Anyone who has read Victoria Hislop's book 'The Island' will definitely want to visit Spinalonga... if in the area......
Mochlos was not very far away.....about 45 mins!
So we went......
The boat over did not take very long.....
but it is a different world once over there..... starting with the forbidding fortress on arrival..
The place is now being reconstructed, as one can see on the left.... presumably because of its fame as a place to visit after the TV series of The Island, To Nisi, apparently one of the most popular series ever, in Greece.
However the other side of that road shows how the property was essentially left to ruin for the last 50 years......
It was difficult to imagine what it was like 50+years ago........
this was one of the leper dormitories.... a rather depressing looking building....
This was the only other exit, apart from the entry tunnel....
Back in Plaka we lunched at Giorgos.....
which also had a great view.... of Spinalonga...
the owner apparently had a role in the TV series...
and there were a lot of photos of the film cast inside the restaurant.....
Obviously we had fish...
and the restaurant has had some famous people visit.......
Lady Gaga was one.....
Plaka is a nice small fishing village with lots of fish restaurants and now has many tourists visit.
However this home is probably more what it looked like in the days when people were sent to Spinalonga from there....
We also visited nearby Elounda on the return journey...but were not enthralled! It is a small fishing port and not very charming!
But it is surrounded by extremely expensive hotels.... which must have their own upmarket stores.
Mochlos was not very far away.....about 45 mins!
So we went......
The boat over did not take very long.....
but it is a different world once over there..... starting with the forbidding fortress on arrival..
The entry through the tunnel must have been shocking for the people who were sent there with leprosy, many having only recently been diagnosed.... it was referred to as Dante's gate mainly because they did not know what was going to happen to them on the other side!
It was difficult to imagine what it was like 50+years ago........
this was one of the leper dormitories.... a rather depressing looking building....
There were some great views... but no escape!
This was the only other exit, apart from the entry tunnel....
Back in Plaka we lunched at Giorgos.....
which also had a great view.... of Spinalonga...
the owner apparently had a role in the TV series...
and there were a lot of photos of the film cast inside the restaurant.....
Obviously we had fish...
and the restaurant has had some famous people visit.......
Lady Gaga was one.....
However this home is probably more what it looked like in the days when people were sent to Spinalonga from there....
We also visited nearby Elounda on the return journey...but were not enthralled! It is a small fishing port and not very charming!
But it is surrounded by extremely expensive hotels.... which must have their own upmarket stores.
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