Iraklion (Crete) - Knossos, Archaeological Museum, City; Rethymnon - Beach

Arrived in Iraklion on Crete sometime before 6am and were off the boat around 6:30am. The long distance bus station was conveniently located right across the street from the docks. We left our big bag at the left luggage and got some yogurt and coffee for breakfast. Then we crossed the other street to the city bus station and caught the bus to Knossos.

Knossos is the mythological home of the Minotaur and the labyrinth where two young Athenians were sent for sacrifice each year. We arrived a good 20 minutes before opening, providing us lots of time to read the Rough Guide description, which was exceedingly harsh. Like at Delphi, little survived and most of what you see is reconstruction. However, unlike Delphi, what you see today is more the product of Evans' imagination than sound archeology. It was, however, pretty cool nevertheless. Unlike so many other romantics of his era, Evens apparently did not subscribe to the notion that classical building should consist of bare gray stone, and his "reconstruction" is full of color. In this sense, it may be more authentic than other sites we've seen, even if the details are large made up.

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

The question is also raised for me, how much of what we've seen is authentic, and how much is questionable (or even well-supported) reconstruction? Is it my new brand of guidebook being brutally honest with me, or is Greece really into rebuilding its old sites more than other countries are. Are other things I've seen and marveled over their ability to hold up to the test of time actually just reconstructions? Stone Henge and the Pyramids have always been there, right? And only ever in better shape than today, right? Or have I been had?

Next up we went to the Iraklion Archaeological Museum, just as the rain really got going. Actually, the body of the museum has been closed for years for renovations, but they had their best stuff--including that famous fresco of the bull jumper!--on display in a single large room. Small, but great.

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

This is a board game.

From Iraklion

After the museum and the rain stopped, we made our way to the Platia Venizelou (Fountain Square) where we admired the fountain, then on to the Loggia where Josh hoped to find art, but instead found the Courthouse.

We then dropped briefly into the church of Ayios Titos, which was a mosque for a while in between being a church and being a church.

From Iraklion

Finally we wandered around El Greco Park looking for the cheap souvlaki places the Rough Guide promised, to no avail. Eventually we gave up and got lunch from a bakery. We got way too many sweets though. In a fit of excitement, Josh got 4 pieces of baklava for us to share, and Mary picked out a big piece of carrot cake which seemed upon eating it to have been soaked in honey. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing!

After lunch we walked down to the Venetian fortress on the water. Unlike so many other places we've been, this one felt like a genuine fortress. Not a palace, not a ruin, not a museum, just a plain honest fortress. With lots of canon balls.

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

From Iraklion

We walked by what is left of the Venetian arsenals on our way to the bus station, where we retrieved our stuff and got on the 2:30pm bus for Rethymnon. Left luggage is a beautiful thing.

When we arrived in Rethymnon we went straight for the Youth Hostel, but the reception was closed to reopen in a half hour at 5pm. We got some gyros and waited around, then checked into a dorm. It's not one of the nicer hostels we've stayed in. It was the first without lockers. The owner just expected us to trust that no one would take our stuff because he only checks in cool people. And while I'm sure that most other travelers are honest, from everything we've read the person most likely to steal your stuff is another traveler, and the most likely place is from a dorm. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, it's not a big deal to carry all the valuables, but that doesn't work when you want to go swimming! Anyway, he did agree to lock them up for us, though from the size of the locker, this clearly isn't something he normally does.

We enjoyed swimming at the beach, although there wasn't much surf. On the way back we bought supplies to make ourselves Greek salad back at the hostel. We had planned to go down to the Venetian Fort by the water to see the sunset, but time got away from us and we didn't realize until a jogger staying at the hostel got back from her jog and told us all about what an amazing sunset it was and to be sure to see it tomorrow.

Turned in shortly after this with plans for an early morning, only to be awoken by loud conversation in the next dorm. The walls here seem to be paper thin. Also, we weren't able to charge anything since there was no plug in the dorm we were in. Like I said, not one of our better hostel experiences.