Cretan Caverns, Minoan Mysteries - August 2019

The Dikteon Cave
Photo © Jo Hackett

Steve and Jo dancing on Greek Music night
Photo © Helen Fitzgerald

Church interior, Kalyves
Photo © Jo Hackett

On our arrival in Chania Airport, Crete, Jo and I immediately felt the joy of the sun with a warm dry breeze blowing through our hair. Having hired a car, we drove for about an hour to our destination in the rugged hills overlooking the sea on the edge of the village of Kefalas. There in a beautiful taverna we met our pal Helen Fitzgerald who had organised the orchestra for the UK Band & Orchestra Tour.

Staying in Helen's villa for the week was a total delight, and great fun to hang out with her, along with pals and locals.

Of course, we also had adventures in store...

Our trip to the Samarian Gorge was awe-inspiring. It's a dramatic fissure in the White Mountains of the western side of the island. Crete is pretty much defined by its mountains as well as the surrounding sea. Those brave mountain folk with their close connection to the rugged landscape and its caves were able to stop the Nazis from entirely taking over in the Second World War.

The ancient Minoan people saw their mountains as nature's temples. Instead of building places of worship, they created holy sanctuaries in the mountain caverns. Jo and I visited the Dikteon Cave in a rugged incline overlooking the Lasithi Plateau. Zeus was believed to have been born in this very cave... a place originally sacred to the Minoans for their god of the seasons, who was born and died each year in the womb and tomb of Mother Earth. It's a perilous walk up a rocky path, but the cave is breathtakingly beautiful with an extraordinary magic, very like the Corycian Cave near Delphi which inspired our song, "Corycian Fire".

These pre-Greek Minoans might have worshipped in caves, but had an advanced civilisation which ruled the waves. It's believed to be the origin of the Atlantis story... A major Minoan port on Santorini disappeared overnight in a massive volcanic eruption. Minoan palaces were enormous, in some places five stories high. Exploring magnificent Knossos was totally awe-inspiring. This was once the palace of Minos which features in the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The whole building is a labyrinth, at its centre the court where the sacred bull leaping took place.

After our expeditions we chilled out for a couple of days beside the sea and on the hillsides, enjoying the local culture and cuisine, plus a fun Greek music night, where we finally felt moved to get up from our seats and join in the dancing...

Our thanks to Helen, who was wonderful to us, and as always to our pals at Thames Travel, who we unexpectedly bumped into at the airport.

It was a magical week and a chance to re-charge batteries before the very intensive touring period ahead, which will keep us busy until Christmas!

Steve looking into the Samarian Gorge
Photo © Jo Hackett