Lions in Crete

I must admit, Crete took some time for me to warm up to all its charms. We started off with a rough sea all through the night – and who am I kidding, I actually thought it was kind of fun. But, it did wake me up every few hours.

We got to Iraklion, which is the capital of the Cretan island, and it was not really all that attractive of a city at first. But, we caught a cab and went to an ancient Minoan palace called Knossos, which dates to around 2000 B.C. It was really worth the trek, but it was really crowded with tour groups.

So, we went back to the city, and wandered (which I realize is the key verb for our trip), ate some lunch, and then started to take in the Venetian sights. The city was, for years, under Venetian control, which is interesting to us, since we are spending so much of our time near Venice. I also have really become obsessed with the Lion of St. Mark, which was a sort of stamp that the Venetians put on just about everything under their control during the good old days of their empire. You can find it in the most unusual and wonderful places in the form of a plaque or statue, and even in a piece of art as a fresco in our home!


So, I wanted to find these lions today in Crete. We found a lion fountain in Lion Square, and then went to this really great Venetian fortress on the water. Today was the absolute best day to visit, and this is where Crete really pulled me in. The Mediterranean Sea was the most brilliant color of blue-green, and the waves were just crashing in along the shore. The mountains in the background were beautiful.

The fortress itself had the lion carved into various plaques around the outside of the building, and there was a great view from the top. I can’t wait to post pictures. If I ever get to come back to Greece, Crete is on my list to explore. I would love to see the ruins on the rest of the island too.

Tomorrow is our first day at sea (manicure/pedicure time for me), and we are off to Egypt!