Night location: Heraklion, Greece

This morning dark clouds threatened to burst and the wind howled along the coast. We have been so lucky to have had clear and calm days on our trip so far. As we drove away from Elounda the sun cast beautiful shadows on the sea making the water look like glistening mercury. Compared to our drive east four days ago, the north coast today looked battered as angry grey-green water lashed the rocks.

Amber, Gemma and Edith were dropped at our hotel in Heraklion with all the luggage while the boys successfully returned the car and caught a bus back. We enjoyed a nice lunch and then worked our way through the Archaeological Museum. The exhibition displays finds from Neolithic to Roman times, and is particularly famous for its Minoan artefacts. A massive wooden model of the Palace of Knossos (which we plan to visit tomorrow) gave a clear impression of the wealth and engineering capabilities of the Minoans. The pottery collection was very impressive with elaborately designed patterns and artworks painted with precision on the sides. The Phaistos Disc is the earliest example of a Minoan text which interestingly is yet to be deciphered, and other interesting objects included a stone bull-head, beautiful glass perfume jars and an array of reconstructed frescoes from the palace.

While we have been in Crete, David has been on the lookout for a local delicacy, Loukoumades, which are essentially fried donut balls, drizzled with honey, sesame seeds and cinnamon. He led the way through the busy streets of the city to a small shop where we tried this sweet treat, which were sadly a bit underwhelming.

Similar to Chania and Rethymno, Heraklion also has Venetian history. We walked past the Morosini Fountain (built in 1629) and the impressive 17th Century Loggia before making our way to the harbour. In addition to some impressive walls, this harbour also has a 600 sq.m 16th Century Venetian fortress. The waves hammered the sides of the fortress and the wind attempted to push us off the edge but that only made the experience more enjoyable.