Road trip!

Brandon and I have been pouring over our map that we got in our rental car. There are ancient sites everywhere! We did a little research and decided to just hop on the car and go. We didn't get to as many places as we liked, but it took a good 10 hours from leaving the hotel to getting back. We did have a good time, though. Driving around and stopping at places that looked interesting. Lato was the first archaeological site we visited. It's not that far from our hotel, about 20 minutes, maybe. We are in Agios Nikolos, and Lato sits just outside and up a hill nearby Krista, which was a beautiful little down with dozens of gift shops. We did some of our souvenir shopping there, and I got a book on Cretan plants. We have some pictures of some plants, and I will give a little description of them, now that I have a book on them, ha.

These are the steps that led up to what looks like a main part of the city of Lato. Can you believe we walked the same steps that the ancients walked? Lato is also the birthplace of Alexander the Greats General, Nearchos. Lato is named after Apollo and Artemis' mother, Leto. Lato is the Doric spelling, and this is how this site got it's name. They say that even though this is considered a Doric town, it was probably established "pre-Dorian".

Brandon really liked this wall because the stones are fitted together so tightly. There must have been some pretty good mason workers back in the day!

This, I believe, is the agora, which is where people assembled and the market was held. You can see the fence on the right, and that is a pit, or a cistern, which has some pillars you see below.

There were shrines like this all over. I wonder how old it is?

Here is a crazy sharp turn Greeks would whip around. And if the road looks narrow, that's because it is. Brandon and I guess it's at most 75% as wide as our country roads... No wonder the cars here are so small.

This, if I recall correctly, is the archaeological site of Gournia. It's an ancient Minoan palace. I really would love to drive back and see it up close, but it's about a 40 minute/hour drive, and there are so many other places we want to see!

Love this purple hillside! There are flowers absolutely everywhere. I didn't get a look up close, so I can't tell you much about these plants.

On our drive we came across an outlook with a taverna/cafe at the top. It boasted a panorama view, and we were hungry, so we decided to stop. Needless to say, it was the most panoramic view we have ever seen! The day was sort of hazy, but it was absolutely beautiful. That little island is Pseira, which has some remnants of Minoan and Mycenaean culture. And even though it took an hour to drive here, Agios Nikolos is right across the pay, which you can't see in this picture.

A Greek salad to start off our meal! Yum! We ate all of it, ha.

This picture turned out a little more blue than real life, but it's pretty, so why mess with it? This is a downward look from our seat in our panoramic cafe. We were sooo high up, higher than most of the birds we saw flying.

This was such a quaint little place... the owner (I'm assuming the owner) actually took us on a tour in their kitchen! And I will say, this kitchen was a touch smaller than Brandon's parents kitchen... it seemed a little small. Anyway, the fish you see was caught fresh from the water below us... And I think he said the squid was too. It's a good thing Brandon and I aren't that picky... but I did almost stop eating after after I accidentally cut into the squids purple gushing eye... gross.... Otherwise the food was actually tasty.

Okay, who can complain about the meal when it comes with this dessert? I can't. In the front was some kind of cornmeal cake. Just a touch sweet, but mostly bready tasting, this was Brandon's favorite. The one on the right was some kind of chocolate/coffee cake. That was my favorite. On the left was just a choclately cake, and it was good too. I think it might have had some cinnamon in it as well. In the middle... well I'm not sure what it was, but it was some kind of sweetly marinated fruit. Very delicious. We were so full until he brought dessert out, and then somehow we were hungry again.

Brandon and I drove through an overwhelming amount of flowering shrubs during our drive. This wasn't the whole way, but some of it. I have a feeling they don't trim the side of the road, but no worries, the cars do the job. I almost got flowers in my hair during our drive.

Look to the right and you can see the narrow winding road with sharp turns. We were going up hill very quickly at this point. Look at the trees and rows of shrubs in the middle, and if you look closely enough you can see the stone walls in front of each row.

This was the Toplou Monastery. We were going to stop, but decided not to because I wasn't dressed properly and we didn't know if they offered coverings at the door. Monasteries aren't exactly what interest me at this point anyway. It was beautiful, though, so we decided to take a picture.

After we got closer to the tip of Crete, to the end of the peninsula, we came upon goats everywhere This one was on the side of the road, and we took a picture out of our window. One of the hotel managers, Elana, said that the goat herders have to keep them off of the main road, but in the country they are not as regulated. These were wild, goats, though. We only saw a few herds behind their fences. Otherwise we only saw them on the rocky landscape.

This is the ancient site of Itanos! This was probably the most interesting site we came across that day. You can see part of it on this rocky cliff. So majestic! Can you imagine living here with that view?

Here we are at the top of the previously pictured hill, and there are ruins everywhere. The house in the background is not ancient, though. That is just someones house. Maybe a farmer of banana's, olives, or goats.

Inside of our ancient house! Well, Brandon and I are a little unsure of how ancient it really is, because there is a metal oven in one of the rooms. It's possible that it was used continuously over the years and updated over time.

Another view of the house. Fairly fascinating.

Brandon about to dive in from the top of the cliff! Not really, it was FAR too rocky to even harbor the thought.

We decided to get some pictures of the two of us... otherwise, what kind of vacation would this be?

One of the rocks below! Not all of them were this big, but this was certainly one of the most interesting.

Now this is probably the most important part of Itanos. This is the basilica, which was used by ancients as a type of court of law, or it was a type of church in Christian culture. You can see the columns. Some of them we think are newer than others, but according to research, this was occupied until about the 15th century, so it makes sense that it was repaired and rebuilt over time.

Here is an up closer view of the columns. Columns are probably the most exciting part of these trips, because we get positively giddy when we see one.

Brandon and I didn't know the research on Itanos until after we got back at the end of the day. We simply went where the signs told us to. Brandon was very excited to find this stone work, which he recognized right away as a blaring symbol of Christian inhabitants. He was semi-puzzled about this because this was an acclaimed ancient archaeological site, and it's very unlikely that the original inhabitants were Christians, but assumed that it was taken over later on. Turns out he was right, and I think that's pretty impressive. It just goes to show that he really has been learning a lot over time. Sometimes how smart he's getting isn't always obvious, because this isn't exactly the type of knowledge he uses everyday. Hopefully someday we will come back to Greece and he will have actual projects to work on, and we can really understand what treasures these sites hold.

This picture is boring after everything else! But it's my FIRST time ever touching the sea! And I tasted it too (don't cringe)! I just really had to experience for myself if the sea is salty, and it is! It's funny how I didn't really know what to expect of something that's been described in a thousand different words. The water itself was also a little chilly. I don't think I'll be tempted to get in until it's quite hot out!

More wild goats! Those are babies, but you can't tell as well because the mother isn't in the picture to dwarf them. They were the cutest! I teased Brandon that I wanted to bring one home.

Vai! Renowned for it's beautiful palm beach! The sand was sort of pebbly, but as far as Greek beaches, it must be a soft dream. Brandon and I are actually quite surprised as how rocky the entire island is. Anyway, there is a cafe and a restaurant on the beach with these beautiful tables looking out to the sea. Can't complain about the sand (which admittedly we must be spoiled with or silk Michigan beaches) when you have this view?

There was a lookout climb up the side of the mountain. We climbed up and took a picture of the entire beach. Look at all those palm trees? Beautiful. Too bad we came too late in the day to lay out. The beach was mostly covered by shadow by this time, and it is still a little chilly during the evenings and nights.

We didn't stop at the lookout. There was a fence which an open gate, and we decided to walk through and take a hike to the top of the mountain! Some of the structures were very cool!

Here is a shrub that I feel is the most abundant all over the island. It's really quite pretty, but it's actually very prickly! It's not a squishy shrub. I think this is a Verbascum spinosum (Spiny millein).

At the top of our mountain.

Decided to get some more pictures of these palm trees!

Funny the places these goats can get!

Here is the Toplou Monastery as viewed coming back from our day trip.

We aren't sure what sort of town this was, but it was pretty picturesque.

We got a little lost on the way home.... it's hard to tell, but I'm almost sure we were at a 45 degree angle on this hill! And it's a two way road! That's crazy!

As I said, we got lost... so we had to go back down. A little heart stopping!

Well this was our second official day in Crete! Lots of fun! There seems like so much to do, I don't know how we will get around without our car!