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.

Crete - Rethymno, where do those trucks come from?

 

From the terrace, I check most morning to see if the mountains are backed by a blue sky (makes them more photogenic)

 Where do those trucks come from?That was the puzzle we set off to address. 

From out terrace we can see theses huge trucks along the road that comes around the fortress. But we know that on the other side of the fortress the road goes through the old town. No way those trucks come through the old town!

Huh?

Oh, snorkeler in the water. Full wetsuit. We kept track of him, via his "floaty" and he was in the water for hours. Did he just like it or was he looking for something? Sponges?

We were following the road, around the fortress, beside the sea. A Little Egret

was hanging out and preening.

Near the Roman ship sheds were a group of

swimmers, sans wetsuits. A non participant ,"too cold, I stop in December", explained to us that there are 3 different groups who swim here at different times of the day. All year round!

The local cats made themselves at home

and are known by name.

At this point there is a taverna, readying itself for the season and above it, under the fortress walls,

a little chapel,

in a natural cave. Church of Agios Spyridon. The cave chapel in Pissouri Bay, Cyprus was dedicated to the same saint, patron saint of Potters and born in Cyprus.

Continuing to walk around the fortress ...ah there is another breakwall, beyond the Venetian harbour.

Also a covered up sign for a Hop on, Hop off Bus

which lists a stop at a Military Museum. Hmm, have to find that.

And at the commercial harbour, mystery solved, fork lifts unloading cargo and loading it on to trucks who come too and fro along the road around the fortress.

Pilot boat to bring them in.

We walked around the lighthouse and back into the Venetian Harbour

where I sat over on that bench again

to continue working on the sketch.

Sea Urchins in the clear water

and a different variety with extra long spines

Crete - Chania by bus

 

This is the Rethymno bus station and it is just down the hill from us. We had picked up a timetable earlier and checked things out on-line. There are regular bus runs along the North coast, from Heraklion, through Rethymno, to Chania (pronounced Hania). We went inside and bought tickets and it was confirmed that the buses leave Rethymno for Chania every hour, on the hour.

I had a few minutes to go across the road and get a photo of the snow covered mountains behind the coastal church.

A nice new bus arrived right on time. 14 Euro return. Stopped on the way a few times to pick up and drop off passengers and got into Chania about an hour later.

 Chania has a huge bus station. Luckily we walked out of the gate closest to the port and were able to make our way easily.

Through a park and into a wide pedestrian only street lined by touristy shops. This was a very colourful candy and ice cream shop called Hansel and Gretel.

Most elaborate looking donuts I have ever seen.

This is what Chania is known for, the large Venetian Harbour and Lighthouse.

We walked around to the fortress, on the west end of the harbour. On the way chatted to a Greek fisherman who, it turned out, had lived in Vancouver. He told us the fortress was free to go into and recommended an area for cheaper restaurants.

We went up into the fortress, took pictures across the harbour opening, of the lighthouse.

 The lens of my camera had dirt on it so many of my pictures are marred by that so I don't have many for the blog.

We walked into the old town, in the area behind the harbour. It is very similar to the old town of Rethymno but the streets are a little wider and there is a feeling that it was a wealthier Venetian community (more stone buildings, balconies, planters) and is a wealthier tourist area.

We found a small taverna and shared a Greek salad and

half a litre of wine

I had Moussaka and

Rick was finally persuaded, by those pleading eyes,  to share his chicken souvlaki.

At this point my camera indicated that my card was full so I could take no more photos without taking the time to delete some. We walked around the harbour, I sat and sketched the lighthouse and Rick walked almost to it, along the breakwall. We then headed back up the pedestrian street, shared an ice cream and caught the bus back.

We will return to Chania, there is more to see, and I will make sure my camera is ready!