Last day, last tour!  Onboard credits and really short port time = Ship tour!  We’ve really nothing we want to do here anyway, except the winery thing – and well, we all know how that turned out last visit!  But even though we now know not to get off the beaten path and go straight to the wineries, the timing of our port call is such that it is just impossible to do that comfortably.  We aren’t getting in until 8 and all aboard is 3:30.  Wineries don’t open until at least 10 and most later.  So….ship tour to Spinalonga, a culturally important island that was once a fortress and then turned into a Leper colony.  What the heck – it includes lunch – so – hey – we’re in!

We do our normal tour strategy, get our stickers and go to the bus.  We are joined by two adorable ladies from Australia (originally from Britain but years ago) who have the same strategy!  We could definitely travel with them.  The 4 of us sit on the bus happily chatting away for a long while before any of our other tour partners join.  Fine by us.  We’re happy and situated and enjoying our time.

Once we are all assembled our guide, Veta – not Feta please! – gives us background on the island and the millions of olive trees (they are everywhere!) and olive oil production figures, etc., etc.  She gives us background on Spinalonga – first a Venetian fort, then an Ottoman fort, then the leper colony. She says Crete was conquered by everyone!  And the island was occupied by everyone, except the Germans who occupied Crete during WWII.  They were afraid of the lepers, so they just patrolled from the waters and never stepped foot on the island.

She is quite funny and very good at keeping our attention.  She tells us a bunch of mythological legends about Zeus, the Cave of Zeus, Hera, etc. All stuff we know and have had refreshed by Connie yesterday.  Obviously half the bus didn’t attend her session or don’t have a clue about Greek mythology because they are hooting and hollering when she tells these stories.  Funny.

The scenery is gorgeous, and while we never stop for photos, we do get some good shots from the bus of long views overlooking Agios Nikolaos and then the causeway that connects the mainland to Elounda Island.

Arriving at Elounda harbor, we board the wooden sailing boat Katerina –  my boat! – which ferries us 20 minutes over the protected bay to Spinalonga itself.  The island is teeny – with the huge fortress on the upper levels guarding the island.  We begin our tour walking through a tunnel cut from the mountain rock, then begin our circumnavigation of what is essential the ruins and recreation of the Leper colony that was here for years until being disbanded in 1957.

The buildings are beautiful rough hewn stone edifices, in all states of repair and disrepair. But it gives a really poignant sort of feel to the whole idea that this was a guarded leper colony where these poor sick people had to live alone away from their families because of their disease.  It’s a sad story, and the story gives meaning to the photos here.

We arrive at the “shops” lane where recreated shops display different things from days past – games the lepers used to play, carved on stone blocks, different graffiti and art that was either drawn or carved on stones in the walls and a display of the medical equipment that was used to treat the lepers.

We pass a pretty little church along with lots of gorgeous bougainvillea plants and other unidentified flowers that are gorgeous planted outside.  Inside the church is very pretty but small, and now filled with our tour group.  Outside is far preferable. 

We make our way to the old port and dock which faces Plaka, where we will have our lunch, a mere 5 minute boat ride away.  This is the pier where family members could come to visit their loved ones here.  We pass along the way, the disinfectant room where all visitors must pass before leaving the island.  Ugh.

Continuing around we reach the fortifications at the edge of the island, strategically placed, looking out toward the open sea.  Then continued around to the little church and the old graveyard on a promontory overlooking the water. 

The last thing we see is the Venetian fortress with the Lion figurine holding a book at the top of the fortress. The story goes that if the book is open, it means the structure was built when the Venetians were at war.  If the book is closed, it means it was constructed during peace time.  You can’t really see it from the photos, but the book is closed, so this fortress was built during peace time.  Interesting fact I don’t think we ever knew!

Done with the island, we hop back in our boat and head to Plaka where we have a delightful lunch of Mezes at Giorgios on the water.  There was octopus, Ed was in heaven, and baked feta and dolmades and marinated sardines that were quite good, and veggies and hummus and this great toast with tomatoes and feta – a Greek version of Bruschetta!  Oh, and this absolutely amazing orange cake that we found out was made with crunched up phyllo dough!  I am so making that when we get home!  Excellent!  We got Ouzo with the meal and had to pay extra for beer and wine – but it was reasonably prices, thank you! After Israel and Egypt, this is heaven.

After lunch we are free to wander for a while, so we hit a grocery store for some snacks, buy some really cool bracelets and mill around waiting for the group to reconvene and return to the ship.  All in all, a lovely day.

Back aboard, we say our sad farewells to Mark – gifting him a huge bag of snacks and treats and a big tip – then hit the buffet for dinner – it’s Indonesian – we’re not missing that!  We stopped at the dining room on the way out to give our farewell and tips to Armando and Adela who we adore, then retire to the cabin to do our final packing and, boo hoo, get ready for disembarkation.