Drive from Heraklion to Rethymno

On Friday, we got up early, had the last scrumptious Athens breakfast, and took a 45min flight to Heraklion, Crete. We rented a car, and embarked on the first of many driving VoiceMap tours around the island. These 3-hour tours have been developed by a Dutch guy who lives on Crete, and calls himself Mr Rutaki - because he guides Routes, and Taki is diminutive in Greek. Today, the tour took us from Heraklion to Rethymno, which is a beautiful Venetian harbor on the west of Heraklion. Crete is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations - Minoans who lived in 3000 BC. There are many excavation sites and a wealth of Archeological findings. Then there were Greeks, then Romans, then Venetians ruled from 12 to 16 centuries, then Ottoman Turks, until the independence in 1830. Mr. Rutaki took us on rural mountain roads among olive groves and through small villages. Given that it is now off season, the villages are now empty and pretty much all commercial activities are shut down and the stores are closed. Still, it was wonderful to drive through the villages and learn about Cretan traditions and ways of life. We arrived in Rethymno and had delicious dinner in one of the taverns.Read more