Crete

Crete is Greece’s largest island.  There is a lot of history there, from ancient times, perhaps dating back to the 18th century BC.

But we weren’t there to study the history and culture – this was our first “break” from our frantic travel schedule since we left home eleven weeks earlier.

We found a delightful resort Amazones, 30km east of the capital Heraklion and 1km above the coast in a little village called Piskapiano.  It is the kind of place where everyone becomes part of the resort family.

We did hire a car and drive east and south, covering just a small part of this 8,336 sq km island.  There was snow on the higher peaks and people enjoying the warm sunshine on the beaches.

Olives make up a huge part of the island’s economy and everywhere we went we saw rows and rows of olive groves.  Olives and olive oil are an essential part of the diet in Crete, served for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The olive oil is delicious.

It seems that every peak has a church or a chapel on it, and smaller chapels are dotted along the roadside.  The Orthodox churches we visited in the capital Heraklion were richly decorated.

This was a restful and suitable break from the sightseeing.  Now it is back on the road again.