In the Land of the Labyrinth

Greece is the home of many of the myths of western culture.  Crete is renowned for a particular one: the story of King Minos, the Minotaur and the labyrinth, constructed by that great inventor Daedelus, which was its prison. The tale of the hero, Theseus, who liberates the city of Athens from the tyranny of the Minoans through the betrayal of Minos by his daughter, Ariadne, who herself is later betrayed in turn, is in itself a labyrinthine epic whose plot twists and turns through the heights and depths of human aspiration and cunning. So compelling is the story that it was even adapted into medieval Christian theology as a rendition of the death and resurrection of the Christ.
In the epic that has been this family trip, with all the twists and turns of hoping, planning, saving and experiencing, there has been a Minotaur, a threat hiding in the shadows, an unknown monster which would have to be faced if we were to complete the journey. It's name? The Gorge of Samaria. Down that throat we would have to descend; would we emerge safe and sound or would we be devoured in the attempt? In our planning, we were subtly haunted by the challenge it represented; decisions were weighed against that hike: how much could we carry? what about water? would we have the stamina? how long was the hike? 10, 15, 25 kilometres? So serious was the threat, we even postponed shopping until we had bested the beast! And beast it was: 18 kilometres, in heat, with the weight of our packs, over rough, rough ground. But we did it and sore and tired though we be, are now comfortably ensconced on the shores of the Libyan Sea at the Old Phoenix, just over the hill from Loutro. Venus rules the evening sky, Saturn the later night. Scorpio is fully visible to the south with Antares shining prominently on its back, while the teapot of Sagittarius sits on the mat of the Milky Way where it crosses the sea's horizon. Surely, this is a land of myth and memory. (Murray)

Chania's beauty

Hello everyone!

Today is our last day in Chania, as we are on our way to hike the Samaria Gorge. The moment we have been waiting and preparing for; not buying things because we are worried that we won't be able to carry them. We also just went on a very wavy 3.5 hour boat ride (I'm still getting over the fact that, no, we are NOT going to capsize) on the Aegean sea! Chania is a town in which I feel very safe. We are enjoying everything about it (except all the tagging on buildings)and we are excited to get to the south side of the island.

Cheers,

Isaac

Fortress of Palamidi

The Fortress sits high up on the hill above Nafplio, a significant work of fortification architecture built by the Venetians but occupied by the Ottomans before its completion somewhere around 1715. It is easily accessed from the town of Nafplio so by 7:30 a.m. we were making our way from our hotel to the base of the 999 steps that wind up the mountain to the Fortress. The climb was arduous (why are steps always so much more difficult than a slope), but manageable. We were glad to start out early before the day heated up! As we climbed, we were rewarded with incredible views from the landings where we caught our breath.
Once we reached the fortress and paid our entry fee, we were able to explore the inside of the fort. It quickly become apparent that the Fortress was not one bastion but a complex of  8 bastions; it seemed to stretch on without end. From inside, we had a 360* view of Nafplio, and the surrounding area. It was breathtakingly beautiful!
After about an hour of touring around, we made our way back down the steps ant to our hotel for breakfast. The Greeks know how to do breakfast: thick yogurt and honey, fresh squeezed orange juice, eggs, cheese, sliced meat and delicious phyllo bites. Yumm!
The last 3 photos shown are the Hotel Marianna where we stayed in Nafplio . . . the breakfast patio and our room which is originally over 260 years ago. Highly recommended for anyone travelling to Greece. The rooms, hospitality and food are top-notch, all for 85€ per night.
Susan

Deeper into Hellas

We've left the charming village of Miraka, tucked in the Elesian hills outside Olympia. Our plans to cross the Peloponnese by bus came to grief on an old Greek adage - "Never on a Sunday". Thankfully  Nasos, our driver and guide, was available to chauffeur us through the scenic highlands of Arcadia to the coastal region of Argolis, home of Jason's intrepid crew on his quest for the Golden Fleece. We find ourselves in the beautiful city of Nafplio, original capital of the modern state of Greece when it was founded in 1829. Our hotel shares a mountain with a ruined Venetian castle which used to guard the harbour. After our first swim in the Aegean we strolled down into the old town to walk the promenade and find supper. The challenge tomorrow? To scale the heights of the main fortress that dominates the peninsula. My knees are already aching at the thought.