Travel » Greece

GREECE : ATHENS

The Aegean Sea is very blue, as if reflecting a pure unblemished sky, and Greece's largest island, Crete, lies on this sea. The Village Holiday Club in Koutouloufari, a charming tourist village about 23 km from Heraklion, the capital of Crete. Located close to the northern coast and situated at a height, the small RCI-affiliated resort had rooms and apartments set at different levels among olive trees. Our apartment was spacious and comfortable, and opened out on to a sunlit courtyard from where we only had to step out to reach the main street of the village.

After dark, the streets and lanes of Koutouloufari – a charming tourist palace light up, and are transformed into a cheerful blaze of shops and eating places. We dined nightly at affordable prices on the open terraces of the numerous restaurants, where we were welcomed by smartly attired owners and their staff to a variety of superbly cooked meals on elegantly laid tables. Often, a small group of local performers would arrive at the scene and treat the guests to music from the seductive strains of an accordion. Sometimes, a singer among them would burst out in a full-throated voice to revive old favourites such as Besame Mucbo, setting alive the lighted streets, the strolling visitors, and the distant sight of lights going down the hills to the sea.

Hersonissos – another traditional cretan of music and dance. The village square was lit up and tables had been laid for dinner around the square, which was filled to bursting with visiting tourists. After a display by three dancers in traditional costume, the guests at the tables were roped in, and we formed a chain which progressed around the square as the musicians played the tunes from Zorba the Greek. It was a scintillating evening, and so infectious was the effect of the dancing, that a pair of spirited ladies from a tourist group joyously performed a popular American dance, supported enthusiastically by the performing musicians.

Crete is renowned for the archaeological remains at Knossos, near Heraklion. These excavations mark Crete as the primary settlement for the Minoans, who represent one of the earliest civilisations in Europe, with their early history going back to 2600 BC. While the most visible remains in Knossos relate mainly to a period around 1500 BC, evidence of the earliest human settlements here point to the presence of Neolithic man in a period going back to nearly 6000 BC. Knossos is significant not only because of its staggering antiquity, but also because of its association with the legend of the Minotaur, a creature who was half bull and half man, and the result of a union between Pasipha6, the wife of King Minos, and a white bull sent by the god Poseidon to Minos for sacrifice. The Minotaur was supposed to have been confined in a Labyrinth, which some experts now believe to be the palace of King Minos, the remains of which have been discovered and partially restored.

And now for sea bathing! The weather in Crete was warm during the day, but the sea water was ideal for swimming. One of the most beautiful beaches we visited was at Elounda, beyond the of Agios Nikolaos, about 40 km from Koutouloufari. Terrained lined with trees, and saw the panoramic view of a curving coastline foam a height before reaching Elounda. Here the beach is flat and sandy, the sea is very calm, and you can walk into the clean blue water down a very gentle slope from the shore.

Crete - a day excursion to the spectacular island of Santorini, which we reached by catamaran in less than two hours. This island was formerly Thira, where a volcano exploded in 1600 BC. The sea rushed to fill the round depression created by the collapsing volcano ro form a caldera. The villages of Santorini are located along the rim of the caldera, and the houses and churches follow a striking motif of white walls and blue domes. Narrow lanes rise up and down among the buildings, presenting a view of the houses cascading down the slopes to the sea.

To get a taste of Crete's varied landscape, one needs to get to higher terrain. We discovered this by losing our way after siting Knossos, when we suddenly found ourselves driving uphill along unfamiliar territory. In contrast to the arid surroundings of the main highway, we were greeted here by the sight of olive trees spreading out in columns along a neighbouring hillside. The white buildings of a large village came into view with the characteristic features of a Greek church rising above the houses. At a village called Kaloni, we were served Greek coffee at a small cafe by the owner of the establishment, a lady whose aged father conversed eagerly with us through a monologue in Greek!

We later visited the Lassithi Plateau, where a variety of woven and embroidered textiles were on sale at a village, and delicious home cooked food was available for lunch. Here the villagers live quiet traditional lives, but the ladies market their woven ware with flourish and enterprise!

We left Crete with memories of a warm sea and splendid swimming, the beautiful sight of white houses and churches in the interior of the island, brightly lit festive evenings and a glimpse of some exceptionally significant archaeological remains from antiquity.