BEATING THE HEAT ON CRETE - Summer Days!

After a sleepy winter and spring, we noticed that the island began waking up right around Easter. The locals busied themselves with a cleanup campaign that impressed even the Germans here. Potholes were filled, roads repaired, construction sites hummed, hardware stores were crowded, terraces and pathways scrubbed and walls (and tree trunks) were given a new coat of whitewash. The island buzzed as it prepared for the annual arrival of its most welcome guests - the tourists.

Summer (kalokeri) came to Crete on the heels of strong springtime sirocco winds - big, blustery winds that stir up the red "kadhafi" dust from Libya and make you want to put a gun to your head. As a resident of the island once remarked:

"Came spring, and Africa had its voice in our affairs: 'the Big Tongue' as the old women of Crete call the hot, dust-laden sorokos that comes howling up from Libya. We would see it coming through the gap in the mountains to the south -a distant finger of haze drifting into the still blue gulf of Merabello. Innocent it looked, but the fishermen knew it for the devil it was, and when they saw it coming they made for port at once. It arrived all in a rush, churning the sea to angry foam, blowing the salt spray right up on to our terrace, raising little tornadoes of dust all over town. The first day of a sorokos was bad enough; the second was even worse; and by the third you were ready to commit murder or suicide. The air became clogged with yellow dust, you felt restless and often had a headache, couldn't work, couldn't read, couldn't do anything. Tempers wore thin, quarrels flared, domestic peace was threatened. There are archaeologists who say that a south wind was blowing when Knossos burned about 1400 B.C; and to anyone who has lived in Crete there is nothing surprising about this, for it is easy to believe that all bad things happen during the southerly storms.But the essence of the Cretan climate is the imminence of sudden change; and so the south wind would leave as quickly as it had come. and then for a few days peace and calm seas and blue skies were ours. But never for long -always another wind would come, and some of them, like the cool meltemia breezes that blew steadily from the northwest for forty days in summer, were most welcome." (First page of Winds of Crete, by David MacNeil Doren, 1974.)

Of course, in between the infuriating days of Sirocco winds we enjoyed many days of warm sunshine and moderate temps that were perfect for biking, hiking and touring around the island. As summer rolled in so did the hot temperatures averaging around 30C (that's around 90F) with nights in the high 70's and 80's. (Thankfully, the humidity is only around 40-50% so its ideal) So, how do you beat the heat here? One word: WATER. Beautiful, azure, clear, warm, deep, gentle inviting water of the Aegean Sea.

This photo was taken from the deck of a south coast ferry and yes, it really is that blue and clear!

On the south coast of Crete there are many towns that are out-of-the-way havens for fun, food and nightlife. One of these hidden treasures has fast become our favorite - Paleohora - a remarkably pretty little town with an enjoyable end-of the road, laid-back feel. It's located on a spit of land about 6 blocks wide that juts out on the southwest coast and sits below the shadow of an old Venetian castle. We loaded our bikes up on the car, drove over the mountain range and came into town early afternoon. What we found was a sandy beach on the west side of the spit and a pebble each on the east side. Depending on where the wind is blowing from you can always find a quiet beach spot on the opposite side of town. This beach area on the pebble side was just about deserted - perfect for our afternoon swim.
Paleohora was originally known as Kastel Selinou. Built by the Venetians in 1279, it was destroyed by the famous pirate, Barbarossa in 1539 and never properly restored. Now it's the perfect perch for a wonderful view down to the harbor and over the Libyan Sea.

Another beat-the-heat outing was organized by our American friend, Sylvia. We loaded up all the kids (of all ages) and took the ferry out to Gramvousa Island and Balos Bay (west coast). What a blast! Temps hovered around 100 with no wind but we were on the water and loving it!


View from the Venetian fortress on Gramvousa Island:


Richard takes "The Plunge."

One of our favorite bike rides was on a little rural road in the mountains that gently ascended up into the hills, skirting a beautiful little creek and eventually ending at a main road where we found refreshment at a local taverna.

Sometimes we just look at a map and our trusting "Rough Guide to Crete" and blindly pick where we want to explore. This particular day we found a little out of the way cove just east of our area on the Dhrapano peninsula.

Driving around Crete is always a revealing experience. If you're willing and adventurous enough to get away from the main roads and cities and follow the obscure little roads, they will lead you to what I'd call the "real" Crete. We've had some of our favorite "finds" on these outings and are so glad we pushed past our comfort zone. You never know what you'll see or who you'll meet. One of the many adventures we absolutely love about this place. We spent a whole day just meandering around the Dhrapano peninsula winding through little villages with names like Vrisses, Vamos, Paleloni, Eksopoli and Kefalas.

One of the south coast ferries runs from Hora Sfakia along the coast and stops at various coastal communities. We took this one on a hot Saturday afternoon to the little village of Loutro that is only accessible by boat or foot. We set out from the port of Hora Sfakia around 1:00....
...past rocky coast caves...
..and finally set into Loutro about 20 minutes later.
The tiny town is set beneath the high arid hills of Sfakia and the miniature waterfront is packed with tavernas and beach umbrellas. At first we worried about how we'd pass the 6 hours waiting for the return ferry. But then, that's the beauty of the island - choosing which relaxing activity to do - swim, kayak, hike, eat or sleep. Too hot to hike or sleep so we did all the rest and were actually surprised how fast the time flew by. We were sorry to leave when our ferry rounded the corner from the west to take us back to Hora Sfakia.
Outdoor tavernas always have a spit roasting meats for souvlaki. This one is cooking up pork, beef and chicken (or could be rabbit?)

Another one of those "suspended boat" phenomenons so common on the water. Truly gives the impression of hovering in the air just above the water level!

A Loutro resident has claimed his perch in the shade. This Cretan cat already knew what we strive to discover in our busy lives - Slow down and take time to just "be."

UK Travels

In July, we traveled to the north to beat the heat and visit friends in the UK. Arriving in London was very exciting for these two island bums - so much to see in such a different culture than where we are now living. We spent a very full day just barely scratching the surface of "The City". We hopped on the red double decker tour bus only to be stuck most of the time in huge traffic jams. Once off the bus we put miles on our walking shoes and took in many interesting sights such as Piccadilly Square, Victoria Station, Covent Gardens, and St. Paul's Cathedral...

Trafalgar Square....

and the Tower of London. "The tower" is not a single tower like I expected but rather a huge complex that includes a historic castle, a palace and a prison that once served as an execution site for rebels. Today it houses the crown jewels and a witty group of Beefeaters that give very entertaining tours of the complex.

We also visited the Houses of Parliament occupied by the House of Commons and the House of Lords. We observed a debate in the impressive dark paneled sanctuary of the House of Commons. Looking down into the gallery from the balcony, it was easy to be transported back a century or so and imagine the wig-bedecked politicians of the time debating the current issues of English society.

At one point, we took a boat cruise on the Thames River and as we rested our poor feet, we enjoyed sights from the water including Shakespeare's Globe theater, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

"London Bridge" or more accurately, Tower Bridge, was very impressive.

One of the pleasurable perks of traveling in central Europe is the train travel.
This city truly never sleeps. Things just started hopping after dark and being part of the vibe is very fun! We bought half-price theater tickets earlier in Leicester Square and went to the show "Chicago" at the Cambridge Theater in the West End theater district (London's Broadway).

Staying with friends Candy and Dave (expats from Colorado living in Reading) made our visit so much more personal. We enjoyed the comfort of their hospitality in their charming Reading home. We recall the good memories of imbibing in some good English beer while chatting the evening away on their balcony overlooking the Thames River. And the next night, drinking even more good beer and laughing until our faces hurt with new friends visiting from Australia, Mike and Dennis.

The day after our frantic city tour, Candy drove us to the Cotswolds area - true pristine English countryside at its best - like a snapshot back in time reminiscent of literary greats such as Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and Winston Churchill. We began our outing with a pub lunch at the 8 Bells Pub in Chipping Campden.

We hiked approximately 10 kilometers through some of the most scenic and pastoral country we've ever seen. It was everything we imagined the English countryside to be complete with thatched roofed cottages...
neat little flower bedecked stone villages...

and rolling green pastures of serene beauty.

A short two days in London/Reading area was not nearly enough time to see it all. But if there's one thing we've learned from our travels it's the wisdom of yet another English literary genius, G.K. Chesterton. He wrote, "A traveler sees what he sees; a tourist sees what he has come to see." Thank you Candy and Dave for helping us enjoy seeing beyond the "sights".

From Paddington Station, we boarded a fast train for Edinburgh, Scotland. The scene from the train as it whisked up the east coast was one of expansive green landscapes and gray sea.

Edinburgh is a fascinating old city - the historic and cultural capital of Scotland and hometown to Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns and my favorite, Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote, "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." But to travel hopefully and arrive safely is the best of all.

The grand and beautiful Edinburgh Castle sits high up on a rock hill and shadows the old city. It was an 11th century hilltop fort and royal residence for centuries and now houses the crown jewels of Scotland, the Royal Palace (where Mary Queen of Scots once lived), the Scottish War Memorial, St. Margaret's Chapel (the oldest building in Edinburgh) and the inspiring National War Museum of Scotland.

Looking down the barrel of a castle cannon gives a grand view of the city of Edinburgh and the distant sea.
The Old Town of Edinburgh is divided by a pedestrian promenade called the Royal Mile. Historic buildings pack the Royal Mile between the grand castle on the top side down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the lower end. We spent most of our time browing around the Royal Mile people watching, shopping and exploring Medieval tiny alleys ("closes"), narrow winding lanes ("wynds") and old streets ("gates").



A day in Scotland wouldn't be complete without joining the throngs of people spilling out from every pub for that cold glass of ale!

After a few days in Edinburgh, we ventured further north via train again into the legendary Highlands of Scotland. Destination: Inverness. These picturesque little train stations were all along the way.

Where Edinburgh is the bustling major city of Scotland, Inverness is its quieter city cousin. Situated on the River Ness at the base of a prominant but historically unimpressive castle, it is in the heart of the Highlands and a great homebase from which to branch out and see other sights.

The path along the River Ness winds in and out of beautiful wooded areas accented with whimsical benches, artful bridges and giant trees.

One full day was devoted to exploring the countryside by joining the "Jacobite Tour" group. One of the stops was at the site of an prehistoric cairn - a Neolithic burial chamber dating from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. To the casual observer they look merely like a pile of rocks but closer observation will reveal a central "ring cairn" with an open space in the cneter but no access to it. This is flanked by two "passage cairns" which were once covered. The entrance shaft in each passage cairn lines up with the setting sun at winter solstice. Little is known about the origin or purpose of these cairns and the standing stones that encircle the entire site only add to its mystery.

Our tour continued with a cruise down the Caledonian Canal through Loch Ness (no monster sightings today) and ended at the ruins of Urquhart Castle. In the years of the Jacobites resistance, thousands of clan Highlanders fought to the death to preserve their freedom from English rule. Scottish heroes such as Bonnie Prince Charlie, Robert the Bruce and William "Braveheart" Wallace all made their mark in history on the surrounding hills. Urquhart Castle was home to various Scottish and English nobles and was eventually destroyed when its last owner blew it up to keep the Jacobites from taking it. It is beautifully situated on the banks of Loch Ness.

The boat cruise headed back to Inverness through many locks that service the Caledonian Canal.

Inverness is a wonderful town to explore. This old church was around the corner from our B & B.

One of the pleasures of traveling is just taking in the local flavor. Spending an evening in the local pub reading a newspaper over a glass of ale and a bowl of "chips" (fries) is just about as good as it gets!

And to top it all off, every night we had a glorious "sky show" beginning with a rainbow and ending with a beautiful sunset over the river.

Looking back on these photos and recalling the memories of our trip to the UK only increses our appetite for more. We will return!