Sat 21.Nov.2009
Iraklio, Crete, Greece
Knossos Sorta
I rode the city bus out to the famous ancient palace complex at
Knossos on Friday afternoon. Never set foot on the grounds though; they
close at 3:00 pm! Why dey do dat?? By the time I arrived at quarter to,
they were no longer letting people in. It would have made no sense to
enter for just fifteen minutes anyway.
![Palace Doorstep Greenery framing road sign](pix/2009/img_6942.jpg)
![Modern Knossos White 2-story buildings, souvenir shack](pix/2009/img_6943.jpg)
So I got to wait half an hour for the next bus back to town. The
entrance to the ruins has a covered walkway lined with lush
greenery. The other side of the highway has some tourist shops and
cafes, and a small town behind them. I nursed a small greek coffee in
front of the cafe nearest the bus stop, making sure to pay in advance
so I could run across the street for the bus when it came.
Hmmm... that stop sign is in English/German, not Greek.
![Shelves? modern wood shelving](pix/2009/img_6945.jpg)
![Eucalyptus YA sidelighted tree](pix/2009/img_6954.jpg)
Just outside the Knossos ticket
office is a wall of what look like shelves. Someplace to leave stuff
while you tour the ruins? I never learned. The structure made an
interesting picture though.
This eucalyptus tree, on the other
hand, is back in town in Eleftherias
Square, where there is also a war memorial of some sort. Today
there were soldiers and a military band holding some ceremony there.
Back in Town
![War Memorial Statue, WW 1 Soldier](pix/2009/img_6955.jpg)
![Eleftherias Plaza trees and yellow column](pix/2009/img_6958.jpg)
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6959.jpg)
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6965.jpg)
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6964.jpg)
These two dogs in Eleftherias Square finally got close enough to make
a two-dog picture, and then the small one started getting raunchy.
The bigger shaggy guy gave the little one the brush-off.
These two arches near the Four Lions
Square are really the same color.
In fact, that is the same gallery they look in to.
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6973.jpg)
![Not Weeping - Yakking sitting kid bent over mobile phone](pix/2009/img_6979.jpg)
A kid yakking on a cell phone.
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6980.jpg)
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6981.jpg)
The guy munching the burger is more or less directly beneath and in
front of the shuttered window and nondescript - but picturesque -
clutter.
![default title defalt alt text](pix/2009/img_6993.jpg)
Today I went back out and visited Knossos for real. Photos probably
won''t get up for a couple of days though.
I'm leaving Iraklio on a bus tomorrow morning; intended destination:
Xania (Chania) at the western end of the island. My trusty Rough Guide
says it is one of the most attractive cities in Crete - reason enough
to go there from here.
See you there.
Contents Copyright 2012 Jeff Bulf