydra

Twenty years ago I briefly visited Hydra and vowed if I'd ever return to Greece I would return to this beautiful island.  Considered one of the most accessible islands from Athens, it still manages to preserve its distinctive atmosphere through the passage of time.  With its traditional stone mansions, narrow cobblestone streets, secluded squares and above all the banning of vehicular traffic is part of the charm.  No cars whatsoever only 500+ donkeys as the sole means of public transportation.

I know most people will not understand this, but my first order of business in Hydra was to seek out the ghost of one of my all-time favourite Canadian's.....

Leonard Cohen

In 1960, the Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist and poet bought a house on Hydra for $1,500, from money that he inherited from his grandmother.  He would live here for seven years and it was here that he first performed musically in front of friends.  It is also here where he met the love of his life, Marianne Ihlen (to whom the songs So Long, Marianne and Bird on the Wire were inspired).

In recognition of the island's profound influence on Leonard, a street was renamed in his honour by Hydra's citizens. 

Leonard's home, which is still owned by his family.  Leonard wrote this a few months before he passed in November 2016:
"I could not slip away
without telling you
that I died in Greece
was buried in that
place where the donkey
is tethered to the olive tree
I will always be there."

My trip to Hydra is now complete!

With Leonard Cohen's ghost now laid to rest we set out to explore the rest of Hydra, starting with the harbour!

The only form of land locomotion on Hydra.

Exploring the waterfront.  Look out for the donkey shit!!

Hydra harbour was once a major naval site in the Greek War of Independence.  Who knew?

A Jeff Koons original wind sculpture which stands nearly 3 metres high and rotates in the wind.  Who is Jeff Koons you may ask?  Good question and when you get an answer let me know!

To explore this island you either turn right or left at the harbour and start walking (unless you have wings in which case you could fly). We chose to go right......

 Around every corner is a feast for the eyes!

The flag of Greece and Hydra flutter in the wind.

There are over 300 chapels and churches on Hydra (that's one for every 8 permanent residents) but I got to ask, why would they build one there?

The well-preserved mansions and manors are like the set of an old movie, in fact, several movies have been filmed here including the most famous, the 1957 The Boy on a Dolphin, starring Sofia Loren (who just happen to have stayed at the same hotel we are now staying at)!!!!

With no shortage of wind this windmill (and several others) does not come as a surprise.

Our final destination for the day was this quaint little village.

We head back to Athens to prepare for our next great adventure to the far north of mainland Greece and the rugged landscape of the.....

Zagori Region

Unknown to most of the world, yet so beautiful and unspoiled, Zagori region is the ultimate hiking destination in Greece, consisting of 46 sleepy thousand-year old stone villages tucked below the pine-clad Pindos Mountains.  The UNESCO-protected Vikos Gorge cuts through the range making it one of the deepest canyons in the world.  Orchid-lined trails wind through the region, linking the villages via ancient staircases and stone bridges.

Day 1

Situated mere kilometres from the Albanian border it takes us six hours to drive to the Zagori from Athens. When we arrive we waste no time and immediately hit an alpine meadow trail to a beautiful vista of the Vikos Gorge.

We hike to the Beloe viewpoint (1400 masl) where we enjoy a panoramic view of the Vikos Gorge, Europe's deepest at 1320metres.

After being WOW'ed by the Vikos Gorge we start our descent from the highest village in the region, Vradeto, down the Stairs of Vradeto.

Completed in 1867 (the same year Canada became a country), the 1200 cliff-hugging stone steps twist and turn for 1.5 kilometres before reaching the valley below.

Golden fall colours are starting in the mountains.

The steps took local craftsmen 20 years to complete and are wide enough for people going up lane and people going down lane plus pack mules in the middle lane!

Prior to the mid-1970's this was the only way to reach the village of Vradeto.  Going down was great, going up....hmmm...perhaps not so great!

The bridge at the bottom.....but first we have to get there!

Day 2

Today we start our hike in the village of Vitsa and hike down to the dry river bed to visit some of the 160 arch stone bridges found in the region.  I know you're saying, "Ooooh bridges, exciting.....not!", but trust me when I say the bridges were indeed a wonder to behold. 

Our hike starts, as it does everyday, at the village church square under the plane tree.

We follow the stone-paved trail from the Vitsa village down the Vitsa Steps passing some pretty impressive stone houses.

Like all of these 'steps' in the Zagori region, they interconnect the various mountain villages, and the Vitsa Steps are no exception.

After descending 240 metres we encounter our first stone bridge known as Misios Bridge.  Named appropriately after Mr. Misios!

The next bridge is perhaps the most famous of the lot, the Kokoris Bridge, built in 1750. Its fame comes being close to the main road leading to the village, thus those who wish to have a picture can do so without much effort.

We cross over the Kokoris Bridge and continue our 12km hike.

Kalogeriko bridge, built in 1814, was our third bridge that we came upon.  Its main characteristics are its harmonious arrangement of the three arches, giving it the nickname "moving caterpillar".

Melanie on the back of the 'moving caterpillar' with our travel companion, Itchy the Dawg.

One of the many abandoned buildings along the way, including Pusser the Mouser on the roof.

Fourth bridge is the Mill Bridge, built in 1748, it is oddly the only one that has been declared a national historic site.  During the Christian Epiphany (January 6), a priest throws a cross from the top, a tradition that has been going on for 400 years.  Who knew?

Our final bridge, the Lazaridis Bridge, built in 1753, lead to the village of Kipi, which was also our final destination.

After nearly 15 kilometres and 5 beautiful bridges we headed for the next logical location....a tavern for a tall cool one!!!

Day 3

Today we were supposed to hike the Vikos Gorge, but alas, forecasted torrential rains prohibited us from entering the Gorge so, instead, we hike along the Vjosa River.  This river is 272 kms. long, of which 80 of those are in Greece and the remaining are in Albania.  We only hike for about 12 kms but it was spectacular, even if it did rained!!

We start our hike at what else (?) but a bridge of course!

Traffic jam.

The rain came hard and steady, raising the river level and making the stone path a little slippery.

The path we were on was well trodden, partly because, it was level hiking.

We take a slight side trip to an old abandon monastery.

The rain stopped for awhile and the resulting mist adds to the mystic of the hike.

Like all the trails around here, they were the sole means to getting from one village to the other, thus they are very well developed.

The end of the trail is marked by dozens of cairns.  The next flash flood (common in this area) will take most of these out.

Day 4

Our final day of hiking in the Zagori region is the most challenging.  We climb up 1000 metres to the Astraka refuge (1950 masl) which is situated between the Astraka and Lapatos mountains. 

Today, like all days, we start at the local courtyard under the Plane Tree, which is next to the local church.  Always next to the local church.

We hike through the picturesque stone village of Pipigo.  

Most of the residents in these villages have long ago died or left for greener pastures, but you can't get much greener than this!

"Mel, I found my boot!"

Our destination is the Astraka Refuge, which can actually be seen from here if you know where to look.  It's located at the lowest point on the horizon (there's some mist below it).

Our hike starts on the heavily forested lower slopes.

We break out of the forest and enter low alpine grassland.  Oddly there is a large herd of wild horses roaming these slopes.

Break time!  There are five of these rest stops along the path to the Refuge with most having a stream of drinkable water running from a pipe.

The only way to get supplies to the Refuge.

There she be, the Astraka Refuge at 1950 masl.  

Finally, after 3 1/2 hours of sweat we make it to the Refuge.  Only minutes before the mist rolled in and the temperatures dropped to near freezing.

The 'Selfie Miesters'....all sweaty and cold!

A back side view from the Astraka Refuge.  We were supposed to continue with our hike to the 'Dragon Lake' but we made an executive decision to turn around and head back down.  The thoughts of sleeping with 50 other sweaty hikers and the possibility of snow wasn't appealing to us.

We made the right decision.  Back in the village the sun was shining but up in them there hills it was cold and nasty!

We went for supper and had a few brews to celebrate when this fellow came along.  We had a grand old chat, this is what he said: "meow meow meow meow" Translation - "Hello can-opener, where is my tuna?"

Midnight at the Oasis.....or rather at the village.

Day 5

Our trip to northern Greece wasn't over yet as we now headed for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Meteora.  The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of the Greek Orthodox monasteries.  Only six of the original 24 monasteries still exist and they are built on immense natural rock pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the area.

We start the day off by hiking around the base of the massive rock pillars.  Few people ever see this aspect of the Meteora as it is not on the normal gringo trail.

The 'Selfie Miesters'.

If you look close enough, you'll see the trail that we took.

And now it's time to play the 'What do you see?' game!  A turtle? A Ninja warrior? Fraggle Rock? A rock with two holes?

And now, once again, it's time to play the 'What do you see?' game!! Is it Big B? Or is it Big B and his twin? Or is it Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote? Ya gotta look reaaaaaal close!!!

We round the turn and straight ahead is a McDonald's.......only joking!  It's the Ypapanti Monastery built 1367!!!  Fully constructed inside a large cavity of a rock, this monastery is very indicative of its kind, compared to the ones that are usually seen perched on the peaks of the pillars.

There's only one way to see this Monastery (to hike there) and there is only two ways to get inside (fly or take the elevator).

And that folks, ends Day 5 of our hiking in the north of Greece.

The town where we were staying, Kalabaka.  What a backdrop for this otherwise nondescript town!!!

Anyone find the restaurant?......

....found the restaurant, but they only have Sand Witch and I really wanted Water Witch.  Damn.

A picture from town that I simply have no words for!

Night time in Kalabaka.

Day 6

Our final day in the north of Greece takes us on the gringo trail to the top of the Meteora pillars and the monasteries that sit atop of them.  The Greek word Meteora means "suspended in the air" and this phrase aptly describes these remarkable Greek Orthodox monasteries.

The 'Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron' built in 1340 is the oldest and biggest of the lot and the one we visited.

The inner courtyard of the Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoron.  Fortunately, given the time of year, there were very few tourist around and this allowed us some peace and tranquility that such a place should offer.

After a healthy dose of peace and tranquility it was time to do some exploring!!!

The Holy Monastery of Varlaam, built in 1350 and then abandon for 200 years before being re-founded in 1517.  Behind it, perched on another rock pillar is the Nunnery, The Holy Monastery of Rousanou.

Another view of the Holy Monastery of Varlaam.

The Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas.  No one knows when this place was built but it is safe to say it wasn't yesterday!

In 2002, when I was here last, I stood on this very same spot and had the very same pose.......I couldn't resist!

Another view of the Nunnery, The Holy Monastery of Rousanou.

Kalabaka village from atop of the Meteora.

After a full day of Monasteries it was time to hit the road and head back to Athens.  From there we grabbed a short flight to the island of.......

Rhodes

Known as the "Knights' Island", Rhodes (pronounced Ro-dos) combines a rich history with very impressive medieval architecture.  The Old Town of Rhodes, with its stone-paved alleys and elegant mansions, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest medieval walled-city in Europe!  Our time was limited to three days in Rhodes so we spent the bulk of it exploring the Old Town.

Our stay in Rhodes was actually in the old city, which was next to the walled city.  A place that was a warren of alleyways and chic restaurants and bars. 

Right next door to our hotel was 'Johnny's Irish Bar', which had interesting clientele.  Right about now I should tell you the 'Cat walked into a bar joke'! 

Within minutes of our hotel was the famous Rhodes harbour front, where in ancient times stood the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World.........

.....an artist depiction of the Colossus of Rhodes, a 30 metre statute of the Greek God Helios, that straddled the harbour and was built in 280BC.  It lasted for 66 years before an earthquake brought it down.

Three old windmills still stand on the far side of the harbour.

Four bronze leaping Bottlenose Dolphins are displayed on a rock within the harbour. 

The 'walled city' is surrounded by a 4-kilometre fortified wall that was built in the middle ages to keep the riff-raff out (read it and weep Donald).

Rhodes is so close to the coast of Turkey that you can smell it roasting in the oven.

I got an idea, let's go visit the 'walled city' by entering one of the eleven gates!

There are 200+ streets and alleys within - getting "lost" here is not a defeat; it's an opportunity!

Exploring the Avenue of Knights.  The 'walled city' was built in 1309 by the Knights of Hospitaller of Saint John.

There are still 6,000 inhabitants living within the walls of the city, making it the oldest inhabited medieval walled city in Europe!

So this comes as a complete surprise - the 'walled city' is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Seems like just about anything can qualify for that designation these days.

The 'medieval' handle can be misleading: rather than a ruin deserted setting, you will be pleasantly surprised to wander through an intricate network of busy commercial streets delightfully alternating with quiet lanes (like this one).

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Hospitaller of Saint John, also known as Kastello - apparently named after Elvis Costello.

The Kastello was built in the 7th century and it was where the Grand Fromage of the Knights lived.

Another view from outside the wall.

The Knight's came from wealthy families from all over medieval Europe and they built rather large villa's within the walled city.  This entrance belongs to a French Knight - not too shabby.

Good looking young fella!

I call this piece the "Pink Bike in front of the Abandoned Chapel" 

The old ruins of the 'Church of the Lady of the Castle' with another picture of a good looking young fella.

We spent two full days exploring this city and still never saw it all.

The 'Selfie Miesters'.

Exiting the walled city through the Gate d'Amboise, and with that, we move on to our next great adventure.

After three great days in Rhodes, it was time to head to that island that everyone recognizes and associates with when you say you're going to Greece.  That money grabbing, insanely over priced island with its photographically challenged tourist around every corner taking selfies and the cruise ship hordes of newly wed and nearly dead buying made-in-China trinkets all jostling for space within a four street parameter.  Yes THAT island.........

Santorini

If spending 5 euro's a kilometre on a taxi OR taking out a second mortgage to buy a beer OR spending a weeks worth of wages for a sleepless night in a one-star hotel is what you like, then the island of Santorini is for you.

So why did we go you ask?  Well, Santorini has more than just these unpleasant qualities, you just got to seek them out a little harder then you would in the other 6,000 Greek islands.

Without a doubt Santorini is one of the most famous islands on the planet.  In fact, it is considered to be the most sought after place for a romantic getaway in Greece, if not the world.  A trip to Santorini with the other half is a dream for anyone who has seen at least one photo of the island's famous caldera, blue and white real estate and the golden sunsets, but like all of Greece it has more to offer than that.

Fira, the fiery capital of Santorini, clings to the caldera cliffs 275 metres above the sea.

Just about all of the boutique hotels, tavernas, cafes, shops and restaurants are restricted to the 4 or 5 cobblestone alleyways sitting on the caldera rim.  It's also where all of the hordes from the three daily cruise ships spend their time and money.

If you're wanting to get from the cruise ship port (directly below in this picture) to the caldera rim, you have three options: take the cable car which is the quickest and most comfortable way, OR take a ride on one of the islands beast of burden, the donkey, OR walk the 588 steps up (as can be seen in the picture), but beware they're covered in donkey shit!

When the daily dose of cruise ships leave, the streets once again become manageable, and you can actually walk around without being jostled, pushed, stepped-on, shoved, squeezed, elbowed and bumped....... 

.....it's also the best time to explore and get pictures!

The singing minstrels ply the alleyways looking for interest in their shows.  

I call this piece "The Door" because calling it "The Window" wouldn't make any sense.

Santorini is known for its blue and whitewashed buildings; apparently this chapel never got that memo.

I already checked, there was no wine in the bottles.

A golden sunset.  No fancy camera trickery here, mainly because I have no idea how to do that.

Santorini's Blue Dome church, perhaps the most photographed site on the island (next to these two, of course) .  

One rarely thinks of hiking when they think of Santorini, however there are several good hikes that you can do including the 10km hike along the caldera from the village of Oia to Fira.  

We take the local bus to Oia for one euro, it  takes a little longer to get there, but a taxi would have cost about 80 euros.

From Oia we climb up thru volcanic ash and stone to the highest point of the hike......

....the tiny chapel on the hill (sounds like a title for a Neil Young song).

The trail continues along the side of the caldera.  There is no shelter available from the sun....if the sun was shining, which it wasn't.  Thankfully.

An enterprising old guy had set up a little refreshment stand for which this female hiker seemed more interested in filming than buying.  No worries, he probably charged a hefty price for that picture.

Around every bend was another photo opportunity.  I think the people of Santorini hired a film set crew to stage the island for the tourist to take pictures.

Another site on the hike for which I have absolutely no explanation?  Obviously they ran out of white and blue paint.

We passed through several little villages along the way.  All of them had a picture perfect view.

Another great shot of.....cliffs, yeah that's the ticket....the cliffs!

We were told that the hike would take about four hours?!?!?  It probably takes some people 4 hours, but we were done in 2 hours, being the super duper hikers that we are.  Regardless; it was an enjoyable hike and didn't cost our first born to do it.

The next day we booked a trip to the uninhabited Nea Kameni Island, which is a barren island that is visited daily by dozens of tourist boats, and hence, hundreds of tourist.  Visitors climb a gravel path to reach the top of the 130-metre-high crater, which is still smouldering, but just barely.

It wasn't a hard climb but the sun was hot and it was mostly uphill.  Still, I saw many of the wacky cruise ship hordes doing it in flip flops and even some in high heels!

Once at the top you could walk around the crater and hope to see a puff of steam or smoke escaping from within.  There was just enough to give us a sulphur stink!

After a quick swim in the ocean thermal hot springs just off of Nea Kameni islands, we head to Santorini's 'poor sister' island of Therasia.  This island is like stepping into a time machine where you are taken back at least 50 years  - to a rural Greece, to a Santorini without the tourists and prices.  Aptly described as "innocent", "pristine", "a wild beauty", "under-developed" and "off the map", Therasia lives up to all of these descriptions!!

We get dropped off at Therasia's port and we have only one way to go..........UP!!!

There are only 240 steps but it is hot and it is all uphill.

You immediately notice that there is something lacking here: people. With only 210 permanent residents, and perhaps 20 or so hotel rooms, even the camera touting tourist is in short supply.

Unlike Santorini, there is no cable car to whisk you to the top: anyone wanting to see the top has very limited options.

In Santorini this form of transportation is considered a novelty, whereas here it's a necessity!

Still going up!

Transport truck on top!

While here on Therasia we were looking for a 'different' restaurant.  Now where would I find one of them I wonder?......

.....the Different Restaurant Taverna.  Right on the caldera and a 10th of the price in Santorini.

After three days and a depletion of most of our budget, it was time to move on.  We headed for the ferry port and island-hopped to my favourite island from 20 years ago......

Naxos

The largest of the cyclades islands, Naxos packs a lot of bang for its buck.  Its main town of Chora has a gorgeous waterfront and a web of steep cobblestone alleyways below its kastro (castle) and fortified Venetian mansions - testament to three centuries of Venetian rule.  You needn't travel far though to find isolated beaches, atmospheric mountain villages, ancient sites and marble quarries.  And best of all......it's cheap!!!!!!!

We have 5 days to relax, explore and enjoy our boutique hotel personal hot tub!  While here we checked out the old town and waterfront.......

The capital, Chora, with its harbour-front restaurants and shops.

The real charm of Chora is the warren of alleyways that seem to go on forever, unlike Santorini, which is restricted to the four or five alleyways that run parallel to the caldera.

Mel walking around pedestrian only laneways.

The historic quarter is as authentic as they come, a myriad of narrow laneways and arches, seemly designed to confused the heck out of all that venture within.

Although now a little dilapidated, the whitewash houses and marbled-lined streets that make up the old town are more enticing with each further step.  It feels like Greece here, instead of the Disneyland vibe of Santorini.

Chora's old town isn't as polish as some of the old towns found on other islands, but this adds to the charm.

The 13th century Catholic Cathedral found inside the Venetian castle of Chora.

Good use for an old bicycle.

This old town was first settled in 4000BC.  That's over 6200 years of occupation and I think this door must have seen a good portion of those years.

Over 7,000 residents live full time in Chora's old-town.  Their homes add to the charm of the community.

Another place to explore is the Portara Gate, Naxos' emblematic ancient ruins......

The Portara Gate of Naxos, or the 'Great Door', can be seen in the distance.  It is essentially a massive marble doorway that stands amid some ruins on a small islet.

The islet to the Portara Gate is connected via a causeway with its washed up sea-grass littering the way.

The temple was built in the 6th century BC and was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine, obviously one of the most important deities!

While in Naxos, we headed for other areas on the island, including the ancient Temple of Demeter....

10 kms from Chora is the 6th century ruins of the Temple of Demeter, the ancient goddess of agriculture.  A farm girl!

Not to be outdone by the Greek goddess, Demeter, the Christians also built a church here.....over a 1000 years ago!!!

Further up the road we stopped at a 500 year old village olive press that only stopped operating in the 1990's due to the lack of a beast of burden.........

......found a beast of burden!

Our day-trip took us further a-field, passing many Bona Vistas......

The rugged Naxos landscape with the blue Mediterranean in the distance.

The unfinished statue of Apollonas, is a life-size statue exceeding 10 metres in height.  It dates back to the 8th century and remains incomplete for unknown reasons? Perhaps the statue grants ran out of funding?

We finished the day having some calamari at a small village harbour front restaurant.  Notice the lack of swarming tourist!!  

With the threat of a ferry strike looming, we island hop, a few days earlier than planned,  to our final destination in Greece, the largest Greek island of........

Crete

There's something undeniably artistic in the way the Crete landscape unfolds, from the sun-drenched beaches in the northwest to the rugged canyons spilling out at the cove-carved and cliff-lined southern coast.  In between, valleys cradle ancient villages and mountains that soar high enough to support a healthy winter snow fall.  

We are here for 10 days and plan to hook-up with our good friends, Terry and Pam Stead, to join us in exploring this awesome island.

We arrive at the capital Crete city of Heraklion and settle in exploring the area.  Heraklion is the largest city in Crete and over the centuries it flourished under multicultural influences such as Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman.  These influences are the recipe for making Heraklion the second-most visited city in Greece, with thousands of visitors flocking here every year for easy access to world-famous archaeological sites and museums.

The Venetian Fortress of Koules built in 1540 sits on a 2km. promenade that forms part of the outer-harbour.

The Winged Lion of St. Mark (the symbol of the ancient republic of Venice) is the marble relief above an entrance to the Koules Fort.

Street Water Harbour Promenade art.

The Church of Agios Minas was right across from our hotel.

The Fountain of the Lions, built in 1620 not for aesthetic purposes, but to bring unlimited drinking water to a thirsty Heraklion.

The Venetian Loggia, was also built in 1620 (same year the Pilgrims landed in America) and was lite up in the Greek flag to celebrate a Greek holiday.

The next night the Venetian Loggia became the dance hall for the Viennese Waltz.

Crete island, being at the crossroads of three continents, is the birthplace of the first advanced society on European soil, the Minoans, who ruled some 4,000 years ago.  Their presence can be seen in the labyrinthine ruins of the Palace of Knossos which are said to be home to the monstrous Minotaur, a half-man half-bull creature that devoured young virgins.  The temple complex is a mere 5km from Heraklion.

Next to the Parthenon in Athens, the Temple of Knossos is the second most visited tourist site in Greece.  That's a Big WOW.

Them Minoans had themselves a king which had himself a throne and a very big soup-bowl. 

4000 years that vase has been sitting there.

The Selfie Miesters with the Minotaur on the fresco in the background. 

After being somewhat underwhelmed with the Fortress of Knossos, we headed 150kms up the road to the smaller town of Chania (pronounce as Hania).  With its charming medieval town and restaurant-lined harbour-front, Chania is the picture perfect Cretan village.  We would spend our remaining time in Greece visiting Chania and the surrounding areas.

Chania is Crete's most evocative city, with its pretty Venetian quarter criss-crossed by narrow lanes and culminating at a magnificent harbour with the clearest water I've seen in any harbour anywhere.

The "Egyptian Lighthouse', so called because during the Turkish occupation in 1832 the lighthouse was rebuilt in the form of a minaret.  At the time the island was occupied by Egyptian troops who were supporting the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire.

A nice way to spend a couple of hours is to walk out to the lighthouse. 

The Chania harbour at sunset.

The Mosque of Janissaries dates back to 1645 when the Turks captured Chania; it's the oldest Ottoman structure on Crete.

The lads at harbourside.

Just when you think you've seen all of Chania old town, you take a left turn instead of a right and Boooooom....new neighbourhood to explore!

Twenty years ago I rented a car in Chania and drove to Sweet Water Beach on Crete's southern shore, a 2 hour trip that involved driving up and over the island mountain chain.  We decided it would make a good day trip to repeat that trip 20 years later.

As can be seen, Sweet Water Beach is about a 30 minute hike away.  No worries I say, it's  a pretty easy hike........

.......OK, so it's maybe not so easy of a hike, but the views are spectacular!!

OK, so it's definitely not a trail for anyone suffering from vertigo.

I don't recall any guide ropes to assist the hikers when I hiked the trail 20 years ago......

....nor do I recall the trail being carved into the cliff face like it is now.

Sweet Water Beach.  Twenty years ago in March, I was the only person here, not that it was overwhelmingly packed at this time, but the water was warm and the outdoor temperature was mid-twenties.  All good!

We saw tree climbing goats while in Morocco but only from a distance.  Here at Sweet Water Beach the feral goats were climbing and eating and pooping right above us.

"Wha?  I'm a goat, that's what I do.....I climb, I eat and I poop.  Get over it."

The Med shimmering under a brilliant sunny day.  What a day for a hike and beach time!  

I wanted to hike the Samaria Gorge.  I came here 20 years ago and it (the gorge) was closed.  We were going to hike it this trip but it was closed (again....go figure), so we were forced to reconsider the plan.  The reconsidered plan was that we hike the Sarakina Gorge. To reach the gorge we drove up into the Crete mountains to the village of Mithi.

The trail leading to the gorge.  The walkway was for flash-floods which happens in the mountains.

The entrance to the gorge.

It is hard to imagine the force of nature that can form such a dramatic sight.

No metal walkways in here.  In the event of a flash flood you be f****d.

The gorge isn't very long but the walls hit 50M in places.

The sun rays seldom reaches the bottom of the gorge causing the temperature to be 5C cooler than outside the gorge. 

Melanie, Terry and Pam emerge from the gorge.

Our hike continues up into those hills.

The hills here are covered with olive tree orchards and the netting is for catching the olives when they fall off the trees.

We pass an old Greek Orthodox monastery (it looked abandoned).

What goes up must come down.

The end is near.

The old stone church built in the 1800's was replaced by the huge church behind it.  The town didn't seem to have enough residents to fill the old stone church let alone the new one.

A taverna at the end of the trail.....how convenient.  

With our time in Crete running low, we decided to squeeze in a beach day at Elafonisi Beach, I'm told, one of the most breathtaking beaches on Crete Island.  Apparently, it has been ranked (by whom I know not) as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (I'll have to take their word on that one).  But first we have to get there and that was an interesting journey itself.

The single lane cliff-side road with its netting designed to catch falling rocks and goats......OK, I'm joking, goats don't fall.

Beautiful scenery.  Koodoos to Terry for driving!

In the height of the tourist season this beach is swarming with hundreds of beachgoers, fortunately for me, the place was nearly deserted in early November.

What I read said that the beach was pink in colour.  This was the only pink I could find, but hey, it was pink(ish).

It may have been November but the temperature was 25C!!!

Well that's the end of our trip to Greece.  Tomorrow we fly to Cyprus for a 3 week adventure there.