Crete

I was looking forward to seeing Knossos. On my first visit to Greece in 1967, I never left the mainland and only later realized that I should have taken the opportunity to explore more Bronze Age sites. So one factor in choosing this particular cruise was the prospect of a full day there. However, the itinerary put us at Crete on Monday, a day when Greek museums are closed. Thus we had no chance to see the original Knossos frescoes at the Heraklion Museum. The site itself was a sad disappointment. Like Pompeii, Knossos attracts hordes, tour groups were everywhere running into one another, and we could see just the exterior of Evans' reconstruction. The Throne Room and the Queen's Chamber could only be viewed through (dirty) plexiglass.

Marc Raynor said that when he brought his kids there several decades ago, nothing on the site was restricted and there were merely a handful of visitors. The fact that Evans' concrete walls are crumbling--again, like houses in Pompeii--comments ironically upon the great archaeologist's aspirations. Well, at least the sacral horns (left) are holding up soundly.

I was also pleased to learn the exact location of the so-called Dancing Floor of Ariadne at the end of the processional way (right). It makes the reference in Book 18 of Homer's Iliad all that more mysterious.