Sphakia, A Wild and Secret Side of Crete 2023
High in the Crete White Mountains
Gortyn, the hidden secret of Crete
The Magnificent City of Gortyn Crete is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea and is known for its stunning landscapes and rich culture. Its history is vast and dates back centuries, but all you will hear of are the Minoans. With the earliest inhabitants arriving in the late Neolithic period. One of the most…
Raki – All you ever need to know
People have been producing Raki for centuries in Crete, Greece. The production of Raki also known as Tsikoudia is an ancient practice and involves a unique distillation process that sets it apart from other spirits. The first step in the distillation process is to create the mash. They mashed the grapes, grape leaves and debris…
Michael Ventris, who was he?
Michael Ventris was a British architect and linguist who made an extraordinary contribution to the field of archaeology and philology. He is best known for his groundbreaking decipherment of Linear B, an ancient script that had been undeciphered until Ventris cracked it in 1952. He was also a talented architect, designing a number of notable…
Antikythera – Ancient Greek Computer
By Evangelos Vallianatos The Finding Just before Easter 1900, Greek sponge-fishers were on their way to the waters of Tunisia when a violent storm threw their boats to Antikythera, a tiny island located just north of Crete in the Aegean. After the storm, the sponge-fishers explored the waters of Antikythera for sponges. One of the…
Evans, Knossos and the Minoans – Facts and Forgeries
When you look at the advertisements for Crete, usually provided by the Greek tourist board, a huge amount of publicity is given to the ‘great Minoan civilisation’ discovered by Arthur Evans at the turn of the 20th century. Coach tours are offered to Knossos, the Disneyland of archaeology, where Evans poured concrete to recreate his…
Chania – The Wonderful Area of Western Crete
The City and the countryside of the Province Of Chania, Crete. I am writing my blog today to share with the world, the place where I live. I live and will probably die here in the Province of Chania, perhaps Crete’s finest part. This province lies in the west of Crete and is arguably the…
Eleftherios Venizelos, The Great Man of Crete 1864-1936
Birth of Crete – Venizelos Eleftherios Venizelos – The Great Man of Crete Just two years before the Holocaust of Arkadi in 1864, a child was born in Mournies, a village just south of Hania. One of six children, he was the fifth, to be born of Kyriakos from Mournies and Styliani, his mother, from Therisso….
Kandanos: The Incredible Story
and its return to life There is a large village in the southwestern, central area of Chania, Crete, which is called Kandanos. You can get there by following the route to Palaiochora. You will find this village on the road 16 km before Palaiochora. Just before you arrive at Kandanos, you will go through the…
The Amari Valley -The Hidden Diamond
The Hidden Gem of Crete Suppose your journey takes you from Rethymno through Spili to Agia Galini or the Messara Plain, or from Iraklion to Festos and Matala. In that case, you might inadvertently bypass one of Crete’s most enchanting regions – the Amari Valley. This serene and picturesque valley, nestled between the mountains, is…
The Fig Tree
Ah the wonderful fig tree. It grows everywhere and the figs appear mostly in October and November, although there are, of course, winter figs, even spring figs, and summer figs I have heard. But there is something special about the fig tree. Forget the milky sap that some are allergic to, forget even the lack…
The Magnificent Cretan Poppy
One of the finest flowers seen in Crete is the wild Cretan poppy. So many people see so many flowers that the poppy is often ignored in favour of the wonderful orchids and the myriads of stunning flowers that are seen here. But I love the poppy. It is straight, wild and serene. It is…