Before leaving for the islands, we had a third visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens to view the sculpture galleries. I wasn’t particularly inspired by the collection, as I felt like I had seen other examples of many of the sculptures in other museums. Since the Santorini and Crete trip was super exciting and compelling to me, I will focus on them for the remainder of this blog post.
Our first stop in Santorini was the ancient city of Akrotiri. I was very excited for Akrotiri because it is known as the “Pompeii of Greece” and Pompeii in Italy is one of my favorite places in the world. The town was covered by pumice and ash from a volcanic eruption just like at Pompeii. I think that my expectations for Akrotiri were too high due to my previous experience with Pompeii, and I was ultimately a bit disappointed. While I appreciated the enclosure around the excavations because it provided protection from the sun, it definitely took away from the experience for me. I was also surprised at how limited the excavations were and was sad that we weren’t able to walk around the town as ancient people would have. These complaints all stem from my love and enjoyment of Pompeii, though, and I still enjoyed Akrotiri.
Having been to Mykonos, another tourism center in the Cyclades, I was skeptical about how much I would like Santorini. I was pleasantly surprised by the island and hadn’t realized how geologically unique Santorini was. Evidence of the volcanic eruption was everywhere–even the shape of the island was altered. While I’m unlikely to return to Mykonos (except to go to Delos), I’d love to spend more time in Santorini. I hope to visit the volcano and hot springs that surround it and maybe hit up a beach.
I had mostly heard about the sunset at Santorini before visiting, so that was a priority for me during our only night on the island. The famed location for viewing the sunset is a town called Oía on the tip of the island. I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it, but I knew I’d regret not seeing it. The place was full of tourists, but we were still able to find a spot. I think it was worth it.
Following our Akrotiri visit, I was unsure about how I would like Ancient Thera. I was very pleasantly surprised. Ancient Thera was the highlight of the island for me. It reminded me a lot of Delos, though it is on a much smaller scale. The scenery was beautiful and the ruins were in great shape.
While I was at Delos, I saw a lot of similar cisterns. Some were private and some were public. This trend shows how important water acquisition was for Ancient Greeks. The look and architecture of Ancient Thera also reminds me of Delos. I wonder if they were contemporaries.
Maybe I am becoming more critical as our trip goes on because we’ve seen so many sites, but Knossos really let me down. The site had the potential for greatness, but the restoration performed by Sir Arthur Evans ruined it for me. Almost all of the substantial buildings, columns, or decorations that we saw were informed restorations made out of reinforced concrete. It really took away from the beauty for me and made the site hold less gravity. I like the idea of reconstructing a few sections for educational purposes, but perhaps it would be better in a museum setting. Knowing that most everything was made of concrete made the entire site seem fake. It also is concerning that most of the restoration was done with some creative liberties taken, even if they were factually informed. In the end, I think it’s more accessible and useful for the average person, but, for me, it was less effective and took away from the experience.
I really enjoyed our time in Crete and can see why it’s such a special and unique place. The culture felt more laid-back than Athens and everything was less crowded. Charlotte and I had an incredible Cretan dinner at Peskesi, a restaurant known for serving traditional Cretan dishes. We selected and tasted Cretan olive oil and got various dishes to split. They brought us Raki for dessert and provided hand towels that were soaked in 40 herbs and had special cleansing properties. It was very lovely.
During our last day in Crete, we visited an ancient pottery village called Margarites. The pottery shop that we went to still practices ancient Cretan techniques. They harvest clay from nearby and go through a years-long process to make the clay malleable. I think it’s cool that these ancient techniques are still effective and are being preserved by the village. I ended up buying a few things…
I just want to end with this pretty picture at the Monastery on Crete. I enjoy the landscape, peace, and reflection that I find at Monasteries. The flowers were especially nice at this one. If you’re interested in the history of this Monastery (it’s quite interesting), I’d suggest looking it up. It’s a very important place for Cretan history and identity.
As our time in Greece comes to an end, I’m reflecting on all of the incredible opportunities and experiences I got to enjoy. I feel super lucky and I know that I’ll miss this country greatly. The landscape is still my favorite part, but the cats, food, and history don’t hurt. I’m sure I’ll be back again in the future.