I arrived in Crete on Wednesday (May, 12) after a quick ferry ride from Santorini. Spent two nights in Heraklion (the capital) and visited Knossos, the most important archeological sight in Crete. 'It is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square.' I considered skipping this sight but decided to ride my bike 5km outside the city to check it out and it was definitely worth the visit. Later that day I was able to find a tent to buy and also bought a small net book computer since I sent my large laptop home. Two days later I left Heraklion and rode 75km to Rethymno. I took the smaller back roads because I did not want to be riding on a highway all day and wanted to see some of the smaller villages up in the hills. Crete is very mountainous and hilly once you leave the coast so after leaving the city I spent the next two hours climbing up the hillside into the mountains. It was a beautiful road with very nice views of the ocean and the further I went the nicer the ride was. I stopped in a very quaint village and had lunch, was feeling pretty spent after riding up hill all morning. I am still riding myself into shape and trying to take it easy and not push myself too much, also still a bit concerned about my knee but very happy that it felt strong today and seems like bike riding is slowly helping it heal as opposed to making it worse. Today's ride was fantastic, the country side was incredibly beautiful and made for perfect bike riding territory. I found a lovely camp site on the beach to test out my new tent and after setting it up went straight to the beach for a swim, nothing feels better than cool water from the oceanafter a long hard day sweating in the sun. The next day I rode to Chania, about 75km and another day of rolling hills and strong winds. At the end of the day I found a campsite, drank a beer and jumped into the swimming pool. After spending four nights at the campsite in Chania I rode to Kissamos where I needed to go to catch the ferry, it was a nice 2 ½ hour ride along the coast. When I arrived I cruised through the main street and went to look for the campsite there but was told that it was not open. I was able to find a very comfortable and affordable hotel and talked with a friendly lady that worked there for a while. I think that she gave me a deal on the room after noticing that I was traveling by bicycle, this room was of incredibly high value for the 22 euros I paid to stay there. The next morning I woke up early and rode 3km to the port to catch my ferry at 8 am. I only spent 8 day’s in Crete but had an amazing time riding the coastal roads and exploring the beaches. I would like to go back sometime to check out the mountainous inland a bit more but for now it is off to the Peloponese and up north towards Patra!

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