Greece Trip: Crete--Knossos and Heraklion (4.30.24)

After a big day sightseeing on the Greek island of Crete on April 30, 2024, Dave and I relaxed in the main city, Heraklion, with an ice cream cone.  In fact, two ice cream cones.  We ate a cone at one shop and then found another shop, around the corner, that had more gourmet flavors and offered macarons, too.  So, we ate another cone.  That's what it's like to be on vacation!

The main event of the day was visiting the ancient palace of Knossos, ruled by the Minoans.

The Minoans inhabited Crete from 3000 B.C. to about 1250 B.C.  Archeologists think they came from Asia Minor (Turkey) or Libya, on the coast of Africa.  The picture above shows the temple as it may have looked in the days of the Minoans.  It is a bit faded now, but we could still see colors that are missing from many Greek ruins.

The Minoans were known for leaping on the backs of bulls.  This was a fresco at the Knossos palace that we did not see, as is the one below.

These are our photos of the palace.  

We saw the agoras, or large jars, that olive oil and water were stored in.

There was a fresco of dolphins on a wall of the palace.

The Greek countryside was beautiful, as we drove from Knossos back to Heraklion.