October 5 - Agios Nikolaos

Today we were in Agios Nikolaos on the eastern coast of the island of Crete.  It’s a small city with a population of about 27,000.   Crete is the largest of the Greek islands.  Until a few years ago the primary source of revenue was agriculture. There are more than 40 million olive trees on the island!  Additionally Crete produces wine, tomatoes, potatoes and other produce and, of course, seafood.  Nowadays tourism has supplanted agriculture as the number one industry and it’s easy to see why.  The island is quite spectacular and has nice beaches and a lot to do.

Our tour today took us to Heraklion to visit the Palace of Knossos.  In Greek mythology this was the residence of King Minos who had a labyrinth built in which to restrain the Minotaur, a monstrous creature with the head of a bull and the body of a man.  Knossos is the largest  Bronze Age archaeological site on the island of Crete and is believed to be the oldest city in Europe.  It was built more than 4000 years ago.  It is an incredible site to visit.  The palace had five stories and more than 1100 rooms.  There was running water for both baths and toilets.  The Minoan people were peaceful with no slaves and dedicated their lives to beautifying their surroundings and themselves.  In the remnants of some of the frescoes one can see that.  Sometime around 1600 BC when the great Santorini and Thira volcano erupted, the palace was destroyed by the resulting tidal wave.  Attempts were made to rebuild the palace but it was never completed.  Instead, Ionians, Mycenaeans, and other people from the mainland of Greece arrived.  These people were more war-like and money was spent on those endeavors instead.  There are still some descendants of the Minoan people on Crete mainly at the eastern end.  The Minoans were short and swarthy, as opposed to the taller, blond and blue-eyed Ionians.

Statue of Zeus disguised as a bull with Europe riding him (the myth is too long to tell here)

Palace at Knossos

Beautiful fresco in the queen's private apartment

Our next cruise ship tied up in Agios Nikolaos harbor

We had an excellent guide, Georgia, who gave us a lesson in mythology beginning with the birth of Zeus.  I am always amazed to hear the wealth of information that some people can rattle off with ease.

The freshwater lake in Agios Nikolaos

After our half day tour we were dropped off at the ship.  We decided to walk into the little town and have a local lunch and a look around.  The town is centered on a little harbor and an adjacent fresh water lake.  Lining the shore are lots of cafes and restaurants.  We picked one and enjoyed an excellent fresh fish lunch.  We also had a lovely salad with chunks of fresh tuna and a dressing made of  something similar to tzatsiki.  It was Sunday and so there were lots of local families strolling and eating.  It was a gorgeous day with a nice breeze.  After lunch we took a little walkabout and then reboarded our ship.  As we sailed away we saw the sun set behind Crete.  Next stop is Haifa, Israel!