LIVE from Viking Sky - Greek Odyssey cruise - Nov 26-Dec 6

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The upper facade of the Hospital of the Knights

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The Street of the Knights

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Photos from the Palace is the Grand Master

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Traditional home in Rhodes circa 1902, now a museum  

 

Plates are an important symbol of household wealth. 

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Our hostess at the home visit in Archangelos, Rhodes. 

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The home visit walls quite similar to traditional homes in Rhodes from decades past

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The simple but welcoming repast from our hostess in Archangelos

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Artisans at work at  a ceramic workshop in Rhodes

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If   
Before today (December 3) is finished, I’ll add a few thoughts about beautiful Santorini.  We were here four years ago on our Singapore to Civitavecchia cruise.  We did a full day tour then, visiting Oía, the archaeological site at Akrotiri, a winery, and the arcaeological museum in Fira.  Today, we took it easy with a nice tour to the small villages of Megalochori and Pyrgos.  Pyrgos was my favorite because it required a climb to the a stupendous view of the island. It was very quiet in both villages during this off-season visit.  Later, we went to a nearby restaurant with a wonderful panoramic vista where we were served a mezze plate of crispy fried tomato, local cheese, hummus, tzatziki, fava bean dip, a Greek sausage, and olives accompanied by lots of local white wine.  After this relaxing break, we could have stayed in Fira, but decided to head back to the ship.  It was such a beautiful afternoon and our balcony was facing Fira, so we enjoyed a bit of wine, the view, and if I’m perfectly honest, a bit of nap.

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Views from Megalochori, Santorini

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Views from Pyrgos, Santorini

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A lovely taste of Greece

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 Sunday, December 4:

 

Our arrival in Sousa Bay, Crete this morning had me wondering about my sanity.  It was another early tour starting time.  We were trying to pack in an optional tour and the included tour.  Now that evening is here and we enjoyed both tours, we’re glad we pushed ahead.  That said, I’m still glad that we only have one tour tomorrow!

 

Our first tour stop this  morning was Arcadi Monastery.  During its height, this monastery had a rich library, a scriptorium, and a workshop for gold-embroidered vestments.  It has been functioning as an active monastery since at least the 16th century.  It was allowed to continue operating after the Ottoman conquest of nearby Rethymnon, although it suffered occasional plundering.  It was during one of these attacks in 1866 that a munitions explosion caused extensive damage to the monastery, but most areas were eventually repaired.  There was a morning mass taking place when we visited, so we were able to step into the church and watch the service.  I’m always amazed by the amount of incense used in Greek Othodox services 

 

After having free time to explore the monastery grounds and visit the museum, it was time to head to our next stop - Rethymnon.  We had about a 45 minute walking tour where our guide pointed out the architectural highlights of the Venetian Old Town.  She also commented on the ways in which buildings had been modified when the Ottoman takeover occurred.  Again, we were given time to explore on our own for a further hour.  Mike and I stumbled onto a church service that was just ending.  As the congregants came out of the church, they were given bread and sesame cookies.  It appears that this church was celebrating the feast of St. Barbara.  The winding streets provided lots of interesting camera views. 

 

Once our free time in Rethymnon was over, it was back to the bus and back to Souda Bay.  Since we also had tickets for the afternoon walking tour of Chania, it meant a quick transfer from one bus to another on the pier.  Viking had provided bag lunches for those of us who chose to do this.  I’m so glad that we did because the afternoon tour and free time in Chania was delightful. I really would like to return here to linger over waterside dinners and stay in some of the enchanting boutique lodgings we saw!  Again, the emphasis here was on the Venetian character of the architecture that was often modified with the Ottoman conquest.  I’ll add some photos to demonstrate.

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The entrance to Arcadi Monastery - by the way, to reach the monastery, one travels up into the mountains.

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The church at Arcadi Monastery

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Gold embroidery produced by the monks at Arcadi Monastery in the 18th century

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Monks’ cells at Arcadi Monastery

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A final look at the Church at Arcadi Monastery

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The Venetian fountain in Rethymnon Old Town

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This building was originally a Venetian style church, later turned into an Ottoman mosque - in Rethymnon, Crete

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The lighthouse at the Rethymnon waterfront.

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A minaret in Chania, Crete

Edited December 4, 2022 by Australia08

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An abandoned house in Chania.  -  every successor to the will has to agree to the sale of property. This is a problem since it is often impossible to find all the legal heirs, much less get them to agree to the sale.  Therefore, a lot of otherwise valuable property stands abandoned.

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A great example of cultural modification:

 

originally a Venetian church with bell tower,

then an Ottoman mosque (see minaret),

then an Orthodox Church (see dome)

Edited December 4, 2022 by Australia08

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A scene from the old Jewish quarter in Chania