‘History’ Archives
One Town – Three Cultures
We decide to revisit the city of Rethymno, which is about 100 kilometers from where we live. Several years ago we investigated the Fortezza (pronounced “fortedza”) – a huge Venetian castle that looms over the city. Now our goal is to explore palia poli, the historic “old town” built around the harbor. This is not [Read More]
The Great Castle
We have not visited Iraklio for a long while, so we decide to go today. Because it is hot and city parking is awful, we take the bus – comfortable, air conditioned and convenient. Reading about the city during our ride, we are reminded that Iraklio is not as old as most places on Crete [Read More]
Palace to Peak
After exploring modern Arxanes, we decide to look into nearby archaeological sites uncovered during the past several decades. These might shed more light on the culture of ancient Arxanes, and help us understand why this palace was built so near Knossos. We have found that experts disagree about using the word “palace” to describe the [Read More]
A Palace Beneath the Vineyards
Setting off on another random expedition, we drive westward on the national highway. When the traffic becomes intolerable in Iraklion, we take the Knossos exit – although we do not plan to stop there. Passing the entrance to ancient Knossos, jammed with tourists, we soon emerge into farmland. We drop down into the gorge of [Read More]
Making Olive Oil
While the morning air is still cool, we are off on a hike through the three villages above Limin Hersonisou. Just downhill from our apartment, we pass the olive oil factory (now a stylish café) on the central street of the village. It makes us wonder where the local farmers have their olives processed these [Read More]