Heraklion, on the island of Crete – a 50-minute flight south of Athens – also has a city-centre market. The pedestrian market is a lively place with several outdoor cafés and shops selling traditional Cretan food and drink, including local cheeses, spicy green olives, thyme honey, olive oil, baklava and herbal mountain teas. Wear off the calories on a two-hour to halfday walking tour. The old Venetian port is a short walk from the market. The 16th-century Koules Fortress is at the northern end of the old port’s jetty, where fishing boats dock. A blue-and-white Greek flag flies above the fortress. The stone building withstood a Turkish siege for 22 years, the longest in European history. It ended when the Turks gave gold to the Venetians to surrender, thereby preserving the Venetian fort and walls. Reliefs of the Lion of St. Mark decorate the exterior. The 26 rooms inside are restored. Lower-level rooms now house art galleries. The fascinating Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a short walk east of the market. To truly appreciate its collections, before your visit, take a 19-minute taxi ride south of Heraklion to the archaeological site of Knossos, which housed the Minoans – the first-known sophisticated civilization in Europe. Knossos was a town that developed around the palace of King Minos. The complex included homes for royalty, officials, priests and ordinary people, as well as treasuries, workshops, shrines and storerooms. Some of the rooms contain decorated pottery jars that once held wine, olive oil, grain and honey. As you view remnants of buildings with stairways, wall paintings, running water and under-floor heating, it’s hard to believe that the Palace of Knossos was first built about 4,000 years ago. (The Athens Acropolis was built 1,000 years after the end of the Minoan civilization.) The Minoans were ancient people, but they were an advanced civilization. Even with today’s modern tools, jewellers are unable to duplicate the fine spherical decorations on a 1700 BC gold honeybee pendant. In the central court, guides explain that Knossos residents came here for sports, including watching athletes somersault over the backs of charging bulls, as depicted in the legendary bull-leaping fresco. A small stone throne in the Throne Room was used 3,500 years ago. The queen’s apartment displays a copy of the famous dolphin fresco. You can admire the original dolphin fresco in Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum. Minoan artifacts in the museum’s 27 galleries include decorated clay sarcophagi, modern-looking gold necklaces and beautiful Kamares pottery. A highlight is the Phaistos Disc, a 16-centimetre-diameter round clay tablet inscribed with hieroglyph-like symbols. The Minoans used two still-undeciphered ideogram scripts – one for religion and one for common people. Marvelling at the museum’s Minoan treasures is a rewarding way to conclude your walking tour of Heraklion. www.incrediblecrete.gr/en Heraklion, Crete 18 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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