This trip was planned to tick off two items on my bucket list, the Minoan complex at Knossos and the walk through the Samarian gorge, both have been successfully accomplished.
The tour of the archaeological site at Knossos was interesting but the history of the Minoan dynasty was more so, I had not realised how powerful they were nor how far back their civilisation went, this is a subject for further research. I visited the archaeological museum in Heraklion which displays finds found throughout the island but mostly at Knossos and I was impressed with the quantity and quality of the objects on display but the items that stood out for me were 1. The Bee Pendant, a piece of jewellery more than three thousand years old which I doubt could be bettered today. 2. The Bulls head which was so beautifully made that despite being made from stone seemed alive. 3. The Snake Goddess, this lady showed her power in so many different ways.
Yesterday I did the walk down the Samarian Gorge to the sea, a total of 10 miles mostly on quite rough ground. I was fortunate enough to do the walk with six members of the Llandudno Social Meetup group so my thanks to David, Val, Pam, Linda, Keith and Jane for your valued company and support. The walk wasn't easy but I felt that I had really accomplished something and then this morning I was hit with the price of tight, sore calves and aching knees, just one more benefit of getting old!
Today I did have plans to go up to the fertile high plateau but it has now turned into a rest day.
I booked the trip as a Solos holiday with Saga but on arrival I found that there is a standard Saga holiday running alongside the Solos event. The Imperial Belvedere and its sister hotel the Royal Belvedere are one large complex outside Hersonissos and on an all inclusive basis are an ideal resort for families but not Sagaites who do not want wall to wall activities and an awful Europop soundtrack until 11:30pm each night and the noise in the restaurant (which is more like a school canteen) means that conversation over dinner is out of the question the only saving grace is the dedicated Saga lounge which provides a relatively quite haven away from the mayhem.
