Today we’re going to visit the small and beautiful monastery of Kera, then head over the mountaintop for a drive through the Lassithi Plain, where more than 13,000 windmills once dotted this beautiful landscape. We’ll end our day with a visit to a local tavern where we’ll try some local delicacies.
The Monastery of Kera is perched on a hillside, hidden behind fortified walls. I stepped through those walls into a courtyard where a small and rustic church occupies the center.
I learned that while it’s unknown when the monastery was established, most sources say that it dates back to the 14th century. It was then that an icon of the Virgin Mary was placed here, a holy place for those seeking miracles.
Whether or not you’re seeking miracles, the Monastery of Kera is worthy of a visit that will leave you as it left me: with a feeling of peace and well-being.
After our visit to the monastery, we continued along the winding highway up into the hills on our way to the Lassithi plain. It was here that we would discover the ghosts of an earlier Crete, when swaths of white cloth danced in the wind.
The famous windmills once were a vital part of this land, which produced potatoes, grain, apples and other fruits and vegetables. This land is known as the breadbasket of Crete, which makes our next stop somewhat appropriate.
We ended our tour with a stop at a traditional Greek tavern in the village of Seli where I was able to sample Greek specialties in true Cretan style.
An avid traveler and an award-winning journalist, Ralph Grizzle produces articles, video and photos that are inspiring and informative, personal and passionate. A journalism graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ralph has specialized in travel writing for more than two decades. To read more cruise and port reviews by Ralph Grizzle, visit his website at www.avidcruiser.com.
