Moore jottings from Mochlos...



Internal view of 'office' (Taverna Kokylia)

Hello from the 'Cretan Office'. In our earlier blog we showed you a picture from the office, now here is an internal view - just to show you it really exists! The next picture is another view from the same taverna, this time showing Roman fish tanks in the foreground and in the background is the Island which we were about to visit for the second time this trip.

View from 'office' with underwater Roman Fish Tanks

 

View to the island (this is taken from our apartment)
See the blue sky - 'turned out nice again'

The boat trip to the island is 5 euros return (the first time we went over a couple of years ago we were told it was 5 euros over but 20 euros to come back!! - he was only joking).  In saying that, last year we both swam over and swam back but this is very much dependant on the wind and therefore the current.  The other day we watched the archaeologists coming back over from their work on the island and some of them thought they could swim back - but the current was strong and they had to be 'rescued' by the boat they should have come back on!



Dudley checking out the staircase



Stuart & Dudley on top of the Hellenistic Hillfort









The island is the site of a Minoan (3000 - 1450 BC) settlement. Minoan is the name that the archaeologists have given to the ancient Cretans.  However, the island does seem to have evidence of later occupation in the 4th century BC (Hellenistic- see Dudley and Stuart on top of the Hellenistic fort, which is the highest point of the centre part of the island).  The Minoan foundation ruins on the island are in fairly good condition (Dudley just had to test out the staircase).  On the upper west (left) side of the island are the royal tombs, where we rested after our trek over the rest of the island.  The view from the island over to Mochlos village is quite outstanding.



Resting by the 3000 year old tombs - not a bad place to
be spending eternity (until the archaeologists dug 'em up!)

To get the boatman to come and collect us from the island we had to ring the church bell to attract his attention at the taverna Kokylia where he whiles the day away.  For those of you who are interested, this is the island that we drank champagne on after we got married last year - so it's a special spot for us.

On our return to the village we needed our cold beers in Kokylia, plus a little bit of lunch for sustenance.  Not too much though, because that evening we went round to Mochlos Mare (where we used to stay, and where Stuart & Ivona were staying) to have supper.  As is now usual, and in true ancient Cretan style, Panagaiotis had 'sacrificed' a rabbit, which Sterie (his wife) cooked up for us.  For those of us who are not too partial to rabbit (i.e. Stuart and I), there was plenty of other delicious home-cooked food on offer (in fact too much) - all washed down with plenty of homemade wine - oh yes and lashings of homemade raki too!



View from the island back to the village of Mochlos

Sunday we luncheoned at Kokylia and then were given the TV controls to watch Wimbledon where Roger Federer was playing some chap called Murray who we believe came second.  Our exact recollection of the result was somewhat dimmed due to drinking solidly from 4pm (2pm UK time) until sometime much later in the dark evening.  The bill for lunch, the whole afternoon and evening session (comprising beer, wine then raki and also dinner) came to an horrendous 62 euros for all 4 of us (that's £50 to you!) - don't ask !

Monday morning sadly saw Stuart & Ivona's departure for wetter shores (i.e. back to the UK!), although Stuart threatened to be back in a couple of weeks to help celebrate our anniversary.

Standing amidst a veritable collection
of 3000 year old pot remnants

Going back to these archaeological sites, the amount of 3000  year old pot sherds (bits) just lying around is unbelievable.  At Vasiliki, for example, there are literally hundreds, nay probably thousands, of broken pieces of pot just sitting around minding their own business.  In the UK, we (British archaeologists) get excited about 1 piece of pot the size of your thumb - here that is too insignificant to even bother about, as can be seen from the picture of me standing in just one spot at the site of Vasiliki.

Moon rising above the mountains

To end, here is a picture we took a few days after the full moon, when we stopped off on our way home after supper in the village and spotted the red glow of the moon rising behind the mountains - beautiful !