Travel Resources For a free brochure and more information, visit www.celestyalcruises.comor call 1-877-337-4665 toll-free. Barb & Ron Kroll publish the trip-planning website www.KrollTravel.com. First civilization in Europe A er returning toCelestyal Crystal, we listened to Caroline’s Minoan culture lecture as we cruised to Crete. She told us that the Minoans were a peaceful matriarchal society that used two still-undeciphered ideogram scripts. We learned that the Minoans were an advanced civilization with four-storey homes, stairways and wall paintings. One depictedMinoan women with elaborate clothing, hairstyles and jewellery. “Jewellers withmodern tools are unable to duplicate the ne spherical decorations on a 1700 BC gold honeybee pendant,” said Caroline. She explained that the Minoans declined a er a 110-metre tsunami from Santorini’s volcanic blast damaged their homes and ships. Our shore excursion brought us fromHeraklion, Crete’s capital city, to the immense Knossos Palace, originally constructed about 4,000 years ago. With our guide alia, we viewed residences, public rooms, shrines, workshops and storerooms. ey surrounded a central court, which was used for gatherings and sports, including leaping over bulls, as depicted in a fresco. (Minoans revered bulls.) alia showed us the small stone throne − probably used by a high priestess − in the rone Room. Above the throne and adjacent stone benches, a fresco depicted plants and gri ns – mythological beasts with bodies of lions and heads of birds. In the Queen’s Room, we viewed a copy of the famous dolphin fresco. e room also had a bathtub and a ush toilet. Water was poured down by hand. We later admired the original dolphin fresco in Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum. e museum also displays a model of Knossos Palace, Minoan jewellery, clay bathtubs and a magni cent stone bull head (1600-1450 BC) used for drinks. It had a hole in the neck for lling and a hole in the snout for pouring out the liquid. Whenwe returned to the ship, Cretan dancers andmusicians enhanced our immersion in Cretan culture with a folkloric performance. A er just eight days, we felt enriched by our new-found knowledge of Greek culture. But we craved more. Fortunately, Celestyal Crystal also o ers a seven-night ree Continents Tour that visits Cyprus and Rhodes, as well as Turkey and Egypt. ree-night and four-night cruises on her sister shipCelestyal Olympiaare ideal for passengers who want to combine a short cruise with visits to Athens and the mainland. Fresco depicts Minoan women with elaborate clothing, hairstyles and jewellery Thalia shows group model of Knossos Palace Stone bull head (1600-1450 BC) used for drinks CSANews | FALL 2019 | 23
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