June 18th - Day 8

A view of the Mediterranean from Crete

Planes, trains and automobiles! Well, more like boats, trucks, and buses…but you get the idea. We arrived in Crete at 6 am after taking an “express” (we were supposed to get in at 4 am) overnight ferry to Siteia, which is in eastern Crete. The ferry was far nicer than I expected. It was more like a mini cruise ship. Unfortunately, the wonderful amenities that make a cruise ship (i.e. pool, hot tub, pool bar) where either closed or under repair. It did have air conditioning!! I was so nice to fall asleep and not wake up drenched in sweat.

We disembarked and instantly got on our bus and headed to our first stop. We made a quick breakfast stop and I got to experience my first Greek “pie.” The Greeks are all about the pies here. They are the equivalent to Greek fast food. Basically it is phyllo or filo dough filled with cheese, spinach and cheese, or ham and cheese. I opted for the spinach and cheese pie with a coffee and it was delicious. After breakfast it was off to the INSTAP Center (Institute for Aegean Prehistory). INSTAP supports archaeological fieldwork and research, as well as funds archaeological digs, in Crete. We got to see some of the latest finds recent digs and meet some of the archaeologists currently working in Crete. 

After that it was back on the bus to head to Azorias, a 6th century BC Minoan settlement. Azorias is located on top of a very high mountain, which our bus could not navigate. So we were dropped off at the bottom of the mountain where we piled into the back of pickup trucks like migrant workers and head up to the sight. We stopped along the way to see the Memorial Olive Tree of Kovoussi. It is the second oldest olive tree in the world. Winners of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens were crowned with olive branches from the tree. Next to the olive tree were the remains of a Minoan farmhouse and our guide explained that they are trying to turn the area into something like a national park.

Azorias

Back into the pickup trucks we went and continued up a very winding and bumpy path. We emerged from the trucks covered from head to foot in dust and smell somewhat of pack mules. Our guide then took us through the site of Azorias, a Minoan settlement that dates back to the 6th century BC. It was a very interesting site, as it shows evidence of urbanization amongst the Minoans. We got to see the remains of several civic or public, buildings and the remains of a typical Minoan house.

The "ferry"

After another bumpy and dusty ride back down the mountain we headed to our next site – Mochlos. Mochlos is located on an island just off the coast, and we were worried that we were not going to be able to get over there because you have to take a “ferry” and the water was so choppy. I say “ferry” because it really was just a small sailboat run by one of the locals that took us over there. We piled into this “ferry” eight at a time and got soaked from the crazy high waves. I must say that it was worth it. We were greeted on the dock by Jonathan, a PhD student currently excavating the site, who took us around and showed us the remains.

Mochlos

Then it was back on the “ferry” and finally time for lunch. We stopped at one of the little restaurants located along the shore. I had a fabulous cucumber and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil and fresh bread. Finally, we jumped back on the bus and head to our hotel. Later that night, after resting and showering, I went out and walked along the pier outside our hotel. We all grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant across the street. I had a very un-Greek Margarita pizza (still so good), but had my first taste of Ouzo, which I didn’t care for because it tastes like black licorice. I then spent the rest of the evening people watching and watching the soccer game on TV with my fellow travelers. All and all, a great start to our stay in Crete.