Tuesday, September 30, 2008

DEEP IN CRETE

CRETE - SEPTEMBER 2007



"AGIA TRIADA - The 1632 monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity), located 16 km from Chania, in the Akrotiri peninsula, was built on top of a pre-existing church. With three domes, the main church is dedicated to the Agia Triada and the two side chapels to Agios Ioannis Prodromos and to Zoodocho Pighi (Source of Life). The façade of the church has columns of Ionic style and a bell tower was added to the monastery in 1864"



"ICONOSTASIS AND ALTAR - The interior of the church is stunning. The Beautiful Gate (or Holy Door) occupies the centre of the «templon»"



"GOUVERNETOU MONASTERY, dating back to around 1537, looks like a fortress. During the Greek Revolution of 1821 the Turkish troops sacked the monastery, and during World War II the German forces established a guardhouse there. The main church is dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin"



"STAVROS BEACH - For those that were around already in 1964, Stavros beach was made famous by the movie «Zorba, the Greek», based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis and with the title character played by Anthony Quinn. There was a dance theme, «Sirtaki» that became popular as a song and as a dance. The famous scene, in which Quinn dances the Sirtaki, was shot on the beach at Stavros"


"IMBROS GORGE - Starting at an altitude of 1250m and getting down to the shores of the Libyan sea, Samaria Gorge is the most famous gorge in Crete. However, if you want to avoid the crowds, it would be better to try the smaller, easier, but also beautiful, Imbros Gorge"



"CHORA SFAKION - Located at the Libyan sea, in the southwest part of Crete, it has the fantastic «White Mountains», dominated by mount Pachnes (2453 metres high), in the background. With about 300 inhabitants, Chora Sfakion, where locals outnumber tourists, is named the place «where the mountains meet the sea»!"


"LIBYAN SEA - This designation was used by ancient geographers to name the portion of the Mediterranean Sea situated southerly of Crete and north of Libya"


"FRANGOKASTELLO BEACH - The road out of Chora Sfakion leading east along the coast gets through several typical villages (Comitades, Vouvas, Agios Nektarious, etc.). 12km far from Sfakion, turning to the right after Agios Nektarios, you get to Frangokastello. Located on a flat, windy plain that was not inhabited until very recently, it has nice beaches"



"FRANGOKASTELLO is famous for its castle, built by the Venetians in 1371-74 as a garrison to impose order on the rebellious Sfakia region, to deter pirates, and to protect Venetian nobles and their properties. The lion of St. Mark can still be seen above the portals"


"HEROES - In 1770, the Cretan rebel Ioannis Daskalogiannis was captured at Frangokastello by Turkish forces. He was later executed at Heraklion. On May 17th, 1828, a battle between Cretan soldiers and Turkish forces ended in the deaths of lots of locals. On each anniversary, it is said that ghostly apparitions of the dead men — nicknamed «Drosoulites», or dew shadows - take place. They have been explained as a meteorological phenomenon..."

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody! The Geovisite counter showed today visitor nr. 25000, since it started counting, which was not yet a year ago. Most of them are silent visitors, so I’m most grateful to all of you that take your time to comment.
Enjoy the post and I wish you a great week!

eye in the sky said...

congratulations for blogtrotter's milestones. i am such a fan.

Shionge said...

Greetings Gil :D Another trip with you is most memorable and an eye-opener because there is still so many wonderful places to visit and see...some I have not heard before so I am glad you share them with us :D

Anonymous said...

The great images speaks itself. The altar with splendid designs and emblems are remarkable.

Hello Gil, I'm now blogging ABOUT TAIPEI, TAIWAN :)

lyliane six said...

La couleur de la pierre des monuments, du sable et des montagnes est magnifique.
J'avais appris le sirtaki là bas,mais c'est difficile à danser en allant vite.
Tu l'as vu le fantôme? il faut que j'aille dire bonjour à Drosoulites.

Irina said...

I've got nothing much to say but that I like your photos :)

And thanks for attention you pay to my blog.

Dina said...

Thanks for all that history and mystery. You really make me want to go to Crete and see it in person.
Congratulations on 25,000+ happy visitors to your fine blog.

JB's Big and Small Worlds said...

Really beautiful photos once again. My mom wishes she could travel this much!
--JB

Louise said...

Wow! The inside of that church is just amazing. The water, both beach and scenery shots are incredible, and so inviting.

Miss Kim said...

I'm looking for any posts on Malta but I can't seem to find any!! Have you been? I'm planning a trip in a few weeks and was hoping to have a sneak preview :)

S-V-H said...

Hi Gil,

Always when I follow your travels I'm lost in time, believing that I'm there in your wonderful pictures and great writings.

Thanks for sharing and thanks to taking me to a dream vacation, even it is only for minutes! :-)

Thistlemoon said...

Absolutely gorgeous! I will be there one day! Happy travels!

virtualjourney said...

These photos are a knockout for the colour and impact. Thanks for the background info - great post!

raccoonlover1963/Lisa Myers said...

Hello Gil. thank you for the wonderful tour of Crete! The monastary is breathtaking. I am curious, however. Is the outside intended to be that color, or has it formed rust? Please excuse the ignorant question, but I honestly don't know. I also noticed a couple of the beach pictures having fog. Is that common in that area?
Lisa

kuanyin333 said...

Your photos are always sumptuous, and your text educational! Congrats on your success--you certainly deserve it! Mahalo for never forgetting to visit me....you're something special!

Ron said...

Very beautiful pics once again. Greece looks like such a wonderful place to visit.

lyliane six said...

J'ai cherché avant de partir un reportage sur le Pérou, je n'ai trouvé que le Brésil, les Andes et d'autres pays d'Amérique du Sud.
Un trou dans tes voyages?
Je vais essayer de le combler avec mes photos au retour.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Fantastic Gil,
I am always searching for YOU on any photo, haha, you made me do that because you showed yourself some-times on photo's, not important neh? but funny though. I LOVE and adore all of Greece and so everything on Crete,the colours the buildings the stone (colours)the history, the sea and beach and everything!!!! My dog is therefore named after the island IOS, got it???
*
And ehh to answer your comment about out travelling ('do you never have enough of travelling?')' Noh we never travel enough', if we would have moRe time we would travel more...
*
Thanks Gil for the visit on my blog last week, My post is renewed twice since than....like I show a sailing trip, and Dutch windmills (a legend)

bye Greetings JoAnn's D Eyes
www.joannwalraven.blogspot.com

Emery Roth said...

Once again, you take me places I will never go, though I've traveled there in my mind. Yes, the scene in Zorba is classic. The colors in the first two photos are amazing. What makes the masonry so orange? Thanks for the magic carpet ride.

Noting your musical choices, how do you feel about Beethoven's 6th on piano?

Lynette said...

Your photos always make me feel like I'm right there, beside you at the beach or at the church or at the monastery. It's a treat to visit your blog!

Kala said...

The pictures are excellent - how do you have the money to travel to all these wonderful places with all the travel cost going up? You're lucky and fortunate! Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful photos with a bit of everything: churches, beach and history. That's how holidays should be.

Neva said...

Such a stunning inside of the church! I love the little ones at the beach! Youdo some nice work, Gil!

Anonymous said...

The Stavros beach picture looks unreal! Did you edit it or something? It must be charming to be there!

I hope your sister-in-law is having a good time in Peru.

cheers

Dan said...

Hi Gil, Great pictures of Crete. Particularly like the ones of the Church but must admit I wish I were on the beach.

I am not in your league yet but I have started posting some pictures from my travels on my new "Not McKinney" blog. You can link to it from McKinney Daily Photo. Look in the upper right corner. Check it out when time and travel permits!

Mariposa said...

wow wow wow!! the church is stunning!!! I love seeing the cute greek houses - they look so sharp and bright and the seas are fabulous =)
thanks for posting them up!

Anonymous said...

Of course I should come here, when we have rainy, grey sky and leaves are falling down by strong wind :)

It seems to be, that I have to settle for pictures of Greece this autumn, but your photos make like being there :)

Thank you!

Maria Verivaki said...

its been a while since i have been to some of the places you have shown here - i need to do some revisiting, and you have shown our splendours well

alice said...

J'aime beaucoup la couleur abricot de la pierre sur tes premières photos. Et toutes les nuances de la Méditerranée bien sûr. Bon week end!

Marguerite-marie said...

c'est toujours très agréable de retrouver la Crète avec ses magnifiques couleurs ainsi que sur la Lybian beauch.

adelynne said...

The ruins remind me of Madinat al-Zahra in Cordoba, Spain. How beautiful. :) Btw, GMG, do you travel all the time? What do you work as? And thanks for your comment! *hug*

Marie said...

Oh la la gmg you have really seen wonders. I envy you a lot !

Azer Mantessa said...

saved some pictures for my greeting cards blog.

will credit you for the photo

:-)

Jules said...

Can't as usual download many of your photos but can see enough to know how stunning the place is. have been to Greece but didn't get to Crete!!!

Have started a travel blog as well - http://glasseye-jules.blogspot.com/
Most of my travel photos were taken before digital and my negatives are all in storage somewhere in Australia but do have a few around the place to share.

Lakshmi said...

Thanks for this gorgeous series..Now I know why you return here every year..Its getting difficult for me as I have to add one more destination to my to see list :)

Jurgen Huibers said...

Congratulations with so many visitors! That church looks really amazing inside.

Chuckeroon said...

Hi Trotter...I don't know Crete but I got to know Greece on a buisness trip. The characters I met made a profound impression on me and I must say that it was probably the most impressive trip I ever made in terms of its impact on the "psyche" - nice Greek word (the second being India, and perhaps the 3Rd Russia...although "ranking" hardly does them justice).

You have huge international experience....I wonder what impact meeting "real" Greeks had on you. Afterall, they have stamped themselves on European culture for 3,000 yrs.

Olivier said...

Je comprends que tu continues a nous présenter la Crete, c'est vraiment très beau, et je suis impressionné par le château de Frangokastello.

Joy said...

Hi Gil! Crete is such an ancient city, but it sure has grown with the times. Love the photos of the Libyan Sea, Frangokastello, the Imbroso Gorge and the church!

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comments. Sorry for not visiting for a while. Imagine not having the Internet in the 21st century. But it's sorted - for now. Happy weekend!

joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman

NormanTheDoxie said...

While I'm upstate NY, in 30-something degree weather, as the leaves change, I wish I were at Stavros Beach. Again, wonderful to view your photos.

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody! Sorry for taking so long to reply to your comments! Too much to do, too little time… ;)

Eye in the Sky,
Thanks. My pleasure!

Shionge,
You know, it’s not such a small world… ;))

Asian Traveler,
Thanks! Will try to get to your Taipei asap! Sorry for the delay, but time is short… ;))

Lyliane,
Ah, le sirtaki! Tu l’as appris en Grèce… Je me demande qu’est ce que tu vas apprendre au Pérou… ;)) J’y suis allé en mars 2000, mais je n’ai pas trouvé des photos. Il y a peut-être des heures de vidéo, mais elles ne sont pas Blogger-friendly… ;)

Irina,
Great to see you here! It’s always a great pleasure to land on your blog!!

Dina,
Thanks! You’re not that far from Crete; start packing… ;))

JB’s,
Tell your Mom to start packing… ;)

Louise,
I agree with you; the Iconostasis is absolutely stunning!

Kim,
I was in Malta in 1999, but unfortunately have no pictures; just videos; not Blogger-friendly… ;))

Sue,
Thanks! One day I’ll also land in Charleston… ;)

Jenn,
I’ll also return! ;)

Julie,
Great to see you here!

Lisa,
I’m not sure on the colour of the monastery; but it may actually be the original colour. At least there are some other churches around the world with similar colours!

Kuanyin,
Mahalo! Love to see you here, and it’s my great pleasure to land on your Maui blog!!

Ron,
Greece IS a wonderful place to visit… ;)

JoAnn,
Amazing that you found a game to play on my blog! I knew you loved Greece; your dog showed it… Glad to see that you’re always ready to travel. Nice choice!! Will check your blog asap!

Ted,
I’ve seen a picture at Cergie’s blog of a church in France made out of orange stone. But I have no idea of the origin of the colour…
As far as 6th is concerned, there is a nice Glenn Gould performance of the transcription, but I must confess that I prefer the orchestra version; with Bruno Walter!!

Lynette,
You’re always welcome; my pleasure!

Kala,
Thanks!
I’m going to repeat the answer to the young Singaporean – Clarence – who was also willing to travel around the world... ;))

«OK. Let’s try some “Rules to Improve a Young Man’s Capabilities to Travel”:
1. Begin with the reading: “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” or better “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog” will do;
2. Choose a career which allows you to travel a lot – concierge is not recommended! ;)
3. Start hitch-hiking – see references at “Blogtrotter Revival” or, safer nowadays, embark on a Student’s Exchange Programme;
4. Get an occupation where you get paid for travelling – for the purpose of enjoying trips, working as a travel agent seems to be only a last instance’s option;
5. Build your Travellers’ image: Marco Polo, Fernão Mendes Pinto, Vasco da Gama, Cabral, Magalhães – aka Magellan -, Columbus...
6. Like Bruce Chatwin, make choices: Sotheby’s/Sunday Times Magazine or “Have gone to Patagonia”? Buy or travel?
7. Choose your motto: “Navigare necesse est; vivere non est necesse” (Gnaeus Pompeius – 108/46 BC - aka Pompey the younger, commanding frightened sailors during a severe storm – “to sail is necessary; to live is not necessary”);
8. It works? You will be able to quote Benjamin Disraeli: “Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen”;
9. Doesn’t work? Why not trying to join the Salvation Army?…» ;)))

Ingrid,
I also like this version of holidays!

Neva,
That church is lovely; but usually the orthodox churches have some beautiful iconostasis!!

Priyank,
Stavros as it is! No editing…
My s-i-l had a great time in Peru!

Dan,
Agree with you: the beach is a great destination! Will check your travel blog asap! I’m sure it will be a great blog!

Mariposa,
I would say that everything is great in Crete!

Leena,
Hopefully that grey weather will turn around, and the financial storm will be controlled; better fly to Greece… ;)

Mediterranean Kiwi,
Thanks! Great to be praised by an insider!

Alice,
Marguerite-Marie,
Le bleu de la mer de la Grèce est indépassable!!

Adelynne,
Cordoba isn’t exactly what we can call ruins… ;)
I used to travel a lot, now I’m a bit stuck, I think! Not always travelling… rather dealing with laws! ;))

Marie,
Can’t believe; who was almost three months in New York… ;))

Azer,
You’re welcome!!

Jules,
Sorry; I’ve reduced the posts on the page to three, but still a lot of pictures there! Will check your pre-digital pictures asap; mine are around for a while (now in Rome and at the English Riviera, but nobody looks at it… ;))

Lakshmi,
It’s not such a small world; and there are thousands of pearls to be discovered!

Juka,
Thanks!

Roon,
I’ve some great Greek friends; and was always impressed with the joy of living they have! Agree with you on the impact made by India. Some months ago I read Regis Airault book «Les fous de L’Inde” (literally Crazy about India or better, the Indian Syndrome). Amazing!

Olivier,
Ah, Frangokastello, a small hidden pearl!

Joy,
Great to read that you’re back in the web! Crete is definitely a great island to visit!

Lisa,
You had a great weather, almost as good as we are having in Lisbon (except for some hours today… ;) Stavros and the sirtaki, a great combination…

Rune Eide said...

Crete and Zorba - not to mention the food!

Anonymous said...

Rune,
With Feta cheese, tomatoes, moussaka and olives, a great combination... ;)

Sarah said...

I love your Blog. I am going to Crete myself in a few weeks and I loved all the info and photos you posted about your holidays there. I intend to visit some of these places myself now :)

GMG said...

Sarah,
Thanks! Hope you'll enjoy your trip to Crete!!