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Regional Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis of Greece |
One of the highlights of my day in Greece today, living a Travelife, was a meeting with the Regional Governor of Crete, the honourable Stavros Arnaoutakis.
Governor Arnaoutakis is a dynamic and very popular political figure who has just been re-elected to another five-year term.
He holds office in the heart of downtown Heraklion, in a charming low-rise yellow building humming with activity.
Scroll down to read more…
When I walked in to see him, I passed his office anteroom filled with people waiting for an audience with him. I even saw a Greek Orthodox priest in one corner.
We had a very nice chat about Crete including about his ambitious plans for his beloved island. They’re planning to expand their airport to accommodate more direct flights from around the world, including from Asia.
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That’s me, being interviewed today by the Greek media about tourism and Asia |
At the moment, Heraklion airport mainly deals with domestic flights and certain charter flights from around Europe. There are no direct flights from Asia.
And they’re also looking to do more business with Asian countries, including China and the Philippines.
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The Governor gave me this lithograph of a 17th century map of Crete as a present today |
So on this visit, I was glad to do more sightseeing, including visiting the Palace of Knossos and the newly-renovated archaeological museum of Heraklion.
The Palace of Knossos, which is the second most visited attraction in the whole of Greece and an important UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must-visit if you are an antiquities buff.
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At the Palace of Knossos |
Meanwhile, the archeological museum of Heraklion was excellent, filled with fascinating objects from the ancient Minoan culture.
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That’s our guide, explaining in details the intricacies and practices of the Minoan society, at the archeological museum of Heraklion |
I’ve been to so many archeological museums all over the world by now, but the museum of Heraklion was truly a surprise in terms of quality, and definitely worth a visit.
More on this in a later blog entry.
TRAVELIFE WITH US
We ended the day with a wonderful dinner, al fresco by the pool, at the Galaxy Hotel, which is the best hotel in Heraklion.
The rooms are modern and comfortable, breakfast is an organic food lover’s dream, and all the staff are so friendly and helpful.
Again, this hotel deserves a separate blog entry.
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A delicious Greek salad for the first course at dinner tonight |
And tonight, we feasted on Cretan specialties including Greek salad as usual plus an excellent Greek-style rack of lamb — and way too many bottles of Cretan wine.
There was live music, the weather was perfect, and there we were, living a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.