CRETE, GREECE – The Fourth of July was quickly approaching and as Sean and I live in a community that is full of families with small children we weighed our options; stay in Frankfurt and hang out with tons of Americans and eat BBQ or go to Greece? We decided on the latter. Sean was able to take Friday off so we hopped on the airplane with our bathing suits, sandals and tons of sunscreen (Sean is very precautions) and headed south.
This was Sean’s first trip to Greece and my fifth. While in college I worked many summers on archeological surveys and digs around the island of Crete. It happened that my favorite professor in college, the amazing man who took me along on these trips each summer, was going to be there over this weekend and we planned to meet up. Sean and I rented a car and headed to Plakias, a small village on the south-western coast where I had lived during my summers as a college student.
The drive was several hours but the landscape is so stunning that it passed by quickly. Once we arrived we quickly unpacked our bags and met my professor for dinner. That night was magical. We stayed up reminiscing, laughing and meeting old friends until the moon set over the sea the the sunrise reminded us we should probably get some sleep.
It was so wonderful being back in the village where I met so many wonderful people and truly had some of the most formidable moments of my life, and it was a great feeling to show Sean all of this. We swam, ate and toured a healthy number of archeological sites before heading off to the north-eastern coast of Crete to meet up with some other archeologist who I worked with many years ago.
Along the way we did stop in Rethymnon one of the large cities in Crete where a museum opened up that shows some of the finds from the survey project I worked on. It is nearly impossible to describe the feeling of walking into a museum and seeing artifacts that you helped uncover! Sean did a good share of hollering, gotta love that guy!
In Mochlos we celebrated the 4th by eating octopus and hearing a lecture on the top 10 discoveries of Mochlos, a rich archeological site that began in the summer of 1989 and that I worked on for a few summers. For me, this was the perfect vacation. Sean who really enjoyed the historical tour and history lesson has made me promise that we can go back and sit on the beach for awhile. I promised.
Please enjoy some of the photos from our trip.
We made it!! Driving in Greece!
A little blurry but open road
Crete is like the wild west of Greece. Most of the street signs have bullet holes in them.
View of Plakias from our room
At the end of every meal we are offered fresh fruit and raki (local liquor)
A friend who was a waiter at a different restaurant has opened his own. If you are ever in Plakias stop by for a drink and say hello to Makis!
Frappe, Greek coffee and something I lived on during my summers in Greece.
Fresh fruit and Raki… I think this was before noon.
Artifacts from The Plakias Stone Age Project in the museum
Sean being is curious and supportive self
Panel description of our finds
Me and the tools!
After seeing the museum we celebrated with a nice cold beverage
Strange little bar
Sean wanted some Greek leather sandals
Palace of Knossos. Sean posing next to pottery to give it scale
Palace of Konossos
Fresco at the Palace of Knossos
Grand staircase at the Palace of Knossos
Palace of Knossos
Palace of Knossos
Palace of Knossos
Sea view the Mediterranean is amazing!
Best octopus I have ever had!
More coffee. I can’t help myself, look at that view!
Pachia Ammos, Crete
Pachia Ammos, Crete
Octopus before we ate it…
Last beverage beer in Greece (last beverage was the raki after the meal)
Enjoying the last day in Crete
Our little Greek car!
Bye Crete! Back to real life
