On Thursday morning (day 4 of the 5-day cruise) we stopped at Heraklion, Crete, Greece’s 4th-largest city at roughly 180,000 people.

I had a mission: buy a new suitcase. Ours had been returned missing a wheel, and specifically a wheel on the handle side, so we couldn’t just tip it up on two wheels. We briefly debated trying to limp along, or trying to get the ship staff to effect a repair. We had paid $10 or something for this suitcase at an op shop, and gotten several good trips out of it. And, we’d seen so many Greek market stalls selling luggage that we knew we could find something. Out with the old, in with the new.

Lee was happy to take the morning off, so I headed out on my own. As I got off the ship, the hop-on hop-off bus was right there, so I did.

I rode almost the whole circuit, and enjoyed the commentary, but I didn’t take pictures. A city. In Greece. Full of photogenic stuff if you take time to look, but, well, I didn’t.

I hopped off the bus at the stop nearest a big open-air market I’d seen online. It was full of jaw-dropping produce, and a few housewares. But no luggage. I decided to walk the last mile or so back toward the ship, expecting to find the main bazaar nearer the waterfront.

As prep for the trip, we knew that NZ troops had been involved in the WWII Battle of Crete, and that there’s a cemetery full of them. (Quite a big battle, and a loss for the Allies.) But, it was on the other end of the island, no chance to get there on this stop. I did chance across the memorial in the picture above, which includes a NZ flag.

I followed my nose to the bazaar, and sure enough found a luggage etc stall, and bought a cheap suitcase.

How do you keep the ship shipshape? Work on it every day! We always saw work crews when the ship was in port, like these fearless painters.

Onwards to Santorini!