Crete has endured conquerors before. Venetians, Ottomans, Nazis — each carved their mark into the island, and then they were cast out in time. Today’s invaders don’t come with flags or rifles. They arrive with glossy brochures, investment prospectuses, and permits rubber-stamped in Athens. Their weapon is bureaucracy; their legacy is desecration. There are many […]
About Phil Butler
Greek Oligarchs Know What’s Good for Crete!
A short blurb from the editors of ekathimerini caught my eye and piqued my interest this week. The editorial titled In Crete’s best interest, tells us everything we need to know about how the wheels of power in Greece spin. The short piece labeled “opinion” acknowledges that the people of Crete Island are fearful that […]
The Viridian Crayon and Poseidon’s Sea
Crete is an island where myths linger in the salt air, where secret beaches reveal themselves like gifts, and where village festivals feel less planned than bestowed. The real treasures here are rarely chased — they arrive, unannounced, when you least expect them. One such moment began, for me, with a Viridian crayon. Back in […]
No Trip, No Shame: As U.S. Travelers Bail, Greek Tourism Spins a Tale That Isn’t Holding Up
While PR agencies and tourism ministers trumpet “record arrivals” and search surges, the truth on the ground in Crete and across Greece paints a far grimmer picture — one that can no longer be hidden behind Home to Go headlines and government-fed optimism. Transient Traveler Woes In Heraklion, where tourism should be peaking, tables sit […]
Return to Vira Potzi: When a Restaurant Becomes a Compass
There’s a kind of place that disappears from memory the moment you try to share it. Not because it wasn’t real, but because it was too good to give away. Too whole. Too sacred. Vira Potzi in Ierapetra is one of those places — not just a restaurant, but a meeting point for the soul, […]
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