Knosós - the Minoan magnificence

We've enjoyed the sea a little too much.  Is there such a thing as too much swimming in turquoise?  Too much reading on blue sunlounges, bathed by the sun?  Too much boating and exploring coves and quiet bays?  Probably not.  But as we head to Iraklion, Crete's capital, we have one thing in mind and it's not swimming. The incredible Palace of Knosós (Knossos in English) and the equally spectacular Irakleio Archaeological Museum now have our undivided attention.

The Palace of Knosós was first built by the Minoan civilisation around 1900BC, it stood for 200 years before it was destroyed by earthquake.  It was completely rebuilt and served as the capital of Minoan Crete.  The massive and world-changing eruption of the Fira volcano in 1450BC saw Knosós abandoned, and subsequent invading Mycenaens used it as their capital until 1375BC.

That basic little precise was the extent of my ready-knowledge of the bronze age history of the Palace of Knosós.  Having now stood in and around this colossal so-called labyrinth that was once over 1,000 rooms, and seen the remnants and evidence of the sophisticated and cultured Minoan civilisation, our wonder, awe and questions know no bounds.

In 1900 the English archaeologist Arthur Evans purchased the land in Crete where the Knosós excavations had already begun. He continued to excavate the incredible archaeological find over years, and spent many more restoring the site. Before he died he returned ownership of Knosós and the re-discovered Minoan treasures to Greece.

The best advice I can offer when visiting Knosós for the first time is to join a guided tour. No need to organise in advance, as just inside the gates an English-speaking tour will be conducted whenever there are more than 6 or 8 visitors gathered.  It was hot the day we came to Knosós, however the captivating explanations and stories by our guide Eleftheria held us mesmerised and oblivious to the sun as we moved around the site; from the 'piano nobile', the west magazines, the east wing, the grand staircase, the Queen's megaron, the magazines of the giant pithoi, the throne room of King Minos, the hall of the double axes, and the east bastion.  It's utterly amazing!

Alabaster throne of King Minos

The Grand Staircase

The North entrance

The Horns of Consecration - symbol of the sacred bull

Giant pithoi for storing water, olive oil.

'The Minotaur's Island' is an excellent documentary on
Knosós and the Minoans. Thanks for the tip, L :)

The perfect accompaniment to a visit to the Palace of Knosós is to follow up with a visit to the Iraklio Archaeological Museum where the original artifacts from Knosós are housed and displayed in all their glory.  The two sites are only about 10 kms apart, and conveniently the Iraklion hotel in which are are staying is just a few minutes walk from the museum.

This beautiful museum is undoubtedly the world's most important Minoan collection.  It's a relatively small-sized museum, just a dozen or so rooms on each of two floors, but the collection seems so vast.  What is contained in those rooms is absolutely mind-blowing! Added to this is the feeling that these treasures live where they should live, and are owned by their rightful owners.

The museum was only recently re-opened after being closed for eight years of renovations. We feel fortunate and priviledged to have been able to see and experience it.

The octopus vase

The fresco depicting the bull-jumping

The giant pithoi of Knosos really are giant!

I joke when I say that in Crete we have only been swimming and sailing.  It's impossible not to interact with the history of Crete, for all around the island there are remnants previous civilisations.  As we drive around the coast, through the hills and mountains, we look out for this little brown and yellow signs leading to Hellenistic antiquity, or Hellenistic artifacts. The whole island is a living museum.  For two days we rent a stone cottage in the countryside, the hills of Vamos, a beautiful village with a population of just a few hundred.  Its peaceful, rural setting with apricot trees at the front, lemon trees at the back and wild herbs all around make us feel like we want to stay for a year!

Just joking when I say we spend all our time doing this :)

Oh, how we loved staying in this stone cottage with
its olive and apricot trees at the front, lemon trees
at the back, and the smell of wild herbs all around.

Each morning 'agapi mou' would pick apricots for
breakfast, accompanied by the best Greek
yoghurt - sheep's yoghurt from the lovely
nearby village of Vrisses.

In the most beautiful garden taverna, this hanging
day bed.  Lunch, then rest.  Perfect!  Thanks for the
recommendation, Merja.

The cats of Crete.  I'm not a 'cat person' but I am a
Mediterranean tile person :)
(although I must admit the cats of Crete are
pretty cute.)

One of the great joys during our travels is the people we meet along the way.  During our stay in Vamos we met our neighbour, the delightful Merja.  Originally from Finland, Merja has spent 37 years in Crete. A writer of Cretan stories and recipe books, Merja also has the most comprehensive and best knowledge of the area - where to visit, which tavernas to eat in.  Merja loaned us her local map and set us on our way with directions along dusty, unsealed roads to find a taverna a few villages away.  Her recommendation was heaven-sent.  After thinking we'd got ourselves lost a few times, we finally found our destination. The setting and the food was exceptionally beautiful.

I'm paraphrasing Merja's description of the visitor experience of Crete - 'when people first arrive they drive from one end of the island to the other; then they head inland and slowly explore the villages and the mountains and that's when they get to know Crete; then they start to walk along the tracks, to the gorges and between the villages.  It's then that you see and get to know the real Crete'. Her description seems perfectly accurate.

On our final morning in Vamos, Merja popped in after breakfast with her special strawberry raki, we shared a nip and chatted about all things Crete. Yiamas Merja, such a pleasure to meet you.

Under the beautiful apricot tree.

It's time to leave Crete.  The past three weeks have been glorious and quite amazing. We love Crete; its rugged coast, its turquoise sea, its 15 mountain ranges, its vineyards and olive groves, incedible history, fresh and delicious food, and mostly its warm and hospitable people.

Off to the Cyclades......