Heading towards the end

To empathise with those in the UK we had 6 days in a row without sun and needed to get the wellies out - very glam for a night out in Kritsa for a yummy meal at Agadon (AKA Big Tree or Yannies) with Sue and Barrie.

A few weeks before I'd saved a small battered cupboard from a bin so used the dull days to create my new dinky kitchen cupboard - just right for herbs etc. and all it cost me was €1.50 for a new knob.

When the wet weather passed it left clean and crisp air so we took the scenic route to Iereapetra - this photo from the road up to Kroustas clearly shows the 'scorpion' of Kritsa.

Once in Ierapetra we went for a stroll along the prom to choose a place for morning coffee.  The bad weather had flung kelp and sand all along the prom leaving only a couple of places open for business.  A couple of the cafes have parrots that are usually  'free' rather than caged and I'm guessing that this cat knew he'd come off worst if he decided to 'have a go'.

With the bright days continuing we enjoyed a stroll in Elounda, past the windmills and around the rocks where I was almost tempted to have a swim.  It wasn't the lack of a cozzie that stopped me but the lack of plastic shoes as sea urchins were very visible.  This photo is close to where we had our flask of soup and shows the remains of a 16C Christian church, all that is left is the mosaic floor in a remarkable condition considering it is totally open to the elements.

With our imminent return to the UK we decided to do 'jobs' for three mornings and then have the rest of the days out and about.  Sat in sunshine by one of the Agios Nikolaos beaches we watched a child enjoy the opportunity to build sandcastles without the fear that anyone would knock them over.

The wet days followed by the sun brought the almond blossom out.

Almond trees are interspersed among the olive trees - also notice the carpets of yellow oxalysis.

For our last picnic lunch we went to the sea side - several of them along the Istron coast.  The photo below was taken beyond Pachia Amos - yes that's snow on the left hand peak with Kritsa just visible on the right.

On the way back we stopped to view this lovely cove - a summer favourite.

Loath to go home as that really would have meant it was all over we had a final coffee in Agios Nikolaos.

For much of the time we'd been in Crete Alan had been nurturing some mini daffs that eventually bloomed.  A couple of days earlier and Hilary might have had them for her birthday!

The cats came for a last snack - hopefully they'll do their Rentokil duties!

Now back in the UK and looking forward to seeing friends and family during our UK holiday....

Sunny Days, Cosy Nights and Rain!

On any trip to Crete a visit to the Lassithi Plateau is a must, so on a clear blue sky we set off.  We used the route up from Neapoli and only passed two trucks heading down.  However, on two separate occasions we did have to wait for large flocks of sheep to pass by – we love these types of traffic jams!

Very few people were about on the plateau and we saw no one as we strolled across the flat lanes collecting fresh fennel from the trackside.  

 On our decent down on the Heraklion road, we stopped at the main tourist viewpoint for a picnic lunch and saw that the dam project far below is now complete.

It seems that a complete village will be lost when the reservoir fills, so I’ve taken a photo to compare how much gets ‘consumed’ in future.

January days continued bright, despite an ill-founded evil forecast for the last weekend.  Whatever the daytime weather, we are always pleased to have a cosy fire in the evenings and have already replaced wood supplies for ‘next time’.

Saturday 1^st February was dull and overcast so with flasks and cagoules packed we set off, with Hilary acting as tour guide, to complete the three hour walk up to Oxa, 563 metres above Elounda that we’d cancelled the previous weekend because we’d believed the forecast.  Thanks to Hilary and Phil's research, we know that Oxa is named after Naxos, son of Minos.  On the way, we passed through a deserted village, which apparently was the boundary between Olous (where Elounda is now) and Lato (near Kritsa).  

Here’s Hilary and Alan pointing the peak we needed to climb – it looks like a fortress even without any buildings.

Despite the building clouds, looking down on Elounda was magical and gave us a rest before the final slog up to the crest.

                                     

On reaching the summit, we saw many stone remains that had been adapted over the years and a modern church that provided dry seats for our coffee break.  Building clouds meant the photos of Agios Nikolaos below are hard to see – we’ll just have to go back on a sunny day!

John - If you look carefully through the gloom you'll see your hotel

Here’s our ‘team photo’.

Later that afternoon we still had enough energy to walk up to Barrie and Sue to watch Southampton beat Fulham 3 – 0.  Alan was happy with that result and, thanks to Sue, I was pleased to gain a jar of preserved lemons and the knowledge of how to make similar in future. 

Sunday 2^nd February brought continuous rain...no sympathy from those in the UK who've had weeks of it.  In the evening, there was the grand opening of Kritsa’s new cultural centre, sited within a renovated mechanical olive oil mill near to the car park.  I wondered if anyone would brave such a foul night but went anyway and I’m pleased I did as the venue was packed.  

After a blessing from x4 Pappas (Alan uses the plural term Papai but I’m sure that’s not right), and a relatively brief speech from the Mayor of Agios Nikolaos, two local musicians played a twenty minute ‘set’.  After this we all piled out to the free buffet and booze and, despite the large gathering, there was plenty to go around.  I think I was the only ‘foreigner’ there so I decided to go home where my plate of snacks acted as a tasty starter to our evening meal, although I’d fed the titbits of liver to a dog that followed me up the street.

Champagne Aegean flights to Athens/Crete on New Year’s Day got us off to a good start but somewhere along the way, a cold bug hit me so by 3^rd January I felt grim.  The weather the first few days matched my preference to stay indoors in front of the cosy wood burner during self-imposed quarantine.

Any trip to Agios Nikolaos needs a coffee stop and again the lack of people feels odd, a fact obviously enjoyed by an egret perched on one of the small fishing boats moored at the lake.  

The cloudy days were followed by two ‘halcyon’ days – blue skies, sunshine and no wind, 20c = mini summer.  For the first, we walked along the beaches and headlands of Istron and for the second we went to Sissi and enjoyed a walk in the company of three well-behaved dogs that decided they’d see where these odd people went.

By our second Saturday, I felt ready for a proper walk so we set off to use a clearly marked trail above the village of Kroustas.  The walk includes woodland and open views across Mirabello Bay and identifies some Minoan remains.  As you can see below some of the walk was cool and damp.

Here are Alan and Hilary at the 'gate' of the large Minoan house at the pinnacle of the walk. 

To find this walk, pass through the centre of Kroustas, turn right along the side of the school and keep going until you reach a clearing by the side of a huge water cistern, clad to look like a house, with a picnic area.  Park here and follow the marked trail that starts by an information board. 

The next day was another ‘summer day’ so we strolled the esplanade at Ierapetra and made the most of the sun with a coffee and lunch stop.  It’s such a treat to see empty beaches instead of crammed sun beds! 

Village news - The Kritsa village post office has closed as part of cost saving activity and one of the gift shops now has a mini post office counter set up in one corner.  This will be a fab way of increasing their foot traffic although their winter opening hours are erratic.  The main headache for them is that hardly anyone has a proper address – the previous postman remembered where everyone lived so ‘Surname – Kritsa’ got electric and water bills delivered.  When we went into claim our bills we saw a huge stack of undelivered mail so it will need regular checks to make sure nothing goes astray.

We woke to a thunderstorm on Thursday 16th Jan and then the next day we enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony today at the start of another ‘summery’ day – the contrasts at this time of year really are amazing!  Later in the morning, we enjoyed a spectacular flying display courtesy of griffon vultures and hooded crows and ended day with an enjoyable quiz night in an Agios Nikolaos bar. 

Today we've been up to Kathero  for a walk across the plateau and Hilary came too.  We'd only gone a few hundred yards when we realised the usually dry river had far too much water to negotiate without getting wet boots so Alan had to fetch the car to drive us through.  After that, no problem!  Although we did notice that the breeze coming off the snowy mountains made the temperature markedly cooler than down in the village.

We're almost at the half way point for this trip so intend to do lots more walking, weather permitting.

Unblocking!

Writers block for 9 weeks as I've attempted to re do the last chapter in the UK.  Today, sat on balcony in warm(ish) sun overlooking Kritsa's olive groves and the germ of an idea is forming...

All I've got to do is listen!

Trouble afoot in Kritsa

After touch and go decision whether to make a trip to Crete due to Alan's moderate but cumulative health issues we decided to go ahead.  A short notice booking via Monarch proved very economical at less than £200 each.  I can’t remember getting a fare that good in the past and we were definitely aided by our lack of fixed dates and flexibility over airports – resulting in us using Birmingham for the first, but hopefully not last, time

Arriving late August gave us a week to unwind and settle in before Chris and Gary arrived – unfortunately, this coincided with Alan’s foot “exploding”.  An adventure we could have done without was learning how to use the hospital system - basically, you wave your EHIC card and push in. 

The first time was in the evening and from leaving home to being seen, having a prescription dispensed and getting home again only took 2.5 hours – imagine that in the UK!!

The second time was mid morning on a Monday and after waiting 45 mins a Dr took a look and said “Go to Dermatology via the main reception.”  The receptionist said there were no free appointments so we asked if we could go the next day – the reply was, “No, go today and wait” – we did so and still Chris & Gary, for lunch.  Shame they didn’t have a magic wand just ointment and more antibiotics.  We need to be patient now, as the cream has to be applied for 20 days...

Poor Alan doesn’t know what’s worse no driving, no swimming or no alcohol. That said, we did have a good break when Chris and Gary were staying with us for 2 weeks but we left Alan home alone sometimes.  

Our x 2 night stay away to Plakias was good fun; our excellent accommodation was right by the beach and only a short walk from the tavernas.  On our first night we were amused by waddling geese that walked along the beach and road without a care heading for the taverna that obviously frequently feeds them.
“Take a gander in here!”

The short boat trip to Prevelli beach means you get the most amazing view of the palm-clad river crossing the beach.  A walk up the river to the foot of the gorge is beautiful and as the fire scorched trees, have returned to green glory it shows just how good nature is at righting man made wrongs.

During the drive home we paused where the road goes through a dramatic gorge and enjoyed a flying display by obliging Griffon Vultures.  Then we had a refreshing stop at Spilli to taste the water gushing from the Venetian fountains.

Apart from a visit to the south coast we used very local beaches and tavernas when not eating at home.  This is where I should add a BIG thank you to Gary for sharing the driving - thank goodness it is the car that is insured out here and not the driver!

In the week since Chris & Gary left us, Alan has stayed on the balcony with his foot up and open to the air to give it the best opportunity to heal.  It may not have been how he hoped to spend his time but a seat in the shade overlooking olive groves and mountains is better than staring at four walls in Swindon!

Kicking our heels in Agios Nikolaos

The day did not start well - a flat tyre argh!

Once that was sorted we were able to leave the car as planned for a thorough clean before we wrap it in it's "pajamas" for the 8 - 10 weeks we are in the UK.

This gave us four hours to wander around Agios Nikolaos to enjoy cold lemonade at one end and lunch at the other - a nice way to spend our last day.

Now, off to do ironing and cleaning to leave the house ready for us next time.......

Chronia Polla (Χρονια Πολλα) Rodanthe

Today is the name day for all women and girls named Rodanthe.  To "celebrate" we took a walk to the Secret Plateau and the site of the battle in which Rodanthe, the heroine of my story died.

I will soon need to write the key battle chapter at the end of the book so I wanted the area to be fresh in my mind before we set off for the UK.

Another way to celebrate this day is to show this photo of Nigel at work in his studio on a figure of a young girl sat working at her crochet - in my version of the story this scene occurs whilst Rodanthe was at school.