Our Itinerary:
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Crete, Greece
Iraklio
We landed on schedule in Iraklio, Crete (also
known as "Heraclio") and took the
airport bus into town (€ 1). Our one
nights stay was at the Irini Hotel, which
was a five minute walk down the hill (toward
the water) from the bus stop at Plateia Venizelou.
Our first impression was that the area was
dark and dangerous, but closer inspection
showed the streets to be well travelled and
the area undergoing redevelopment.
 Finding a moderately priced hotel in central
Iraklio was a challenge. The Irini Hotel
was reasonably priced (booked in advance
over the internet at $68 for a room for two
with breakfast). The room was clean but small
and worn. A huge terrace provided a view
of central Iraklio and the demolition of
the block across the street. The staff was
courteous and helpful, and the location was
convenient to the bus station, museum, and
restaurants.
Iraklio is an easily walked city. Several
pedestrian streets are lined with restaurants
and bars and filled with patrons. As in Athens,
however, be careful of motorcycles. After
dropping off a load of laundry (€6
per load, open until 9 p.m.) at Laundry Perfect,
a block from the hotel, we had a nice dinner
at Peri Orexeos, a trendy restaurant on Korai
that offers Greek dishes with a modern flare.
We turned in early to prepare ourselves for
the third and final phase of our trip: seeing
the antiquities.
The Palace of Knossos
 The next morning we checked out of the hotel
early and checked our bags at the left luggage
room of the bus station (€2 per piece)
because the hotel did not have a storage
room. We caught the bus to the Palace of
Knossos at the bus station (it's a special
blue bus) for a few Euro. The thirty minute
ride winds through the city streets of Iraklio
before heading south to the Palace in the
suburbs.
The palace itself (€10 combination
ticket, includes the Archeological Museum
in Iraklio) is disappointing. Much has been
made of the controversery around it's reconstruction,
but the debate seems much ado about little
as the extent of reconstruction is not great.
Several corners of the palace have been reconstructed
(or "constructed" in the eyes of
modern archeologists) and a few of the interior
rooms as well have been partially restored
as well, but much of the palace consists
of just low stone walls and foundations.
Frescoes and most of the items recovered
from the site are kept at the museum in Iraklio,
at the museum in Athens, or elsewhere around
the world. And as for the famous labyrinth
that kept the mythological minotaur, well,
that is just as much myth as the minotaur
itself.
The Archaeological Museum
 After a late lunch back in Iraklio, we visited
the Archeological Museum (included in the
combination ticket sold at the Palace). The
museum has an extensive collection of finds
from Knossos, including a number of vases,
drinking cups, and several of the original
frescoes on the second floor. A close examination
of the frescoes shows that much interpretation
and interpolation was required to recreate
the murals from the small fragments that
were found. The bathrooms inside the gate
are outside the museum, accessible without
a ticket, and clean. Consequently, they make
a good pitstop for anyone exploring the city
during museum hours.
Return to Athens
After picking up our laundry, we headed for
the ferry back to Piraeus (appropriately
enough it was the Minoan Line's Knossos Palace,
the same boat we had taken outbound from
Athens). Unfortunately, it was late arriving
and so we had to wait about an hour to board.
Once settled in our room, we bought dinner
from the self service cafeteria and brought
it back to our cabin (€75.50 per person,
double occupancy). |
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