Crete

Crete

Every night we get a pamphlet that tells us what is going on the next day.  It said to turn our clocks back an hour so I did and went to bed.

I have to set my alarm for 1 and a half to two hours before I have to actually leave.  Even though I am in remission, my body still deals with chronic illness and I have to kind of ease it into the day.  My Sjogrens disease makes my eyes feel like sandpaper – it takes a good half hour of blinking etc. before I can see anything or put my contacts in.  It also makes me feel like I’m choking because my mouth is so dry – it takes awhile to be able to speak etc.  Because of my Lupus my joints and muscles hurt and it is hard to get moving in the morning.  So I have this routine I do in the morning so that I can move fairly normally by the time I get to school.

As I’m in the shower it occurs to me that the time change was for TONIGHT not LAST night.  Boogers!  I try to hurry the best I can.  My hands hurt and my feet were hurting and were not happy about being shoved into shoes.  I looked at my clock and it was 7:02 or really 8:02 – time for my tour!!  Good thing I was up over an hour early – My Lupus saved the day J  I grab my stuff and go to the auditorium for my tour.  I start snacking on some Pringles I bought since I didn’t get to eat blueberries and cottage cheese L They called my tour and as I get up to get in line I realize I don’t have my room key card.  Augh!  Not my morning!!  I run upstairs to the front desk to get a new key card so I can get back on the ship.  I barely it make it to the line to get my tour.  I had a rough time walking all day and my hands hurt.  It could have been that it wasn't going to be one of my "bad" days anyway but I think it was because I didn't get warmed up properly. 

We went to Knossos to see a Minoan palace – supposedly it was the seat of King Minos.  Supposedly there was a labyrinth there to distract intruders. There is a mountain nearby in the shape of a face and people say that is where Zeus is buried and that Minos would go up to get advice.  We got to see a lot of the ruins.  It was a beautiful day  - cooler than it has been, I had to pull out my gloves J 

After the palace ruins we went to a village to see a museum that depicted early village life.  They had these metal things that they carved body parts into and took it up to the Zeus mountain for him to heal them.  Much like the wax body parts that are sold near my house that people offer to the Virgin Mary at the Catholic Mount Mary church nearby.  We had a little snack at the village and then drove back to the ship.  Not my favorite tour but it was nice to see a little of Crete.

Last night the cruise had their “famous chocolate buffet”.  It was up at the buffet lunch/dinner place.  I thought just a section of the buffet would be some chocolate desserts.  No.  They took away all the other food and the whole place was covered in desserts – mostly chocolate.  The lights were low and there were ice sculptures etc.  Really nice.

Tomorrow is a day at sea then we are going Naples then the cruise is over when we get to Rome.