We arrived on the island of Crete Tuesday evening, although it's pretty big and doesn't really seem like an island. We took a bus from the airport to the main bus station where our host met us. Then we walked to their apartment where we'd be staying for the next two nights. Dimitris and Elenia were a wonderful couple, full of fun.
About 9:30 after we chatted for awhile, they took us to a small fish restaurant owned by one of their friends. Dimitris took us through the back door through the kitchen so we could take a peek in the fridge at the catch of the day. We let Dimitris order for everyone and then the food just kept coming! We started with something to drink, followed by bread and olive oil. Then fried calamari (squid) and octopus - tentacles and all. I couldn't do it but Val tried it and even took seconds. Maybe he could be on Fear Factor. The french fries that followed were yummy, seasoned perfectly. Finally the main course, fish. Three kinds, two fried and one grilled. The whole fish, including the head. Dimitris offered us the eyes - generous host that he is - but even Val declined that. We also graciously declined the intestines. Three hours, several beers and two glasses of wine later, Dimitris' friend came and sat down and brought us a local after dinner digestive drink called raki, along with a sweet. We found out this is customary after dinner treat.
Despite our late night Val and I got up Wednesday morning and did our jog along the beach. So beautiful! On my right were snow capped mountains rising up about 6000 feet. Panning across I saw green meadows with the first of the spring wildflowers at the bottom of rocky hillsides with white washed houses perched where you can't imagine anyone building anything. Looking further to the right I saw the fabulous northern coastline. Words can't describe - or pictures show - the colors of the sea. Deep marine blue fades to aquamarine then to the clearest of greenish blue in the shallows. It's early season here; the small villages who cater to the tourists are just preparing to open. Most won't until next week. And also the beaches in Hania are quiet and we have the beach to ourselves for the most part.
Thursday morning we headed south to Imbros Gorge. We parked at the top of the gorge and hiked two hours down to the sea. The buses to bring us the 15 km back up to our car aren't running this time of year so it's either a 20 euro ($35.00) taxi ride - literally highway robbery - or hitchhike. We walked a mile up to the main rode and were lucky to get a ride from a friendly Greek fellow who didn't speak much English but who dropped us at the parking lot of he restaurant we ate lunch at and where we left our car.
From there we drove a few miles to the next village where we found a room for the night. Not too much was open, but we got a quaint room with a balcony overlooking the coast.
It was nice to relax a bit. And gear up for the next day which was a six-hour hike along the rocky coastline, through meadows with ruins of a monestary and wildflowers of every color as far as we could see, around villages with shopkeepers getting ready for the summer tourists and along beaches with water so clear we kept trying to capture it on camera. It was part hiking, part scrambling up and down rocks and by the time we hit our last switchback up to the trailhead I was VERY ready to call that trek done!
A nice dinner and a 90-minute drive back to in time to meet up with our second host, Hamdan, a Palestine Arab who has been living in Greece for 17 years. Hamden speaks 3 languages fluently - not unusual for people from other countries. We vow to learn another language! Today, Hamdan took us on a tour of three beaches: one a rocky, unspoiled beach where only the locals go. Another, a gorgeous white sand beach that was wonderfully unpopulated today but which will be crowded with thousands of tourists in a few short months. And another, out-of-the-way small beach with a heavy surf, waves crashing against he rocks. We stopped for dinner on the way back and then dropped off our rental car. Tomorrow we're out early, catching the bus for a three hour ride to where we're to catch a ferry to Santorini. Only three more days in Greece - this has been a highlight of the trip, can't believe it's almost over!
About 9:30 after we chatted for awhile, they took us to a small fish restaurant owned by one of their friends. Dimitris took us through the back door through the kitchen so we could take a peek in the fridge at the catch of the day. We let Dimitris order for everyone and then the food just kept coming! We started with something to drink, followed by bread and olive oil. Then fried calamari (squid) and octopus - tentacles and all. I couldn't do it but Val tried it and even took seconds. Maybe he could be on Fear Factor. The french fries that followed were yummy, seasoned perfectly. Finally the main course, fish. Three kinds, two fried and one grilled. The whole fish, including the head. Dimitris offered us the eyes - generous host that he is - but even Val declined that. We also graciously declined the intestines. Three hours, several beers and two glasses of wine later, Dimitris' friend came and sat down and brought us a local after dinner digestive drink called raki, along with a sweet. We found out this is customary after dinner treat.
Despite our late night Val and I got up Wednesday morning and did our jog along the beach. So beautiful! On my right were snow capped mountains rising up about 6000 feet. Panning across I saw green meadows with the first of the spring wildflowers at the bottom of rocky hillsides with white washed houses perched where you can't imagine anyone building anything. Looking further to the right I saw the fabulous northern coastline. Words can't describe - or pictures show - the colors of the sea. Deep marine blue fades to aquamarine then to the clearest of greenish blue in the shallows. It's early season here; the small villages who cater to the tourists are just preparing to open. Most won't until next week. And also the beaches in Hania are quiet and we have the beach to ourselves for the most part.
Thursday morning we headed south to Imbros Gorge. We parked at the top of the gorge and hiked two hours down to the sea. The buses to bring us the 15 km back up to our car aren't running this time of year so it's either a 20 euro ($35.00) taxi ride - literally highway robbery - or hitchhike. We walked a mile up to the main rode and were lucky to get a ride from a friendly Greek fellow who didn't speak much English but who dropped us at the parking lot of he restaurant we ate lunch at and where we left our car.
From there we drove a few miles to the next village where we found a room for the night. Not too much was open, but we got a quaint room with a balcony overlooking the coast.
A nice dinner and a 90-minute drive back to in time to meet up with our second host, Hamdan, a Palestine Arab who has been living in Greece for 17 years. Hamden speaks 3 languages fluently - not unusual for people from other countries. We vow to learn another language! Today, Hamdan took us on a tour of three beaches: one a rocky, unspoiled beach where only the locals go. Another, a gorgeous white sand beach that was wonderfully unpopulated today but which will be crowded with thousands of tourists in a few short months. And another, out-of-the-way small beach with a heavy surf, waves crashing against he rocks. We stopped for dinner on the way back and then dropped off our rental car. Tomorrow we're out early, catching the bus for a three hour ride to where we're to catch a ferry to Santorini. Only three more days in Greece - this has been a highlight of the trip, can't believe it's almost over!
Oh what great stories! I loved both this one and the "Rex" one! Keep having fun!
ReplyDeleteMike and Judy