With a big sigh of relief, we left Iraklion yesterday morning by the bus to Chania. I am such a philhellene, I make Lord Byron look like a lightweight, but even I have to admit that it just isn't a terribly nice place, although our hotel was very nice and the staff were lovely, one spending ahlf an hour on the phone for me trying to find out when the Dictaean cave (where Zeus was born) was open, Even so, it is so good to be in Chania, a very picturesque town whose original centre is a semi-circular waterfront harbour. It belonged to the Venetians at one time and as a result is full of semi-ruined venetian buildings - extremely romantic in their decrepitude.
It is a free day for us and almost everyone has gone off to hike the Samaria gorge. I was tempted but I'm not hugely outdoorsy and this is our only full day in Chania, one of my favourite cities in the world. But I am sure they are having a great time too and I look forward to seeing their pictures of the beauties of nature. Even so, I am a firm believer in the superiority of culture over nature!
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