Crete - Rethymno, Villa Claudio Military Museum.

Yesterdays post mentioned that I check the snow covered mountains, from the terrace every morning. We also get to watch the little fishing boats lay out their nets in the bay below us and then bomb back to harbour. Somehow I have never been able to catch them reeling them back in again but when we get back to the terrace in the afternoon the buoy marking them is gone.

 

After seeing the Military Museum mentioned we googled it, about 10km out of town, up into the hills.

In a Venetian summer house.

We hadn't been sure that it would be open as the website only listed summer hours but a bus full of school children was just leaving and the curator told us we were the first tourist visitors of the year.

She filled us in on the history of the building

and even took us into her office to show us photos of the building prior to the army renovating it for the museum.

She was in attendance along with a couple of soldiers. She had been in the military but was now a government employee.

Greece currently has universal compulsory military service for males from 18 to 45 years of age. Under Greek law, all men over 18 years of age must serve in the Armed Forces for a period of 9-12 months. Women can serve in the Greek military on a voluntary basis, but cannot be conscripted.

Rick is currently reading a book about Crete's role in WW2 and one room was devoted to that. Lots of photos, memorabilia and signage, in Greek and English, describing the chronological events.

 

Very effective having the photos of the German paratroopers, on the ceiling.

Another room described the relationship between Crete and Cyprus, coming to each others aid when needed. "We are all Greek" the curator said.

Then there were rooms with historic weapons

Upstairs the villa was laid out as it would have been when the Ottomans were in residence

The resident "guard cat" getting ear scratches. We left a donation ("for upkeep of the building, not for us")

Coming out of the museum we took a walk through the small, and very quiet, village.

A small church at the top of the hill.

An old tree to shade the village "square"

and evidence

of previous affluence.