Knossos

Our first stop with the car was the 4000 year old Knossos Palace, the capital of Minoan Crete. Arriving as it opened meant we missed the crush of tourist buses that were queuing to get in as we left; it also meant we had the ruins largely to ourselves.

The site itself was amongst the strangest of its type that we have visited. Excavated only a little over 100 years ago, the British archaelogist involved 'reconstructed' parts of the site based on little information. This means the site is an unclear mix of ruin and recreation. The information boards around the site also reference Evans' opinions on what each room was for but this seems to largely be conjecture and the subject of disagreement.

Nonetheless, the site was fascinating to wander around, both in scale and complexity. The recreated frescos and pillars amde for interesting viewing (and we would later view the originals in the Heraklion Archaelogical Museum).Read more