Tribute to Crete

And so we return.  No black sail. No king leaping to his death in the sea below.  No seven maidens left behind in a labyrinth, nor any single maiden abandoned, forlorn, on a rock. Our tribute to Crete, bloodless aside from scratches, blisters, perhaps a piercing, is more joyful and less dramatic than ancient counterparts.  Yet it is heartfelt.

Ah, Crete.  We already miss your rugged, mysterious landscape, the smell of wild thyme and sage, the sound of goat bells and bleats.  And to the Cretan people, we offer our deep gratitude.  We have learned about your culture, art and architecture through the ages: Minoan, Mycenaean, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman and modern.  We have experienced your traditions, your fierce pride, your independence and humor.  And we have benefitted beyond measure from your splendid hospitality.

To our fellow travelers:  We have, each of us, grown.  We became closer as we shared learning, joy and adversity.  In years to come, we will share memories and friendships that began here.  Finally, to our readers: Members of this group will go on to inscribe new adventures of learning and travel, but they will be recorded elsewhere.  This is the last entry of Cretan Tales. Thank you for following our stories.  We leave you with a few more pictures from our trip.

 

We arrived together in Athens….

…and stayed together in Crete.

We encountered strange beasts…

…straddled tombs…

…and braved caves.

We visited monasteries….

…and Venetian fortresses…

…and had the ancient sites to ourselves!

We learned about processing archaeological remains.

We visited the houses of farmers….

…and hippies…

…and the dead.

Through it all, we feasted, and laughed, and became friends.

 

 

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