Unfortunately our trip got off to a rough start when we got rear-ended on our way to the airport. There was quite a bit of damage but fortunately no one was injured and we were able to get to the airport (barely) on time for our flight.
We landed in Chania (Crete) late in the evening and we picked up our rental car. We had another spot of bad luck when we had trouble getting into our Airbnb apartment and had to find a hotel for the night, but we got it all sorted first thing in the morning. Our luck was much better after this.
Day one:
We spent the day in Chania. We really enjoyed this town. There was lots of shopping, eating outside at a café, walking around the harbor to the lighthouse, and Greek frozen yogurt. It was a great day.
Day two:
We headed down to Elafonissi Beach on the southern coast of the island. This beach is known for its pink sand, but apparently it is not as pink as it once was (visitors taking sand home with them is one cause). We didn't have the warmest weather but we still had a great time playing in the water and having a picnic on the rocks. Since it was still the off-season, it wasn't very crowded which was really nice.
Day three:
We checked out of our place in Chania and headed to a different part of the island. Our first stop was the Phaistos Palace. This place has been inhabited since about 4000BC (palace was first built around 2000BC) and is where the Phaistos Disc was discovered. Of course only low walls remain, but it was still really neat to see something that was built so long ago. Andrew also made a feline friend while we were drinking some fresh juice and checking out the shop.
Next, we went over to Matala Beach to explore the man-made Neolithic caves. They have been used as tombs and dwelling places for Romans and hippies. The kids had a blast exploring the caves and the view of the water was stunning.
Our last stop was another beach, but this one came with a steep hike. Preveli Beach (aka Palm Beach) is located down a LOT of steps from the parking lot where a river empties out into the sea. Andrew and Brandon played in the lagoon, Aaron let the river carry him out of the lagoon and into the sea, and David and I hung out on the beach. There was a goose there who kept trying to join groups of people, even sitting on their towels and following them around until they left the beach. Once we were done at the beach we took a bit of a walk through the palm grove before taking the steep hike back up to the car.
Day four:
Aaron's birthday! We got lucky that this day also happened to be Monument Day in Greece, which meant that pretty much everything (historical monuments, ruined cities, palaces, etc.) was free. We started the day at Gortyn. This is another ruined city, but this one is a bit unique because it has a wall engraved with their laws. Apparently this is one of the oldest records of family law, including divorce, rape, and inheritance. It also has a tree where Zeus apparently took Europa after kidnapping her.
Next up, we went to Zeus's Cave! This is where Zeus is said to have been raised in secret so he wouldn't be devoured by his father, Kronos. This was a steep climb with lots of switchbacks to get to the cave entrance. David and I hitched a ride on a donkey since I was a bit sore from the Preveli Beach hike the day before. The kids somehow have an endless supply of energy and made it to the top with Aaron well before me and David. The cave itself was really neat- lots of stalagmites and stalactites and it was lit inside with cool green lights.
The last stop of the day was one I was especially looking forward to- Knossos! It has been called the oldest city in Europe, and is the site of the legendary labyrinth designed by Dedalus to house the minotaur. It was also a key location to finding Atlantis in an Indiana Jones computer game we used to play. We loved exploring this and the recreation/restoration work helped give context to all the different rooms we saw. And there was even a peacock wandering around the ruins that very kindly posed for us.
Day five:
We hung out in Heraklion for the day. We spent a while in the museum, which houses relics from many of the sites we had seen so far- including the actual Phaistos Disc, the original artwork from Knossos, and a scale model of what the palace of Knossos would have looked like when it was intact. After a late lunch of pizza and crepes, we rushed over to the fortress so we could walk around inside before it closed. After walking around a bit more we headed back to the car and drove to the port. We had a quick dinner and then we unloaded our luggage and the kids and I found a bench to hang out on while Aaron returned the rental car and we waited for our midnight ferry ride to the mainland.
To be continued... Day six- Day nine
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