Iraklion, Crete excursion description;
Enjoy a pleasant drive through the traditional Cretan landscape to the characteristic village of Peza, one of the most significant wine growing areas since Minoan times that today produces 70% of the Cretan wines. Continue to the village of Archanes which has won a European acclaim for its attractive restoration. The surrounding countryside is masses of vineyards, famous for the rich red wines of the Archanes appellation. The village is an ideal spot to indulge in the aromas, sights and sounds of the Cretan landscape. Streets have been newly stone-paved, there are more splendid displays of blooming flowers, fruit trees and plants in the yards, terraces and balconies of the houses. Your morning will finish up in the bustling city of Heraklion where you will enjoy a panoramic drive of the city before returning to the port and your ship.
There are three icons used in the tour directory by the shore excursion office so passengers selecting tours know, at a glance, how rigorous a particular tour might be. A ‘one-person’ icon is relatively easy, a ‘two-person’ icon is a little more challenging. A ‘three-person’ icon indicates people ought to be pretty physically fit before signing up for the excursion. Often there are warnings in bold print warning people to carefully consider what might be expected of them before signing up. Clearly, neither Holland America nor fellow passengers want an excursion to be clouded by a fall or heat prostration.
Here is a write-up of a trip to visit the Parthenon; this tour involves a considerable amount of walking with an uphill climb to the Parthenon. The marble steps are slippery, especially when it rains. Shade is limited; please dress accordingly. Bring a hat and wear sunscreen. Expect dense crowding. Please realistically assess your physical fitness prior to booking this tour.
I wanted to go into these details to explain why I did not sign us up for an excursion from Nafplion. Remember, I am traveling with an 86-year old, namely, Mary. Since the start of the trip, I coined a warning “Break a hip, end the trip.” I chose not to put either of us at additional risk.
I have mentioned the “Hop on/Hop off” buses and there was one in Nafplion. Before getting to the bus, we had to get to the pier. For all the other ports, this meant tying up to the pier. Nafplion was different. For our first time, the use of “tenders’ was required. This meant that we needed to go down stairs on the outside of the ship and get into a boat (tender) that would take us to shore. As is consistently true with Holland America, we were provided with clear written instructions on what would be required. Some of the most severely challenged would remain on the ship. I insisted that Mary hand over to me the many items she normally carried in her hands which prevent her from safely grasping handrails. I put her items in my backpack. The trips to and from the Nafplion dock were easy thanks to the careful planning and handling of passengers.
Before getting on the “Hop on/Hop off” I needed to get some Euros. (Virtually every other country I had been in was happy to see U.S. dollars.) I am glad I went into a Greek Bank because it had a feature which I think might prevent many bank robberies in America. You had to push a button like a doorbell. The door would open but only let you in to a space where you had to wait until the outside door closed and locked behind you. Once the outer door was closed, you pushed another button to get inside the bank. That door, then, closed behind you. When my job required me to visit women who were incarcerated, a similar system was used. The only reason that I suspect this is not currently being used in the United States is the possibility of people not being able to quickly exit the bank in an emergency.
So now that I have given such a lengthy explanation on how I got onto the $8.00 tour, let me say that it was a nice one. I am a lover of classical music and in addition to the English explanation of what I was seeing, I enjoyed classical music and, of course, the “Zorba the Greek” dance music. Nafplion is not very large but it is pleasant. Unlike many other places we have visited, the pace was relaxed, no honking, well planned town squares and apparently great food. I am perfectly happy with the food on the ship but it seemed to me that many of my fellow passengers flocked to the local restaurants. Those tourists who were into shopping had the opportunity to go to a town market which appeared to me to be a cross between a “farmers’ market” and a “swap meet.”
the town
