At this point in the trip I hear lots of conversation about laundry. Ours is flapping in the wind on the balcony. With the bright sunshine and nice breeze it should be dry soon. Heraklion, which is the capital of Crete, is located on the north shore of Crete. The Atrion hotel is two blocks from the water and two blocks from city center. Today we drove through the mountains to the southern shore of Crete. We passed many olive trees and vineyards. Also saw large patches of cabbage and a few sheep. The valleys are dry, but very fertile. Driving is much like in Mexico--pass when you need to--oncoming traffic will move. First we visited Gortys where we saw the ruins of a 4th -5th century AD basilica. Tablets were recovered at this site that had the code of ethics on them. There were also ruins of a forum--where Romans were entertained and argued their politics. Then on to Phaestos which was set high on a hill. The ruins were of a Minoan palace from 1500 B.C. It was huge and was a multi-story building in its time. By this time, it was very hot when we were standing in the ruins and in the sun. When we were in the shade, it was nice with a pleasant breeze. We left there and went to Matala for lunch which was a hippie hangout in the 60's. The hippies lived in the natural caves surrounding a beautiful bay in the Libyan Sea (No, we didn't see a dictator running for his life.) There were topless bathers enjoying the clear waters. After lunch at a seaside restaurant, we shopped a little and then headed back to the hotel. More laundry.
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