Up, breakfast, bus; this time for a trek across the island to the southern coast.
Our adventures started in the town of Gortys. This sleepy little village was the capital of the Roman province back in the day, so there are important ruins to be tromped on.
The first stop was a complex that included a basilica of St. Titus. Yes, I know that we saw one the other day in Heraklion but this one is much older.
Besides the domed portion above the alter, the remains included the foundations of the sanctuary showing the size and layout of the church and narthex.
Another building in the complex was the “odeon.” An “odeon” is different from a “theatre” in that the former has a roof while the later is an open air structure.
Though the roof is missing you can get an idea from the structures at the back (both original and new).
The new structure was added to protect the original wall. On that wall are written a law code that dates back to Minoan times.
If you look closely you will note that every other line seems to be backwards. This is true. The first line goes left to right, the second line goes right to left and so forth alternating direction throughout the writing. One theory for this is that it prevents the insertion of additional lines of text within the code.The site is situated among a grove of olive trees. Some of which are significantly old.Adjacent to the complex is the Roman governor’s Praetorian. This combination of palace, living quarters, and administrative offices covered a large area. It was fenced off so we couldn’t traipse around and steal rocks and such.
The next stop was the Minoan palace of Phaestos. This was the second most important palace/city complex of Minoan Crete. Though not as large as it’s cousin at Knossos, it is still important for what archaeologists have been able to learn from it.
While much of the site is little more than foundations and partial walls, it still provides a good look into the life and activities of the ruler who called it home.This is not the ruler. It’s just some guy bombing the photo.This is the porch in the queen’s chamber. The cover isn’t original, but the view of the mountains to the north is.The queen’s bathing chamber.The resident cats making new friends.
After Phaestos it was time to hit the beach. Our destination for that was the town of Malala. During the summer this is a hustling, rather famous beach town. In January it is a dead, rather famous beach town. But the sea is still there.
The sandstone cliffs at the edge of he beach are rather easy to dig in. During the 1960’s and 1970’s this became a haven for hippies who occupied the caves and had regular run-ins with the local constabulary. The caves are still there and we even saw a few hippie types hanging around.Reminder of good times past
Eventually it was time to reboard the bus and return to base. Tomorrow we move to Athens with an early flight so…luggage in the lobby by 6:30, quick breakfast, and we’re out of here by 7:00. Rock and Roll.
Groovy!