Unfortuately it's piddled down with rain for almost the whole of my time in Crete. Such are the hazards of travelling at this time of year. And indeed without any waterproof gear or sturdy shoes. Sigh. But during brief intervals of sunshine I've visited the ancient palace of Knossos, source of many myths including Theseus and the Minotaur. It tops even the archaeological sites of mainland Greece for sheer antiquity - the palace dates from 1900BC, and the surrounding area bears traces of inhabitation going back to 7000BC. Also the wifi in my unheated apartment appears to be late Bronze Age in origin.
I had a quick one-day drive around the central part of Crete, in a rented Toyota so old & battered that I probably could have taken it stock-car racing and still not lost my deposit. The car gave me the opportunity to head out into the sticks and check out the memorial to one of World War Two's most famous acts of daring: the abduction of the occupying German commander General Kreipe by a team of Greek partisans, led by an English writer, explorer, war hero and general all-round they-don't-make-'em-like-that-anymore chap called Patrick Leigh Fermor. I am unable to resist quoting the following from his Wikipedia biography:
'As a child Leigh Fermor had problems with academic structure and limitations, and was sent to a school for "difficult" children. He was later expelled from The King's School, Canterbury after he was caught holding hands with a greengrocer's daughter. His last report from The King's School noted that the young Leigh Fermor was "a dangerous mixture of sophistication and recklessness".'
Undoubtedly the fame of the Kreipe exploit is due not just to its sheer audacity - they got the General clean off the island and into an Allied submarine - but also to the romance of it all, with Fermor and the subdued General exchanging Latin quotations over the remnants of a mountainside campfire, while the dawn sunbeams spread out across the valleys, etc etc; and also to a vaguely heartwarming televised postwar reunion between the two men, in 1972.
But beyond its propaganda value, the operation had little effect other than to redouble the savagery of Nazi reprisals against the civilian population. And Kreipe's non-commissioned driver, who was also kidnapped and did not have the benefit of a classical education, sustained an injury during the raid which meant he had to be left behind. The partisans couldn't afford for him to talk, and so they killed him quietly, with a knife. We don't put up monuments to that kind of thing.
Christmas looms and my thoughts begin to turn homeward. At this time of year, direct flights home are rather prohibitively expensive. But it's fun to be creative with Skyscanner when you've got an open mind and time to spare. There'll be one more blog for your delectation yet and I can say with confidence that you probably won't guess where from.
In the meantime I shall say goodbye to Greece with some very fond memories. I can't make head nor tail of the language (it's all Greek to me, ha ha) but the food is delicious and that's what really matters.
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| Knossos Where you see bright colours & sharp angles, that generally reflects modern restoration work. Mostly rather regrettable I think. |
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| Abducting a general (see above) |
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| According to Greek myth, Europa was abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull and brought to Crete. And that, kids, is why Europe is called Europe! Hence this utterly ghastly statue. |
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| I can't remember where this was exactly. Somewhere on the north coast. |
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| Edd vs Food #73 Best meal of this trip so far. Beef, salsa, tabbouleh, honey-tinged yoghurt, beetroot, hummus and pita. Simple food, but fresh as a daisy and done to absolute perfection in every part. At The Chickpea, Heraklion |
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| Edd vs Food #74 As above, but falafel instead of beef, and rocket instead of beetroot. |
