One of the reasons for stopping at Matala was that it is convenient for exploring Festos. This Minoan Palace site sits on the hills a few miles inland from Matala. We cheered up a great deal after arriving there in sunshine, and spent a fascinating couple of hours there. Most of our time was actually spent trying to orientate the map supplied to us, as to what was actually on the ground! We have since spoken to an expert on Minoan sites who made us feel much better about ourselves as he too said that is was confusing; Kind person! Most of the Minoan sites only exist up to just above the level of the foundations so you do need a certain amount of imagination and/or knowledge. Festos is quite large though being out of season there were no guides, but we did our best. The city sat above a large fertile plain which probably hasn't changed that much covered in olive trees. It had belonged to King Minos' brother and there are 2 palaces, one built on top of the other.
We met another English couple, also staying in Matala having moved south, as they were fed up with the bad weather on the north coast. We should have stopped at Gourtys, another ruin too, but had a cup of coffee in a small village off the main road, which restored our faith in rural Crete again - very quiet and low key.
The road east was now well inland so we only saw occasional glimpses of the sea between acres of glass houses on every patch of fertile land, which wasn't too high. This is banana and fruit country here, which are all delicious, but it hasn't half ruined the look of the place. As usual not a sign of a bird except ravens. We headed down into the small village of Mirtos.
It was such a relief after Matala to come back to a pretty village and we found an old apartment called the Cretan House which we had heard of from others. Amazingly old fashioned and simple, and run by the lovely Maria, well into her 80s.
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