Rethymnon

Rethymnon Visit, Jan 3, 2013:

Rethymnon appears to have acquired its name in Minoan times and maintained similar pronunciations since, although the meaning of the name is lost to time. 

Here is a Rethymnon Beer Store 

Street view on the way up to the Fortezza. 

The Venetians arrived in 1204 and in the 1500’s began the construction of the new fortress to defend against pirate attacks. 

As formidable as it is it was no match for the pirates. Much of the city was destroyed in those years and the new [old city] architecture dates from the Ottoman and Turkish occupations.

Rethymniots live in Crete’s third largest city which is home to a large university campus and enjoys long beaches and spectacular views of the surrounding snow covered mountains. It has become a center for tourism to the misfortune of the endangered loggerhead turtle whose habitat is threatened by sprawling hotels. 

The Church of the Fortezza was converted to a mosque when the Turks took control.

How many feet does it take to achieve this wear on granite?