The Venetian Fort overlooking Chania's outer harbor. Chania, Crete's Venetian quarter, was the perfect place to stay. For centuries this tiny harbor port area has been fought over and controlled by Minoans, Mycaneans, Romans, Byzantinnes, Ventians, Genoese, Turks and Egyptians.  

"Bulls and boobies," said Mr. Wild Dingo as we left Knosos, "that pretty much sums up Minoan society." Well, sorta. There were plenty of other symbols around Knosos.

The first thing you notice about Cretan culture is the impact of spiral design on both ancient Minoan and modern-day art. 

For fun, Mr. Wild Dingo and I read our "compatibility horoscope" while in Crete.  The 14-page document basically summed up that we both liked to do everything in excess. In other words, we're luxury enablers.

The Phaestos Disc is a round clay disc of roughly 16 cm (6 inches) in diameter. It was discovered at Phaestos (in Crete) in 1903. It's inscribed on both sides with pictorial symbols that spiral from the circumference into the center. Spiral themes are a huge design element in Minoan art and writing, featured on everything such as sarcophagus', […]