Xania, or Hania, is quite a large city, but the old town, centered around the Venetian Harbor, is quite lovely -- and touristy.
1 Nice drive, mostly along the north coast, from Dalabelos to Hania, the former capital of Crete.
2 Just arrived in Hania, wondering how to get to our hotel. It was down this street on the water's edge.
3 View from our hotel window of the Venetian Harbor, the atmospheric and tourist capital.
4 This former mosque is now used for exhibitions.
5 The lighthouse is at the end of a jette which almost closes the harbor.
6 Hanian tuxedo cat
7 The Venetian harbor by night -- restaurants everywhere.
8 The arsenal, behind our hotel
9 One of the two restaurants we loved, the Taverna Tamam, with tables in the "street".
10 Uh, those are bottle openers... I think.
11 A narrow and commercial street in the old town.
12 A Cretan yellow cat
13 Beautiful color of the stones
14 Our other favorite restaurant (for the evening), Portes -- highly recommended.
15 The bay, the lighthouse and our hotel (red building on left)
16 Wave breaking on the lighthouse base.
17 We were in a wonderfully situated hotel, ours was the balcony room.
18 The Hania Archaeological Museum is in the 16th-century, Venetian San Francicso Church. In spite of being less awe-inspiring than museums in Iraklio or Athens, it contains some beautiful objects. The church had previously served as mosque, movie theater and German muntions depot.
19 Beautifully decorated Minoan sarcophagus.
20 Old amphora, amphoras, amphorae ... whatever
21 Beautiful mosaic
22 Highly restored seated figurines
23 A collection of both black-figure (n the back on the left) and red-figure pottery. The photographer seems to be holding one vase by its neck, she likes them so much.
24 Another nice mosaic, maybe from Roman times
25 Drinking vessels?
26 More beautiful geometric designs on this vase or pitcher
27 Beautifully decorated ceramiic vessel
28 Decorated clay vase (pyxis) from a Minoan tomb, 1300-1250 BCE.
29 Bronze, probably Corinthian helmet, end 7th c. BCE
30 Platea Athinagora, at the border of the old town and the new one.
31 The Cretan House Folklore Museum contains reconstituted rooms from old Cretan houses.
32 A kitchen in the Folklore Museum
33 A dining room
34 Modern folkloric crocheted work
35 Horse-drawn buggies for tourists looked like fun and an easy way of getting around, but we didn't try one.
