This time I wanted to take a look at some of the
mountain sites of Minoan and post-Minoan Crete: Lato,
Rhizenia, Lyttos, and in particular the mountain cave of
Kamares.

Kamares is located at 1,780m, under the summit of
Mount Mavri (1,981m) and visible from quite a
distance.

The climb started from the village of Kamares in about
700m and took about four hours through steep and
partially difficult territory, until I faced the huge
open gate of the cave.

The cave doesn't lead far into the mountain and all
the excavated objects now can be seen in the Heraklion
museum, but the view across the Mesara plain below
and to the Lybian Sea is breathtaking.

Somewhere below there is the Palace of Phaistos,
looking up to the cave, which was an important sanctuary
in Minoan times.

Rhadamanthys' Cretan Journal

March 22^nd: Heraklion

Why spend one week on Crete at this time of the year, when temperatures can still get really chilly, the sea feels like deep-frozen, most restaurants and hotels are closed and the sun hides behind thick gray clouds?

I hardly dare to admit, but my main reason, even though it is true, was not that this is the time of the year when all of Crete is green and even the worst shrub is in bloom.

Instead I wanted to collect some impressions and inspirations as well as background for the story I have been trying to complete for some time.

I took some pictures of Mt. Jouktas, the Holy Mountain associated with Knossos, from Heraklion and saw the "sleeping Zeus", often referred to when writing about this mountain.

Then I walked the pier, passing the Venetian Fortress, to its very end and made more pictures. (Moving with your mouse over the sleeping Zeus will reveil the changed perspective - just be patient!.)

And yes, in the evening I got lost without camera in the spiderweb of narrow streets choked with cars parking in the wildest places. Of coffee shops, restaurants and crowds of locals, enjoying the time of the year when this place belongs to them.

March 23^rd: Heraklion Museum and Knossos

Another great plus of being here at this time of the year: No lines, no crowds in the famous Heraklion Archaeological Museum and in the palace of Knossos. And enough time to gain a fresh perspective on the well known exhibits. (Moving with your mouse over the clay house or the Snake Goddess will reveil the changed perspective - just be patient!.)

In Knossos I didn't make pictures, but used Colin Macdonalds new extensive description as a guide to walk through the palace as one of the few visitors around.

March 24^th: Archanes and Mt. Jouktas

I retreated to the little mountain village of Archanes close by Mt. Jouktas. I hiked up the 811m mountain, and from the Minoan Peak Sanctuary had a fascinating view over all of central Crete. I was also greeted by some mountain goat.

March 25^th: Fourni

Another day enjoying the kindness and hospitaliy of the locals when they are not overcrowded with tourists. I visited the Minoan nekropolis of Fourni amidst a sea of blossoms.

The little temple at Anemospilia was thoroughly fenced in an closed, however, so it just gave me another magnificent panorama view to the northern coast of Crete.

March 26^th: Vathipetro

On my last day in the mountains before returning to the city of Heraklion, I visited the Minoan Villa of Vathypetro, south of Archanes, overlooking the mountain panorama south. As in the other cases, a solid fence barred access to the site. But then a little Cretan miracle happened: While I stood in front of the locked door and contemplated, a car raced by with a friendly local, producing a key, unlocking the gate ("It's free, it's free") and opening the building containing a 3500 year old wine press.

All pictures made by the author on Canon Digital IXUS 330

Rhadamanthys' Cretan Journal

Below you will find some images from different Minoan sites I visited
during my stay on Crete. Please don't get a wrong impression: I did
NOT spend all my time between ruins. To the contrary, most of the
time was dedicated to relaxing, sipping cool drinks and enjoying the
heat and sunshine of Ierapetra.

July 14^th: Gournia

Shortly after you have passed Agios Nikolaos on the road from
Heraklion to Ierapetra in the south east of Crete, you can see
on your right some ruins on a hill. This is the excavation of the
small Minoan city of Gournia.

Interestingly, the complete city was built of stone with houses of at
least two floors. Groundfloor rooms mostly were entered through the
second floor and served as storage rooms. This is different from
many other civilizations where you find solid stone buildings for the
ruling elite only, and shabby wooden huts for the common people.

Gournia has a small palace which is very interesting because not
only is it older than the great palaces of Mallia and such, but it
anticipates many elements of these later palaces. For example the
grandiose indented west façade. Most palaces and large buildings
show this detail. Before this structured wall of large trimmed stone
blocks something seemed to have happened: a theater, a
procession, sacrifice, an epiphany - make your own guess.

July 13^th: Mallia

We took a guided tour to Mallia and enjoyed the presentation by
Jorgos, our very engaged tour guide. The building is situated in a
plain, so it is difficult to get a good overall impression of the huge
structure, unless you have a plane or a balloon at hand. This is where
Myers' Aerial Atlas of Ancient Crete comes handy (though it is a bit
heavy to carry around).

The schedule of the guided tour prevented me from visiting the
excavated village close to the palace. Two models at the excavation
site of the palace gave me some impression of the contrast between
the homogenous and planned lay-out of the palace vs. the dynamic
and seemingly organically grown civil quarters nearby.

July 14^th: Makryyialos

This typical "Minoan Villa" is situated on the south coast, and only a
small sign leads you a steep and narrow road uphill. No tourists, no
entrance fee, just a rotten rusty fence with an open door. It takes a lot
of imagination to see anything here, and it is another one of those
sites where you wish to be a bird and look from above (or turn to the
Aerial Atlas).

July 17^th: Galatas

I already mentioned that I joined this presentation of the newly
excavated palace at Galatas.

Without Sabine's kind translation I wouldn't have understood a word
of what Prof. Giorgios Rethemiotakis was explaining.

July 19^th: Myrtos

Close to the village of Myrtos you find two excavation sites
completely off road. Fournou Koryfi requires a steep climb and
good shoes. We opened the rusted fence gate with a heavy stone:
obviously nobody has cared to visit this place for some time.
The real relevance of this place only gets clear when you see the
excavated objects of this early Minoan village in the Agios
Nikolaos museum.

The climb to Pyrgos is slightly easier, there are more visitors, and
at the top you see the remains of a large Minoan Villa from the time
of the New Palaces. Different from most cases, the façade faces
south, overlooking the see below. The place has a spectacular 360°
view.

July 20^th: The Sunken City of Olous / Agios Nikolaos Museum

In the shallow water at the Spinalonga peninsula you see some
ancient structures under water. Sea level has risen here several
meters, so supposedly you find Minoan ruins down to a depth of 4
meters.

Last but not least we visited the Museum at Agios Nikolaos, which
has a good collection of finds from the various places we visited in
Eastern Crete. It is even permitted to make pictures (so the
copyright is rightfully mine!)