Today we got up late, and again had the breakfast buffet at the hotel. We went for a walk around Iraklion, walking up 25 Augoustou. This is a street, a block from our hotel, that runs from the center of town to the harbor. It was named after a massacre that occured here in 1898 as Crete struggled for independence from the Turks. It is also a part of the city that was heavily bombed during WW2. Today, it is pedestrianized, with lots of shops and travel agencies. There are few old buildings, but what remains are gorgeous.
 25 Augoustou street, looking towards Har... |
We saw the Loggia, which dates from Venetian times and is now City Hall
 outside the Loggia (now city hall) |
 Inside the Loggia, looking skyward |
We saw the Bembo fountain, which has some kind of construction being done to it (and of course it's the time of year that the water isn't flowing.Went back to the loggia, and took an alleyway leading to Daedelou. We walked over to the Archaelogical Museum - but it was closed - it's been closed since November. Came back up towards Daedelou and Eleftheras Square
 Plateia Eleftheras (Eleftheras Square) |
 tavernas lining Eleferis Square - we ate... |
Went back along Daedelou, where the shops were now open - lots of leather, jewelry shops - and a music shop that also seemed to have a lot of cooking and food goods. I bought a Cretan cookbook and a book about the art of Knossos. I couldn't remember the names of any of the Cretan traditional musicians I had been hearing online. I love the lyre music from here - the lyre is like a fiddle. Linda got some olive soap. We passed this funku fortune telling machine
 The Mouth of Truth - 1 Euro, stick your ... |
We went back to the hotel.
I decided to walk the seawall out to the light. This was mid-to-late afternoon. The sea was pretty wild on the outside of the harbor
 sea water from the sea wall |
 Port Angeles East? Maybe I'm getting hom... |
, I passed a crack in the seawall that amplified the sound of the waves - it seemed like just the bass notes - kinda frightening. There were lots of joggers and strollers on the wall, and one accordionist busking. I took lots of pictures of the water, the wall , and the graffiti . In this picture, you can see the old arsenal - war ships used to be kept in those tunnels . The water was incredibly clear Tonight we went back to the Fish Taverna in Iraklion. LP had recommended some restaurants on Daedelou - a pedestrianized area - but two of the recommended restaurants were closed. A neighboring street was full of noisy clubs, with tables spilling into each other on the street - filled with 20-somethings nursing Nescafes and europop music played too loud.
The crowd at the Fish Taverna were mostly in their 50s and up, and mostly foreign: several German couples and foursomes, French, Italian, English, and one oriental couple. We got dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) for an appetizer. I had the mixed grill: an octopus leg, shrimps, bream, swordfish
 Mixed grill |
 swordfish |
I was amazed at our waiter's ability to do business and entertain in at least five languages. How do they do it? What a legacy Greece has - in places like this, so many make livings by feeding and entertaining people from all over the world.
I eventually met him in the kitchen and paid. Another strange thing - you practically have to force people to stop and let you pay them.
