Friday, April 29, 2011

Join Me on my Easter Trip to Crete!

We departed from our house Thursday afternoon, Vasili going to wait in line to be first on the ship; (it's a Greek thing!), and me going off to look for a good book to read on the trip down.
The ship, "Elyros", Anek Lines, leaves from the Port of Piraeus at 9P.M. and arrived at Chania, Crete at Souda Bay at 5A.M. the next morning.

Here is a shot of me on the small boat taking us from Port of Salamina to Port of Perema, where we will take a taxi to Piraeus.














Shots at the Port of Piraeus...everyone who is able to, will be leaving from the city to go to their home village or island for the Easter Holiday. It is MASS confusion at the Port!



Crowds waiting for their ship.




Ferry Boat to Crete; "KPHTI" (Kriti)



Here is our ship, the Elyros;

After an uncomfortable and exhausting overnight trip, we arrived in Chania, at the port of Souda at 5 A.M. on Friday, (Megali Paraskevi), and sat and had some coffee to kill time and try to wake up before we made our way via Taxi to the top of the mountain and the small traditional village of Samonas.



Here are the first view of the "Lefka Ori", or, "White Mountains".






Megali Paraskevi is the night of the procession of the Epitaphio, which is the symbolic casket of Christ. In small villages, such as Samonas, the local women and children all join together with armfuls of flowers and rosemary and jasmine to decorate the Epitaphio, then, in the evening, after being blessed by the priest, it is carried throughout the village, stopping at each crossroad to recite the liturgy.
I was lucky enough to be included in not only the procession, but in the decorating of the Epitaphio. Come back tomorrow and I will show you those photos. Bye for now!

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