International Travel FOUR-WHEELING GREEK ADVENTURE Exploring the history and hospitality found on the island of Crete by rental car Written and photographs by Katherine Lacksen Mahlberg 24 LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 Exploring the Matala caves where a community of backpacking hippies settled in the 1960s in a sleepy fshing village. LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 25 VERYTHING I READ ABOUT Crete, Greece, intrigued me – the E rich history, the nAturAl beAuty And the distinct cuisine. While the Greek islAnd of SAntorini tAkes the No. 1 spot on Almost every list of top honeymoon destinAtions, my reseArch in the months leAding up to my wedding led me to believe thAt the is- lAnd of Crete might just offer some of the best kept secrets in the eastern MediterrA- nean. Looking to go somewhere neither of us hAd trAveled to before, my then-fiAncé Nick And I booked our flight And left A week After our wedding to go explore the lArgest islAnd of Greece for ourselves. Due to the mAssive size of the islAnd And its mountAinous, rugged lAndscApe, we rented A mAnuAl, four-wheel drive Suzuki Jimny. The tiny, bright red cAr gAve us the freedom And flexibility – two key require- ments thAt I look for in my trAvels – to visit remote beAches, where Nick completed his scuba diving certificAtion, And the out-of- the-wAy mountAin villAges. After trAversing the mountain roads full of groves of olive trees And herds of sheep, we were Always grAciously wel- comed by our hosts with A fiery shot of rAki. This Cretan brAndy is An integrAl part of locAl culture And is offered As A complimentary welcome or end-of-meal drink. The token drink was just our first taste of Cretan hospitality. Top: Students march during a parade on Oxi Day in Moires, Crete, a national holiday celebrated across Greece. Center: The only vehicles we passed during three hours spent on this gravel road belonged to shepherds herding sheep down the mountain roads. Below: The caves of southern Crete were home to a community of backpacking hippies that settled there in the 1960s in the sleepy f shing village of Matala. 26 LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 Top: Fishermen aboard their colorful boats in the Heraklion harbor. Lower left: Old doors and indigo hues in the historic old quarter of Rethymno. Lower right: The Arkadi Monastery is a historically signif cant site that has become a symbol of independence and freedom in Crete. LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 27 Above: Owners of the four-star Veneto Boutique Hotel tell us about the rich history of the 600-year-old building located in the heart of the old town of Rethymno. Left: A Byzantine church located at the Delina Mountain Resort. Below: Tapestries on display on a side alley in the port town of Heraklion, Crete’s largest city and home to almost half of the island’s population. 28 LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 During our ten-day road trip, we encoun- tered local Cretans in the remote, rugged mountains and ancient, windswept seaside villages who graciously shared their tradi- tions, local knowledge, and delicious food. The manager of four-star Delina Mountain Resort, Mike, was particularly knowledge- able about the earliest Minoan civilizations who ruled as the first advanced society on European soil some 4,000 years ago. We were fortunate to visit the Minoan ruins at the famous Palace of Knossos and saw incredible artifacts of gold jewelry, de- tailed pottery, fascinating sculptures and even board games in the beautiful exhibits of the Archaeological Museum in Her- aklion. A visit to both places is a must-do during a visit to Crete. The museum ex- hibits, along with the scale of the massive excavations at the Palace of Knossos, high- light the complex social structure, advance- ment of urban lifestyle and the elaborate architecture of the Minoan civilization. Crete’s strategic location has involved it and its people in a colorful history that is evident still today from ancient palaces such as Knossos, Byzantine churches, Ro- man cities, Venetian fortresses, Ottoman buildings and WWII memorials found along the roads. Crete’s long history of battling foreign occupiers has resulted in a group of people who are strongly patriot- ic, independent, and proud of their culture Left: Climbing the 98 ancient steps of the Chrysoskalitissa Monastery, one of which, according to legend, is f lled with gold. Below: Raki is synonymous with Cretan culture and hospitality. LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 29 Above: We were given a complimentary dessert to celebrate our marriage and honeymoon at the family tavern in the Delina Mountain Resort. Right: One of the many pottery studios found in the tiny, charming village of Margarites in Crete. and rich traditions. Nick and I were able to witness a part of the island’s rich cultural tradition when we accidentally came across a parade taking place in the tiny town of Moires. The main street of town was blocked to traffic. We parked our car on a side street and followed the crowds to see the reason for the festive music and cheering. As we approached the main intersection, the crowds thickened and everyone lined up vying for a position to better spot the school children dressed in costume marching in a parade on Oxi Day, a national holiday that commemorates the day the Greek prime minister denied Mussolini’s request to allow Italian troops into Greece. One evening after a day full of sightsee- ing, we sat around the fireplace at Mike’s family’s restaurant with him, his girlfriend and his mother, who we found out was originally from Ohio. Decades ago, she met and fell in love with a musician named Vas- ilis Skoulas from this tiny mountain village of Anogia. Vasilis is a renowned lyra play- er, famous since the age of sixteen, who has performed the three-string, pear-shaped in- strument all over the world, spreading the notes of traditional Cretan music. Framed photos of his international performances and collection of instruments decorated the stone walls of the family tavern. As Mike and his family continued to 30 LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 Top: The Chrysoskalitissa Monastery located on the southwest coast of Crete was built on a promontory that overlooks the sea. Center left: Delina Mountain Resort, located outside the tiny mountain village of Anogia, boasts authentic Cretan tradition and the wild nature of the village. Lower left: Artifacts found at the Place of Knossos are now on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, a must-visit for anyone traveling to Crete. Below: Sunrise over the Venetian harbor in the old town district of Chania. LAKELIFE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2018 31 Do your kids a favor. Make your funeral, creamtion or cemetery plans in advance. FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATORY - A friend of the family - 306 N Jeferson Ave., Eatonton, GA | 706-485-3303 1670 N Jeferson St., Milledgeville, GA | 478-452-2148 179 Milledgeville Rd, Gordon, GA | 478-628-2200 Authentic Greek salad with fresh block of feta cheese drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. share stories of past And present Crete that illustrAted the culture And economy, Because All Care Is PersonalBecause All Care Is Personalthey ordered the staff to bring us nev- er-ending platters of Greek salads, feta cheese, olives And bread, And tender lamb on the house. The Cretan cuisine Appro- priately reflects the landscApe from which it is harvested – Ancient And rustic, sun- kissed And fertile, seasonal And Aromatic. Cretan olive oil, An integrAl part of meals, was first produced by the Minoans who used it in food, cleaning And medicine. I Also noticed it was part of the ingredients used for the soaps, shampoos And lotions in our accommodations. Because All Care Is Personal My fAvorite ApplicAtion of the CretAn Our caring and compassionate caregivers provide you with peace olive oil, however, was on the Authentic of mind knowing that your loved ones can stay safe and at home. Greek sAlAd. 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As the evening of shared laughter, sto- ries, food And wine with new friends cAme to An end, they presented us with A cAke And A cAndle to celebrAte the stArt of our biggest Adventure – mArriAge.