You would think that when our writing group was assigned a topic to write about - the letter H, there would not be a problem. Whilst pondering on the issue, the name Heraklion came out of the memory banks.
I have been very remiss over the years in not recording my travel experiences, so there is no time like the present to make a start.
In recollection, there was no reason why I chose to visit the island of Crete. The travel plans and destinations were to be at my whim as I was on a 12 month working holiday and the world was my oyster.
The year was 1979, and in retrospect, the world was a much better and safer place than what it is now.
My travels had started in Singapore, then onto Hong Kong, India and then to Greece. A friend had also decided to take some time off work, and we had arranged that when I hade made a base, then she would meet up with me in Greece.
Whilst in Athens, and staying at one of the hostels, I visited the attractions, and then must have decided to catch the boat to Crete. Piraes was my departure point, and I was on my way to Heraklion.
What awaited me on my arrival was a mystery, and I knew that I would be able to indulge my interest in history and visit places that I had only ever read about in books.
One of the important landmarks Palace of Knossos was at the top of my list, and I can still remember wandering around the palaces and feeling in awe of the ancient civilizations that had made their mark on the landscape.
A few days were spent in Heraklion, and I must have decided to catch one of the buses and discover more of the island, which is how I discovered the village of Malia, about 34kms from Heraklion. Arriving there late in the day, necessity kicked in and I found somewhere to stay. Obviously I must have liked what I saw and I felt comfortable with everything, as I stayed for nearly 3 months and had a wonderful time.
It felt very strange at first to be the only Australian in the place, but it didn't take long to meet up with a couple of Scottish girls, Iris and Kate. I can remember that they had such broad accents,(both being from Glasgow) that it took a while to understand what they were saying. You must remember also in those days, that very little English was spoken in the village, except for the cafes, shops and some of the tourist attractions. A photo on this blog will show what the back streets of the village were like in 1979. No doubt this has changed over the 30 years.
That period in time was one of carefree days, time on the beach, working part time at one of the restaurants and the disco; sight seeing and living in a picturesque location.
When Jenny arrived in the village, she also worked in the restaurant, and often we would walk back to the pension, in the dark, with only a hand torch to light the way.
The pathway would be through the fields, with just donkeys for company and no thought entered our heads that we would be in danger. During the day, the fields were a mass of wild flowers, and the smell of wild thyme was heady.
When we weren't working, then we would take a bus and visit the villages along the coastline. One of our favourite places was Ayios Nikolaos, with its many waterfront cafes. Malia also had historic interest, having - the Palace of Malia,which was reputed to have been built during the same period as Knossos.
Time caught up with our idyll, and it was with regret that we had to leave the island of Crete, and the village of Malia and carry on with out travels across Europe.
Next destination - CORFU.
The photos featured show Kate & Iris at Ayios Nikoaaos; the pension in Malia, called Sirocco,cafe Kalypso where we worked
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