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Placed in the very south of Europe, this little island gave birth to the first European civilization. And, though the world of King Minos has vanished a long time ago, its glamour was left untouched through the ages, in a way that it seems to have bewitched the many nations that tried to conquer the Cretan island throughout history. Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Veneti and Ottomans, each one of them has added a unique style and character to the island. Crete seems like having traveled to the lands of its conquerors and having returned with countless souvenirs, leaving you nowadays uncertain of whether this is an Eastern European piece of land, a semitropical exotic paradise or simply a picturesque Greek island.
But the multicultural attitude of the island |
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Rethymnon: Octopus drying in the sun |
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will not even close impress you as much as the countless alternations of scenery. At first sight, the land seems to be dying of thirst for water. After taking a closer look, countless woody gorges springing from between the rocky hillsides will unveil the fact that water gushes from every cleft of the island. The Cretan mountains, alleged to be the native soil of Zeus, are covered by snow until the end of spring, watering the island and distinguishing it among the others of the Aegean by its timbered |
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What if the complex shore environment mazed Byzantines and Romans? Crete has many more hidden treasures which you should discover by yourself. There are melodies, fragrances and flavors that resemble nothing like sterilized super market products. And if you manage to look under the seeming gruffness that people acquired due to years of struggle to defend their island, you will discover an infinite kindness, a culture and an enviable way of living. This is a unique place on earth where, in some tiny village |
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environment. Starting from the roots of
the mountains and down to the ocean,
Crete bristles with olive groves
which, under the bright summer
sunshine, give the illusion that the
island is made of pure gold, placed on
the
deep blue Mediterranean canvas. And before
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forgotten by time in the middle of
nowhere,
in a small traditional coffee
shop with frail walls or under a 300
year old plane tree, if you chat with
people you will find the reason why, if
you ask anyone to describe Crete, he will
probably mention,
not to history and landscapes,
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these colors lull you to sleep, the essence of thyme and oregano awakens you and challenges you to explore the untrodden beaches, the mysterious caves and the villages hidden amidst mountain peaks. The beach of Elafonisos, the gorge of Samaria, the cobblestone pavements of Rethymnon. The places are countless and each one of them is a unique experience.
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but to hospitality, to large feasts and to people's integrity. But the bizarre thing of this case is that you will find these same people, not only in tiny villages, as well as in the city blocks of Heraclion, in the modern cafés of Chania and in some of the biggest night clubs of the Balkans. You will find these people balancing between past and present and you can only find them here, on this blessed little island. |
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