Tag: Post Camino

Santorini, or Thira, is a small island in the Greek Island archipelago. Its large and expansive harbour is surrounded by high cliffs and low lying hills. It is quite dramatic and is famous for its blindingly white washed houses that are covered by sea blue tiled roofs. What is not evident to the untrained eye or those not in the know is that its harbour is a cauldera for in about 1600 or 1500 BCE the island blue up with one of history’s most dramatic,explosive and dangerous volcanic eruptions. The magnitude of the blast was felt all over the known world at that time and is thought to have been responsible for the decline and ultimate end of the Minoan civilization on Crete.

Next post: Amsterdam 24 October.

Read ya later.

I am referring to the second world war but it is more than that. Crete has been under some form of occupation since 1350 BCE. The Greeks followed by the Roman’s, followed by the Saracens, Moors, Venetians , Ottomans and then finally the Germans. They are a resilient people, fiercely proud.

I rented a car here so Dot and I drove down to Souda Bay, which is near Chania or Hania as the c is silent. Here lies over 2,000 allied war dead in the island’s Commonwealth Military Cemetery. It is a silent, emotional and beautiful spot befitting of the ultimate sacrifice of the military men, some women and civilians. Some as young as 19 years of age. SAD! To be brought down at such a young age.

The Germans conducted an airborne assault on Crete in May of 1941. Crete was considered strategic due to German military operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The island had  military garrison of about 42,000 strong consisting of British, Australian, New Zealanders, Greeks, some Canadians, Jewish and  handful of non combatants. They were no match for the Germans however who soon overran them. When it became clear that all was lost the allied troops retreated to the southern coast to be evacuated by the Royal Navy. This was Crete’s version of Dunkirk. There is too much to cover here. Google The Battle of Crete or expand the picture below for an overview.

THANKS!

The grounds are maintained beautifully.

Crete is such a grand,magical place.⁹

 

Expand the picture and you can make out the red and white tram car.

Took their tourist tram today. Not recommended. Play by play is in 5 different languages so the broadcast goes on continuously. But trying to hear your version is near impossible because of the noise of the tires going over cobblestone streets. The bumps and grinds and rickety rick motion is particularly hard on the teeth and bladder. I think I saw a bunch of fillings strewn about the floor of the coach. It was only an hour long but that hour seemed an eternity in the heat and noise of the crickety cack of the tires. Not recommended. Walk instead.

Expand the picture and you can see the red and white tram.

We have also experienced major credit card issues. It seems our bank commenced a process of certification for all on line transactions and on line banking. My certification number is my home phone number so this would not work here in Europe. Thus trying to book hotels or flights on line was impossible.  Our only option was to book flights at a travel agent where our credit cards worked without certification. And only hotels that did not require pre payment. Down side was we had to pay double for airfares that would have been half of that if we could have booked on line with discount airlines. I am just glad that my bank didn’t pull this stunt when I was doing the Camino. I would have been screwed.

Also, do not buy a phone plan in Europe. Cheap to get a Sim card yes but you would be better off keeping your phone as is and only turning it on when needed. Canada charges 16 dollars a day so it can be very expensive while in Europe. Again, only turn it on when needed. I think that next time I would buy a burner phone with a European plan for day to day use and my Canadian phone for emergencies and on line bookings. One last thing. Most of the sales reps of the European plans know very little of the plans they are selling. The top up instructions were wrong, customer service numbers provided didn’t work and half the time phoning places in various countries didn’t work either. Lyca mobile was the worst. The only thing that did work was internet access.

Two important dates this month. Today, October 10, is the anniversary date of the battle of Tours in 732 AD. Muslims and Islam were spreading like Scottish broom across the middle east,North Africa and Spain. Next? France and the rest of Europe. Except for Charles ” The Hammer” Martel who stopped the Muslim incursion in its tracks at Tours France. If not for him Europe may be a great deal different today.

Charles ” The Hammer Martel “sounds like a character out of the WWE.

The other date is 21 October – Trafalgar Day,  where in 1805 Nelson and the Royal Navy defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets during the Napoleonic wars. England gained control of the seas, Napoleon’s plan to invade England was thwarted and the Royal Navy assumed primary seafaring leadership up until the 2nd world war.

October 21st is also Dylan and Elizabeth’s birthday. Happy birthday.

History is amazing.

Going on a sunset cruise of the delta at 6pm

Read ya later. Few pics today.

 

I am going to Disneyland.

not really.

Lisbon  🇵🇹 Portugal

by bus.

and not by donkee.