Day Out

Our Thursday day trip out to explore Crete

Breakfast stop with Agios Nikolaos way off in the background. Dave, Chris and Dessi.

First stop was the Venetian fort at Kanes in Ierapatra on the south coast of the island. Lovely to come across these places and just be able to wander round with no admission charge or cafes/ gift shops etc

If you remember the old Bounty bar adverts apparently this is where they were filmed. According to the Telegraph Travel page "For the exotic Caribbean vibe – this is where Mars's "taste of paradise" Bounty bar advert was filmed in the early 1970s. Also known as Finikodassos (Palm Beach), this gently curving golden sand beach is backed by Europe's largest natural palm grove – some 5000 towering trees in an oasis fed by a stream – which have stood here for over 2000 years. According to legend, the palms grew from date stones discarded by Saracen pirates and washed up by the sea."

Apparently in the summer months you can't find a space on this beach to lay your towel down - we are so lucky to be able to go at this time of year.

Afternoon tea stop at the beach - a flask of coffee and Dessi's Anzac biscuits - wonderful!

Our final stop was at Zakros, the ruins of a Minoan palace

"It is believed to have been one of the four main administrative centers of the Minoans, and its protected harbor and strategic location made it an important commercial hub for trade to the east."

"Zakro was first excavated by D.G. Hogarth of the British School of Archaeology at Athens and 12 houses were unearthed before the site was abandoned. In 1961, Nikolaos Platon resumed the excavation and discovered the Palace of Zakro."

A trip to the local market in Agios Nikolaos - all of this for 3 euros (£2.49)!! The yellow fruits at the top are not lemons - they are bergamottos. Bergamot is what flavours Earl Grey tea but I have no idea what to do with these. It seemed a good idea at the time to get some but Google can't really help! I didn't intend buying quite so many oranges but after he had weighed and priced the ones I picked he then added 5 more. Good sales ploy though - I go back to his stall every week!