High speed ferry from Fira to Heraklion supposedly takes 2h, but you know, things are slower in Greece. We took Seajets once again and had an indoor window seat. We reached Heraklion, capital of Crete, at 19:00, but thanks to the spring/summer sun, it was still bright outside.
Arrival
Then followed a 20min walk from the port to the city center where our Airbnb was, uphill with our luggage (not to mention the one that lost 2 wheels). Crete might be one of the most visited islands in Greece, but it felt very normal and unpretentious, which was very welcomed after Mykonos and Santorini.
After checking in, we went to a traditional Cretan restaurant for dinner. Crete is famous for its sheep and goat dishes. I increasingly find myself preferring pungent meat.
The next day we were off to the Palace of Knossos. We knew public bus number 2 goes there from downtown Heraklion, but we didn’t know where to buy the tickets, despite intense googling and asking several people. In the end we bought it onboard from the driver (EUR 2.50 each), at I think double the price than if we had bought it at a booth.
Knossos
We were the first to reach the palace before its opening hour of 8am, and even before some of its staff. The ticket we bought came with a package to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion for EUR 20.
On the surface, my review of the Palace of Knossos can be summed up with- we finished the compound in 30min, and that was us trying. On a less shallow note, I was quite excited to visit this place because Knossos was the center of the Minoan civilisation, Europe’s first civilisation. They existed way before the Ancient Greeks came into prominence, then suddenly died out in 1100 BC.
The Minoans were advanced, building sophisticated complexes, art, and had their own writing systems. Their primary script, Linear A, remains undeciphered to this day. They traded all over the Mediterranean, and interacted with the Old Kingdom of Egypt.
Heraklion
We then took the bus back to Heraklion to go to the Archaeological Museum. The museum houses artifacts excavated from Knossos and other Ancient Minoan sites around Crete.
Bull leaping was a key ritual in Minoan civilisation; it was held in large outdoor spaces and was participated by both men and women. Their spirit of competition later inspired the Ancient Greeks to develop the Olympic Games.
And with every Greek museum there are always Ancient Greek statues.
Next, we walked to the Venetian fort and old town, where the central market and several Greek Orthodox churches were. A replacement luggage was bought at the central market for EUR 25; time will tell how long its wheels last. We repacked our stuff into the new luggage on the streets of Heraklion.
After lunch we dragged our luggage to the bus station and caught the 15:30 bus to Chania. Bus from Heraklion to Chania takes 3h and leave every hour so it’s super convenient. A ticket costs EUR 13.80.
Chania
The “ch” in Chania is again pronounced like an “h”- now you’re not a foolish tourist. We reached Chania bus station at 18:20, then walked 10min to our hotel in the old town. It’s so much easier when wheels work.
The next morning we had a stroll around the old town. Chania is a lot more cosy and quaint than Heraklion.
Chania was fought over and ruled by many different empires, including the Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, and Ottomans. As a result of which, there is a Venetian fort and an Ottoman-era mosque in the old town. The island’s ethnic mix has continuously see-sawed between predominantly Christian and predominantly Islam. In 1922, Greece and Turkey conducted a population exchange that saw the deportation of Crete’s last Muslim residents.
While on the bus to Chania, snow-capped mountains came into view and we couldn’t believe our eyes. Right in the heart of the Mediterranean in late April, there is still snow.
Restaurant #1
For breakfast, we went to a famous shop selling bougatsa. Bougatsa is a Greek breakfast pastry made with phyllo dough (the same crunchy dough used for baklava), and custard or cheese. In Chania it is made with myzithra cheese, which is from the milk of sheep or goat, or both. This results in its light sourish taste. When the waiter asked if we wanted cinnamon and sugar to make it more palatable for my sweet tooth, I didn’t expect the cinnamon to be pure cinnamon powder, which made the bougatsa even more sour and tart.
Restaurant #2
We decided to be middle aged Europeans for the rest of the day and sit at one of the waterfront restaurants to day drink. Strange experience this, doing absolutely nothing. If you’re a fan of hard ass liquor, you should try raki. It scorched my throat.
Restaurant #3
This day was filled with eating. Around mid afternoon we went to a restaurant which was the only one in Greece that wanted to scan our vaccination certificates. Protocol, who could blame them. There were several QR codes on it, and nobody (including us) knew which one they should scan. When it kept showing an error on the waiter’s scanner, more people were brought out to try to scan our certificates. But the errors continued, and henceforth we unknowingly started a Greek drama.
Getting passionate over QR codes is very amusing, but relatable because I hate technology too. If this is still relevant, it’s the last QR code.
The food was great. Look at that huge slab of feta on top of the Greek salad. Dakos was a bit strange to eat because the bread was harder than some rocks. It was topped with more of my nemesis, myzithra cheese. The squid was super fresh too.
Restaurant #4
Dinner was interesting. We had dolmades, which is rice wrapped in vine leaves, and snails doused in vinegar, Cretan-style. We ate a lot of snails.
Departure
The next morning we woke up at an ungodly hour to catch the 06:45 bus to the airport. We had a 09:30 flight which was supposed to reach Athens at 10:25. Somehow we reached at 10:05; I’m still shook.
And back we were in Athens, taking X95 to Syntagma once again like pros. We spent most of the remaining days on day trips north of Athens.
Hi! I am Joey, a University student from Singapore, attempting to show my appreciation for the world’s most powerful passport by literally milking its visa-free benefits one country at a time. I describe my travel budget as shoestring and travel style as audacious.
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