[2022]
[Friday 20 May
2022]
Mediterraneo Hotel, Λιμένας Χερσόνησου, Crete
08:55–16:30/17:00 Knossos €74
In her journal, Janet had been reporting inadequate sleep at nights; but this morning, with relief, she wrote: “Phew! A good sleep. At least eight hours. I was ‘off’ very quickly and had a comfortable night… Up
6.55am. [We went for] breakfast. [It was] cloudy, but [there was] no wind, thank goodness: a lot calmer. [It] may be hot, may not! At
ca.8.40am we left for our pick-up to Knossos. This is why I’m here.” The visit to the archaeological site of the Palace of Minos at Knossos was
Janet’s main reason for wanting to come to Crete. I told people that my main reason was to try the local pomace brandy “τσικουδιά”. “Highlights so far,”
Janet opined: “the Jeep Safari (such fun) and Lychnostatis. It was a bit windy and sunny: warmer than
yesterday. Better for sightseeing. Our bus arrived just before 9am and there were a few [further] pickups en route.”
The voucher for today’s excursion was the one that had been faxed, not e-mailed; and since I no longer have it, I guess it must have been handed over as we about to board the coach. On the way I noticed a spray-painted graffito on a wall, “ΟΜΙΛΟΣ ΘΕΟΣ”[i]
- [i] For “Όμιλος” Google Translate gives “group”, “club”, “company”, “association”, “crew”, “gang”, “band”, etc. “Θεός” obviously is “God”. Back home, I found a headline “Όμιλος, Όμιλος, Όμιλος Θεός λέμε, αλλά λίγοι γνωρίζουν από Ομιλογονία” (which didn’t make sense when I ran it through
Google Translate, “Group, Group, Group God we say, but few know from Homily”), but it was on the website of professional football club
OFI Crete Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Όμιλος Φιλάθλων Ηρακλείου 1925, “Club of Fans of Heraklion 1925”). So I conclude that the graffito was a football slogan: “Club God”.
Palace of Minos at Knossos and Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
“Some people were doing other things: going to Heraklion for the market, shopping,
etc. Heathens! In the end, there were only about 16 of us.” Our guide, an older woman, introduced herself as “Mary”, but on her ID badge it was “Μαρία”. I scribbled in my notebook, “12:00 №18”,
i.e. the time we were told to come back there to reboard the coach, and the number displayed on the coach. “We arrived at Knossos and were told we could not get concession rates since we’d left the EU.
Bastards!” The first task was to queue up at the ticket office window and purchase a ticket which would allow entry to both the Palace site there, and also the Archaeological Museum in Heraklion. Μαρία suggested that over 60s produce their passports to avail themselves of the senior concessionary rate. But as
Janet wrote, this was only given to EU citizens.
“You don’t like us,” we commented.
“No, it’s you who don’t like us,” she replied.
“We voted to remain in the EU.”
“Combined” tickets, giving “one visit per site” to Knossos and to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, issued “10:32”
As well as this, there was the handing out and testing of
Whisper wireless receivers and earpieces.
Bird’s eye view of Knossos from Knossos: a survey of the Minoan civilization
Satellite view of Knossos from Google Maps
“The Palace must have been simply magnificent,” Janet
wrote. “As usual, I wished I could have seen the place back then — although I wouldn’t want to have lived at that time! The tour took about 1½ hours. This was what I’d come [to Crete] for. Worth it!”
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:49:20
Knossos: Sacred Waste Pits (“Koulouras”)
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:49:48
Bust of Minos A. Kalokairinos (1843–1907), the first to undertake excavations of the ancient site of Knossos
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:49:48 (detail)
Minos A. Kalokairinos
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:51:00
Bust of Arthur J. Evans (1851–1941), famous for unearthing the palace of Knossos
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:51:00 (detail)
Arthur J. Evans
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:53:10
Knossos: West Court and West Façade
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:53:10 (detail 1)
Knossos: West Façade
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:53:10 (detail 2)
Knossos: West Façade, and (in front of it) Processional Way
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:57:12
Knossos: West Court and Processional Way
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:57:12 (detail 1)
Knossos: West Court; (left:) Altar
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:57:12 (detail 2)
Knossos: West Court and Processional Way
Saturday 21 May 2022 10:58:52
Knossos: proceeding around from the West Court to the Central Court
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:02:44
Knossos: restored part of the South Propylaeum
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:02:44 (detail)
Knossos: restored part of the South Propylaeum
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:03:44
Knossos: restored part of the South Propylaeum: frescoes of red figures (i.e. men) in procession, carrying vessels; (below:) Μαρία, our guide
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:04:10
Knossos: South Propylaeum: Storage Jars
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:05:32
Knossos: view south from the Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:05:32 (detail)
Knossos: view south from the Staircase: Sacred Horns
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:08:34
Knossos: Storage Jars
The architectural feature that most typifies the site, and makes one instantly exclaim, “Ah yes, that’s Minoan!”, is the columns, originally of cypress wood, plastered and painted red. The builders had the notion that the tree-trunks might sprout again once they were put in place, so they inverted them to prevent this happening; that’s why they are narrower at the bottom than at the top.
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:09:56
Knossos: Central Staircase, by the Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:15:08
Knossos: waiting to enter the Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:15:26
Knossos: view south of the Central Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:18:44
Knossos: Ante-Chamber of the Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:20:04
Knossos: Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:20:16
Knossos: Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:22:40
Knossos: Bastion of the Bull at the north end
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:22:40 (detail)
Knossos: Bastion of the Bull at the north end
From the Throne Room towards the north-west corner of the Central Court, Μαρία led us across to look at the Grand Staircase about midway along the east side.
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:26:40
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:26:40 (detail)
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:27:08
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:27:44
Knossos: view south of the Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:32:22
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:32:32
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:33:14
Knossos: Grand Staircase
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:33:48
Knossos: view north of the Grand Staircase
Then before leading us to the north end of the Central Court, she led us to a structure at the south end. She must have explained what it was, but I evidently didn’t take it in; if I had done so, I’d have photographed the copy of the “fresco” (on the other side of the nearer wall in the photo below). Without realising it at the time, I did later see the reconstructed original, displayed in the Archaeological Museum (“13:53:44”, below).
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:35:10
Knossos: structure housing “The Prince with the Lilies”
Then she led us northwards through a gateway out of the Central Court.
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:38:02
Knossos: gateway behind the Bastion of the Bull; (background, right:) Throne Room
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:38:50
Knossos: North Lustral Building
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:40:06
Knossos: steps down to the North Lustral Basin
The “Theatre” at the north-west corner of the site looked like no classical theatre that I’d ever seen: just two sets of shallow steps down, at right angles to each other. I guess “classical” is the key word here: the semicircular structures cut out of hillsides would perhaps belong to the first millennium BC, whereas what we were seeing here was from earlier than that.
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:43:08
Knossos: Theatre and Royal Road
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:43:20
Knossos: Theatre
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:43:52
Knossos: Royal Road
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:43:52 (detail)
“ΕΞΟΔΟΣ”
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:47:02
Knossos: last look at the iconic Bastion of the Bull
Saturday 21 May 2022 11:47:02 (detail)
Knossos: last look at the iconic Bastion of the Bull
We just had time, before returning to the coach, to buy a guidebook of Knossos.
Book: Knossos: a survey of the Minoan Civilization
Receipt for the above book, issued “11:52 πμ”
“After that (it was 12 noon),” Janet wrote, “we reboarded the coach and went into Heraklion centre — and discovered it was where we went yesterday so was familiar. In fact, we’d passed the Archaeological Museum!” As we’d zigzagged up out of Λεωφόρος Ικάρου, at the end before we’d turned around into Eleftherias Square, it had been in front of us.
Map of central Heraklion showing places we visited or saw yesterday and today
Information leaflet
“We spent just under two hours looking at artefacts. Incredible. I’m always amazed by what people could achieve with the tools they had at the time. Exquisite jewellery — gold and precious stones. Gold with very intricate designs. Stunning. Lots of pottery — examples changed with time. Originally very plain then decorated. We saw coffins (tiny), baths,
etc., made of clay. Finally, frescoes from Knossos Palace. A wonderful display.”
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:54:44
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:55:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:56:06
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:57:32
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:58:34
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:59:16
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:59:36
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 12:59:58
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:00:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:01:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:01:50
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:02:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:03:40
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:04:22
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion:
Gold jewel, depicting two bees holding a piece of honeycomb between their legs and sucking a drop of honey
(ca.1700BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:04:42
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:05:34
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:06:32
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:07:12
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:08:22
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:09:56
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:10:50
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:10:56
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:11:36
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: board game (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:13:14
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: model of Knossos
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:13:52
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: model of Knossos
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:14:30
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: model of Knossos
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:15:06
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Phaestos Disc”: spiral of impressed hieroglyphics
(ca.1600BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:15:34
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Phaestos Disc”: spiral of impressed hieroglyphics
(ca.1600BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:16:52
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: (below, from left:) “ox-hide” copper ingots (used as currency?)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:18:30
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: ivory bull leaper figurine (1600–1500BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:18:50
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: bull leaping fresco (1500–1400BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:19:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: detail of bull leaping fresco
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:19:36
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: detail of bull leaping fresco
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:19:58
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: detail of bull leaping fresco
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:20:46
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:22:06
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:22:36
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: sacred horns
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:23:02
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:23:40
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: bronze figurine of a worshipper (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:24:06
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:24:22
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Rhyton of the Harvesters” (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:24:22 (detail)
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Rhyton of the Harvesters” (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:24:54
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Rhyton of the Harvesters” (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:24:54 (detail)
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Rhyton of the Harvesters” (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:26:40
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: “Ring of Minos” (1500–1400BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:27:14
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: serpentine rhyton in the form of a bull’s head, with gilded horns, rock crystal eyes and mother-of-pearl snout (16th century BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:28:08
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: cylindrical kernoi with attached cups for placing offerings (1700–1600BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:29:22
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: figurines of the “Snake Goddess” (1650–1550BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:31:42
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: rhyton of rock crystal, with a handle of crystal beads threaded onto a bronze wire, and a crystal ring at the base of the neck decorated with gilded ivory (1500–1450BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:34:44
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:35:18
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: (centre:) pithos used as a coffin; (right:) clay bathtub with perhaps a similar purpose
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:35:54
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: pithoi of various shapes and sizes
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:36:58
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: examples of writing
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:38:04
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:38:42
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: bones, arranged in the manner in which they had been buried
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:40:14
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: exhibits including idols of goddesses with raised hands
(ca.1200BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:40:24
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:42:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:44:08
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: stone “Agia Triada Sarcophagus”, plastered and painted (1370–1300BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:44:42
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: stone “Agia Triada Sarcophagus”, plastered and painted (1370–1300BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:46:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: chest sarcophagi, most with “mansard”-style lids (1350–1200BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:46:58
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: bathtub-shaped sarcophagi (1300–1200BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:47:48
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: marble head of Asklepias (2nd century AD)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:50:28
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: shield designs (cf. “11:27:08”)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:50:44
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: fresco of male figures in procession
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:53:26
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:53:44
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: the “Prince of the Lilies”, paint on low relief plaster (1600–1450BC)
Saturday 21 May 2022 13:55:28
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: the “Parisienne”, perhaps a young priestess, part of a wall painting of a symposium (drinking party) (1400–1350BC)
We went through all the rooms displaying Neolithic and Bronze Age exhibits, and those of the Minoan palace periods, but we left before we would come to the “historic” period, Classical and Roman.
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:02:34
Archaeological Museum of Heraklion: courtyard
“We left the Museum at ca.2.30pm” — actually, it was just after 2pm — “then went to find somewhere to eat and drink. I saw a café/bar just across the road so we went there. Good choice.” The interval between the photo of the Museum courtyard, above, and the photo of
Janet entering Hari’s Creperie, below, is just over one minute. “[We] sat inside as [there was] a cool breeze outside. We both had salad and bread, [John] had a beer then a rakí, and I had… three
Coke Zero. 25 euros. Everything is so cheap. It was good. We enjoyed.”
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:03:52
Hari’s Creperie, Σαπουτιέ 1, 71202 Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:09:12
Hari’s Creperie, Σαπουτιέ 1, 71202 Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:09:46
Hari’s Creperie, Σαπουτιέ 1, 71202 Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:12:44
Hari’s Creperie, Σαπουτιέ 1, 71202 Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 14:59:58
Hari’s Creperie, Σαπουτιέ 1, 71202 Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 15:17:14
Archaeological Museum (top left), seen from Vitturi Bastion, Heraklion
Saturday 21 May 2022 15:18:16
(Foreground:) Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos on Vitturi Bastion, Heraklion; (background:) heading for the coach, parked on Λεωφόρος Δημοκρατίας (Democracy Avenue)
“We were back at the coach by ca.3.20pm and departed 3.30pm.”
Saturday 21 May 2022 15:45:40
“Golf ball”, seen from the coach
Saturday 21 May 2022 15:46:12
“Golf ball”, seen from the coach
“We were back at the hotel just after 4pm,” Janet wrote. “We withdrew cash [from the ATM in the lobby]. Bought a postcard for Chris [from the nearby gift shop]. Back in our room we needed two towels and soap, and the sing plug was bust! However, it was all sorted quickly. I organised everything for the morning: up 4.30am, pick-up 6.20am! I sorted my stuff and [John] had a shower.”
I shaved again because of the early start tomorrow, i.e. to avoid having to do it then, then showered.… Wrote the postcard to Chris, then photographed it.
Saturday 21 May 2022 18:17:34
Postcard to be sent to Chris
Saturday 21 May 2022 18:18:20
Postcard to be sent to Chris
“We went for dinner. Back in our room I had a shower…,” Janet wrote. I took a photo of “Γιάννης”:
Saturday 21 May 2022 19:26:12
Γιάννης (Giánnis) in the hotel room
“…Then we both were in bed at
ca.8.15pm.”
[Sunday 22 May
2022]
|
