The return

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We have had an amazing trip  but it's now time to start the return to the southern hemisphere.  Europe is heating up as it's officially summer. The night temps are getting into the mid 20's°! Lots of big tour groups, uni students on summer break  and soon all the UK school holiday makers 😬.  The airports are at bursting point and the 'travel' bit of the holiday is getting a tad manic. Add the heat to this and you  see some pretty stressed folks at the airports. I always feel sorry for the elderly folks trying to navigate the chaos, it must be quite bewildering. 

We had a good flight from Heraklion airport (worst airport in all our travels 😬) to Athens and then we were booked on IndiGo Air through to Mumbai and then on to Bangkok.  As we were waiting in  the Athens  airport lounge we both looked at each  other and said "earthquake". Being New Zealanders our built in earthquake monitors are pretty finely tuned and we watched the building sway a bit. Perhaps a sign we were getting out of Greece in good time😁.

Looks like we left Crete in good time too, yikes! Scary to think of what could have happened to all the guests on the Israeli cruise ship that was the alleged target. 

With all the trouble in the Middle East we decided to skip our trip to Muscat, Oman and head back down under via Asia, just  felt a bit safer. One day we may be lucky enough to get back to Oman and  Egypt, just not this trip. We did however have fantastic views out the plane down to Hurghada and the amazing turquoise waters of the Red Sea. 

We were a little unsure of what to expect with IndiGo Air. They had great reviews as an emerging airline coming up against the big guys. They  are making big in-roads on the European market with a very sharp 'business' class fare. They also supposedly have the biggest fleet of new planes. With our long legs,  having the extra space at a good price swung it for us. From the moment we stepped on board we were so well looked after. Larissa was the 'leading lady' and took care of the six business class passengers in a 12 seater business cabin. What a darling, nothing was too much trouble, welcome drinks, snacks, food, beverages etc, timing food around medication for us, couldn't fault it. Comfortable seats with a good recline, not full lay flat, and great leg room. We had a female captain steering the plane/ship too👍👍. I'd fly them over AirNZ any day.

Mumbai airport for a 4.5 hr stop over was a pleasant surprise. There were only male security officers on as we went through transit security checks. They were adamant that I had to go through the female line and to wait while they called a lady up. 10 minutes later a lady army officer arrived to give me the quick once over and we were on our way. Very calm atmosphere, huge airport, very clean and great toilets (Heraklion airport take note 😁).

Counting down our airport stops now. Next stop was Bangkok, another huge airport but no hassle and everything ran like clockwork even with the sheer number of travellers. Outside traffic was a different story😬.

A short taxi ride  ended up taking almost.1.45hrs  as there were a series of crashes on the motorway and everything ground to a halt. Even the ambulances struggled to manoeuvre.  It's a city of over 11 million people so I guess they often have terrible traffic days. We got the metro back in 40 mins!

When in Bangkok there's always a mega mall with all sorts of market goods. MBK centre was across 6 floors. You could book yourself a karaoke booth , get a massage, shop up a storm and of course there were amazing Thai food courts over several floors to tempt your appetite.

Great day in 35° and 90% humidity 🥵. Not sure I could cope living here. However for a quick transit day to stretch our legs and break up the long trip to down under it's a great adventure. It sure awakens all your senses as you navigate the incredible hustle and bustle. 

Archeological Museum of Crete

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Knossos is described as the oldest city in Europe. It was the home of the Minoan  and early Neolithic civilisations. A small section of the Palace of Knossos has been restored to represent a fraction of the grandeur of architecture.

It's about 5ks from Heraklion, so a nice walk.

However there's a heatwave going on

so we decided against hiking in the baking sun.

Much of the treasures of Knossos are lovingly 

cared for in the Archeological Museum of Crete

 so let's go. 

The Archeological Museum is amazing and rivals that of any museum. You literally walk through history from 1700 BC. The exhibits are extraordinary. 

You can see the progression from clay to bronze to glass to gold,  from rudimentary iron tools to fine ivory buttons,  small beads, ornaments and glass. You could spend day after day here to really appreciate it all.

What an amazing place. I especially loved the old black and white photos that showed how the good people of Heraklion protected these treasures during the German occupation. Such foresight and patience that we now benefit from seeing the unbelievable treasures.

Heraklion, Crete

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Thursday 28 May 2026
Landed at Heraklion airport at the same time as three SunAir charter flights. People were four deep at the luggage carousel. Outside the airport there was a row of charter company kiosks for people to meet their island charter rep, uh oh. Quite a culture shock after chilled out Alghero.

Not to be deterred we found our apartment for the week, settled in. It's  tucked down a side street,  close to everything and beautifully set up with all the little things that make a place perfect. We set out to explore Crete's capital city. Just walking to the old Venetian port there were numerous examples of this city's  history represented  in the  architecture. We passed ancient ruins still being excavated, early  Ottoman  and Venetian period buildings and 16th century fortification walls protecting the city.

The 16th c. Koules Fortress was pretty spectacular and the fishing fleet tucked into the old sea walls was well protected.

So nice to see this fisherman had a soft spot for the dock cat, the kitty jumped on to the nets and rather than being scared off, kitty got a gentle pat. 

Two big cruise ships were in port so there were charter sail boats taking punters out on the bay.

In amongst all the traffic you could still see the Venetian boat yards where I imagine boats were built or hauled up and repaired. A confluence of times,  busy traffic with a terrific historic backdrop.

Heraklion is the capital of Crete and I think the third largest city in Greece. It's busy and bustling with locals, government/municipal function and visitors. There are the big UK chain stores like Zara and M&S and super trendy chic boutiques ... something for everyone 😁. All set in this blended, historical town which serves up an amazing patchwork of architecture and history.

There are lots of street cats that look silently at you, patiently waiting for a tidbit. The good thing is I did see water and kibble stations for the street kitties.

There are lovely lanes to wander along and so many eating options, very up market and chic or cheap and cheerful - we didn't go hungry 😁.

We turned a corner onto a square with an old , now church, once an Ottoman mosque by the look of the domes.

So much history to see, not polished and pretty, just in the street amongst it all.  It was too bad the fabulous St Minas Cathedral was closed for repairs, it looked incredible from the outside.

The  18th c. Turkish pumphouse and water basins are just at the end of a market avenue and daily life just goes on around these gems. 

Tucked beside the Turkish pumphouse is a magnificent marble frieze which once was the base of a spectacular fountain.

There are many Venetian and Turkish era fountains across the town. The Venetian Bembo Fountain above, 1552-1554,  was the first to bring spring water via an aqueduct.

The most famous one is the 1628 Venetian-style Μorozini fountain (aka the Lions fountain). I saw a photo in the museum where all around the fountain was bombed during the German occupation but the fountain was untouched 🙏.

We visited the calm and serene Cathedral of St Titus, 1869.   This magnificent building started  life as a mosque, including a now destroyed minuret, before being converted for the Greek Orthodox faithful.

In a quiet side chapel is the skull of St Titus, a disciple of St Paul.

We lit candles for our loved ones and enjoyed the calm and cool.

Heraklion is a gutsy, gritty town that has survived numerous occupations and therefore is packed full of history, not least the history of the earliest occupants, the Minoans. The fabulous Knossos Palace is just 5ks from the centre and, after Athens, is considered one of the most important sites for history and antiquities in all of Greece...more to look forward to 😁.

KS 39 Spot Feel at Home, Heraklion 

Beautiful Bosa

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Road trip yesterday to the beautiful Bosa. Fun fact,  the only Sardinian town on a river. It is famed as 'one of the most beautiful villages in Italy'.

We took the bus from Alghero and it was the most spectacular coast line with gorgeous blue, blue water. A few people had the same idea😁 and  seats on the right hand side of the bus  went fast! 

Bosa is known for its colorful houses and it didn't disappoint. It's tucked into the side of the Temo river  beneath the Malaspina Castle. It's old village charm and very few crowds.....our style, we like! 

We just followed our noses and explored the gorgeous old town. Wonderful architecture, fabulous wrought iron balconies and lots of places to sit and soak it all up. We found the church alongside the river and it had some beautiful frescos. Lit candles for our loved ones.

We then wound our way up through the lanes to the castle fortress. There's more terracotta tile here than you could shake a stick at, love it.

The colourful houses are stunning and so different. 

Of course lunch was involved and the octopus and beef tonnato was off the charts delicious.

Not sure who would choose the 8 smash burger below  😬 yikes!

The castle was a fantastic viewing spot to see all of Bosa and out to the coast.  A great defensive position.

The chapel had 13th century icons that had  been lovingly cared for. 

You could imagine after chapel service those living inside the castles walls enjoying the peace and shade of the almond grove. 

Sardinia is classed as a 'blue' town where lifestyle and diet supports healthy old age living. I think they must pump something into the water here, it's all so chill with octogenarians leisurely cycling about, no rubbish on the streets, is this place for real?😁.  Even the street cats look better quality than Greece😁.

 Lovely day in beautiful Bosa and another awesome bus trip back along the coast to the equally lovely old town in Alghero 👌.