Crete, the myth rediscovered

Crete, land of myths where you find not only the labyrinth at Knossos but also the sea of Zeus and Europa, magnificent and unspoilt. I read all the diaries before leaving, for which I thank them, and so I won't repeat myself but will give a summary of my trip adding a couple of tips. I arrive in Heraklion, a quick overnight stay to see the Museum and Knossos, at the Marin Hotel. It was the most expensive hotel of all (79 euros), the most anonymous and, apart from the nice covered terrace, it left no regrets. Wonderful instead was what I saw at the Museum, moreover all gathered in a small space because they are renovating it: you gain in convenience of space but thank goodness there was no one there, because I imagine what happens when instead there's a crowd, with the vases of Kamares, the Phaistos Disc, the marvellous Minoan jewellery and so on side by side.

The next day bright and early to Knossos: here you can say what you like about Evans who in fact didn't discover but invented the palace (just as Carcassonne was invented by Viollet-le-Duc) but you are left far more with its coloured parts than with the many "stones" seen elsewhere. Oh, I'm rushing through all this in a few lines but I'll tell you that I had started months earlier reading up on what I found about the Minoan civilisation, the first in Europe from which we all descend, about Linear A (undeciphered) and B deciphered by Ventris, about the myths, and in short the emotion was great as I walked over those things I called stones. The labyrinth, if this was it, you can only imagine in its incredible architectural modernity.

Right, my dear Frank Lloyd Wright? After the morning on our roots, off by hired car toward Chania; but before arriving, a stop for the best yoghurt in Crete in the little village of Vrysses, which is beside the national road but the turning is impossible to see. On that note we were saved by the satnav because you can't trust the road signs, which besides are in capital Greek letters, in the sense that there simply aren't any. In Chania we stayed 3 days at the Pension Eva, nice and with the advantage of being right in the centre but tucked away from the evening noise.

Chania is very pretty; I recommend, besides what everyone does, the Naval Museum where you find a lady who speaks magnificent Italian, the sunset cruise with the motor vessel Irina, to see the sunset from the sea at 7 in the evening, raki and fruit as much as you like, all for 8 euros! We wanted to do the Samaria Gorge but we gave up because our friend wasn't available: a variation to the programme I had organised for my wife and friends, and I'll tell you I didn't cry. Naturally one day is dedicated to the Akrotiri peninsula and its 3 monasteries; make the climb up to the third, Chatzoliko, and you won't regret it.

Then another 3 days in the far west, and here I really discovered a fabulous little guesthouse: do you remember Montalbano's terrace over the sea? imagine a place like that, a dependance from which you enjoy the sunset, a tavern with a terrace two steps away, you go down a few steps and you're on the beach at Falassarna, take note: taverna Petalida The price? 30 euros, I say 30 euros a night!! From here, a trip to the Balos lagoon by boat from Kissamos (a truly marvellous sea, I had read about it, I thought they were exaggerating, but no, it's true), a trip south to Elafonissi, another top spot for swimming, with the monastery of the golden stair on the approach. 3 days of sea to write home about, as Fred Bongusto would say. Back toward the east and a stop in Rethymno for one night.

Just one night but in a very pretty guesthouse that you won't find listed on the web except with difficulty: take note of this one too, Pension Castello The town isn't worth more than one night, but it was a logistical stop from which to see the monastery of Arkadi, beautiful along the route, and then continue for the last 2 days to Aghios Nikolaos, with the stress on the first o. Hotel Lato, nice, slightly outside the town with a very kind staff, as we found everywhere. We are in the tourist and pleasure area but I wanted to do the full-day cruise to the island of Chrissi, by boat from Ierapetra. Having got past the risk of rough seas, which when rough really are, here we are in another paradise for the swimmer and the photographer. I won't show you the photos because you'd die of envy.

From the hotel, a tourist trip to the little village of Kritsa (Lonely Planet said "with the women wearing traditional dress", nonsense!) and to see the little church of Panagia Kera, the one from The Moon-Spinners, the 1960s Disney film that launched these areas and partly ruined them. What else can I say? In Crete you don't eat badly, perhaps a bit monotonous but outside Italy everything is monotonous, and anyway for me, who eats fish in Liguria, here it costs nothing. The courtesy of the people, the colours of the sea and the red columns of Knossos tapered in reverse (if some know-it-all tells you it's an Evans mistake, explain that they were instead tree trunks placed the other way round to prevent them sprouting) are in my eternal memories. Crete can be enjoyed at different levels, I tried to live them all and it's a shame not to know the language. Kalimera, tous filous mou.