Crete (Souda Bay), Greece - Monday, May 2, 2022

Our walking tour today (after a short bus ride) took us through the city of Chania (pronounced "hania"). Our tour guide was not the best - she just seemed to point stuff out without much history given or explained. She was rather dowdy, dressed in a long brown, heavy coat with a bucket hat on her head and she told someone in our group that she was 57 years old. If that's true, I think the Greek sun is very hot and ages you quickly. Her picture is below - you decide.

In reviewing my pictures, now that we're home, I am remembering a pretty city with lots of beautiful flowers, interesting architectural buildings from many different influences. This town was once a major city-state of the mysterious Minoan Kingdom and modern Chania is built upon the foundations of the Greek city of Kydonia. Occupied over the centuries by many different people, you see a mix of eastern and western influences including Ottoman mosques, Minoan ruins, and Byzantine churches. 

The Venetian harbor was very picturesque with the 15th century lighthouse marking the entrance. The harbor is quite small - no big ships could ever enter there today. 

After our tour we were able to wander on our own around the many shops and restaurants and stopped to sit and enjoy the view and have a glass of prosecco with our new friends from the ship. (NOTE: we were fortunate to have an "instant" group of friends to hang out with. The reason being, we were supposed to be cruising with friends, Barbara and Chris - who were cruising with these friends of theirs. Unfortunately, Barbara and Chris got Covid too close to the sail date and had to cancel their trip). 

Today's weather was not the best and was our only day without sunshine - but absolutely no complaints. And the rain did come but it held off until much later in the day when we were back on the ship.

Two interesting things we learned were the variety of flowers you will find on Crete (that might have made a good excursion in itself) and the snow you can see on the high mountains above the town. 

Some of my pictures include a few Greek Orthodox priests enjoying their morning coffee in a café; some young boys playing soccer against the wall in the town; and an old dog laying by a flower pot.