20/8/2014 Paper The Underground The Hague | The Underground The Hague http://www.theunderground.nl/crete-the-cradle-of-gods/ 1/4 AUGUST 20, 2014 Tweet 0 Recommend this on Google You are here: Home / Travel / Crete, the Cradle of Gods Crete, the Cradle of Gods AUGUST 12, 2013 BY THE UNDERGROUND THE HAGUE LEAVE A COMMENT Barbara Sirovnik Hatta gives The Underground her lasting impressions of her summer break on the island of Crete, the Cradle of Gods In the south, where the Aegean Sea separates from the Libyan Sea, lies the mythical Island of Crete. Here Zeus, the father of all Gods and men was born, on the highest mountain of Crete, Mount Ida. Zeus, enchanted by the beautiful Phoenician nymph Europa, disguised himself as a bull, abducted her from Lebanon (then Phoenicia) and carried her off to Crete. In Gortys, under a platanus tree, that still exists today, Zeus made love to Europa, and she conceived the three Kings of Minoan civilisation, Rhadamanthys, Serpadon and Minos. Gortys became a flourishing Minoan town and Crete the centre of Europe’s first advanced civilization: the Minoan (c.2700 – 1420BC). Mesmerized by its natural beauty, grandiose mountains, deep, indigo, consuming sea, that is ruptured by a rough archipelago of dry soil, wild aromatic herbs and centuries old olive trees, I understood why this is home to many Gods and Myths. Abundantly I poured dark green olive oil on my plate, slowly dipping homemade bread in it. It was early morning and the crickets had just began to sing from the large olive trees that give such a perfect, heavy shade from the hot Cretan sun. “The oldest olive oil comes from Crete”, whispered Stalios, the resort employee, in a low voice, as if trying to keep an old secret between us. “And this one”, pointing at my plate, “comes from my olive garden”, he smiled and disappeared in the bushy olive garden. The first cultivation of olive trees, took place on the island of Crete 2,500 BC. Used for religious rituals, medicine, skincare, fuel in oil lamps and food, olive oil was a principal product of Minoan civilization and still is the principal ingredient in Cretan cuisine. Hastily, I took the bottle containing the golden liquid of longevity and health back to my room, bathing my skin and hair in its silky texture, embodying the Greek Goddess inside out. Lemons and oranges, organic and large lavishly grow everywhere and every day I picked a few, squeezing FOLLOW US! RECENT POSTS Puzemuze, of op weg naar Rothko De Ateliers DEBUT SERIES: Alex Dordoy Sculpture gallery finally ready in Grote Markstraat Scultpure gallery finally ready in Grote Markstraat Opening HTM service point at Hollands Spoor SHOP TILL YOU DROP! HOME ISSUES SUBMIT AN ARTICLE ADVERTISE WITH US ART & DESIGN COMMUNITY CULTURE & HISTORY FASHION KIDS LEISURE LIFESTYLE HOMES & LIVING MUSIC PEOPLE & PASSIONS THE STUDENTGROUND WINE & DINE SHOPPING T RAVEL 0 Recommend
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20/8/2014 Paper The Underground The Hague | The Underground The Hague
