Chania and Rethymno

Tuesday, May 14

We drove the short distance to Old Town Rethymno this morning, but the parking situation was pretty tight, so we decided to re-order our plans and head west along the coast road to Chania, which many term the most beautiful town in Crete.  A Venetian fortress dominates one end of the old harbor, which is bordered by a wide quay leading to a breakwater that culminates in a lighthouse, almost completing a wide circle.  In times of approaching danger, a chain would be strung through the open water between the fortress and the lighthouse to close off any enemy incursion (hence, the name Chania).   

The history of Venetian and Ottoman dominance of Chania is written in its architecture.  Part of the Venetian Harbor is lined with the former warehouses and shipbuilding facilities that have now found new purpose as exhibition spaces.  In the middle of it all is the Mosque of Kiotsouk Hasan, now also used for special exhibitions, currently one on the Cretan silk industry featuring lovely products – and the live silkworms that made it all possible!  The contemporary life of Chania as a tourist mecca is also obvious; pretty much all the other buildings along the harbor front are now restaurants, shops or museums – and they’re booming!

This was a lovely day, a mix of sun and clouds, and we enjoyed our lunch on a bench, loving the waterside scene around us, and in the far distance, snowy mountains!

We wandered a bit inland, to walk through the busy pedestrian lanes of the old town – contemporary shops, the Orthodox Cathedral (full of silver icons), the vendors stalls (where Tom bought the new wallet he’s been after), the old market hall, the Venetian-era church that was temporarily superseded by a mosque (and now has both a bell tower and a minaret!), and back to the waterfront and our car.

We headed back to Rethymnon and spent the late afternoon visiting its Venetian fortress and walking through its old town, also a mix of Venetian and Ottoman architecture before deciding that we’d walked, gawked, and climbed enough for today and happily repairing to our apartment to lift a glass, eat, write, and photo edit.

We’ll explore more of Crete tomorrow before boarding the same ship that brought us here for another overnight sail, back to Athens.  We won’t post again until Thursday night, so enjoy the break!