The men of Crete dance like the incarnation of gods. Many of them wear black shirts and high black boots. Their bearing is relaxed, supple and strong. Sometimes they'll leap into the air and slap their heels. Now, don't get me wrong.
Cretan women are gorgeous and dance beautifully, too.
But there's something about seeing a relatively ordinary looking guy who might be in his fifties, even carrying a bit of paunch, come up on the dance floor, and become well, transformed. In the course of the evening, every once in a while, someone in the crowd will reach in to a shirt pocket, pull at out a semi-automatic pistol and fire off a few rounds. No one blinks. Years ago, with too many men being killed in vendettas, Cretan civilians had their guns taken away from them. Despite their lack of weaponry, the fierce Cretan resistance to the German occupation is legendary.