Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Crete

Slippers, the Soft Welcome of Home

Ion Bogdan V.

Slippers are more than footweaar. A soft welcome at the door, they carry stories of comfort, hospitality, and everyday life.

Desecration as Policy: Crete Mowed Under for Profiteering

Phil Butler

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 […]

Cretan Hoteliers Meet the Governor

Iorgos Pappas

Cretan hoteliers met Governor Arnaoutakis, reviewed the season, and pressed for fixes on airports, VOAK, ports, and water supply.

Cretan Goats Can Spell

Ion Bogdan V.

Cretan Goats Can Spell article again, full body with its meta, so you have it clean in one place.

Trash, Cats, and Kittikins

Mihaela Lica Butler

Cats rule the trash bins and tavernas. From nightly dives into containers to one little kittikins at the doorstep, strays remain part of the island’s heartbeat.

Lent’s Little Lie Snails on the Plate

Ion Bogdan V.

Snails are eaten during Lent despite being meat. Cheap, flavorful, and cooked with herbs and olive oil, they reveal a curious twist in Cretan tradition.

The Secret Life of Orchids in Crete

Mihaela Lica Butler

Crete is home to over seventy wild orchid species, many endemic to the island. Blooming in spring, these fragile flowers are protected by law and must never be picked.

Greek Oligarchs Know What’s Good for Crete!

Phil Butler

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 […]

Manuel Swapped Whistles for Chocolate Bars

Mihaela Lica Butler

Argophilia’s lifeguard-turned-writer who still saves lives on Crete’s beaches and secretly loves chocolate more than anything else.

Victoria Loves Sour Cherries

Kostas Raptis

Victoria is Argophilia’s sharp-eyed writer who loves sour cherries, prefers thrillers to fairy tales, and keeps the team balanced with wit, focus, and precision.