Day 1

Landed in Heraklion (Many name variations for each town e.g. Chania, Xania, Xavia, hania the trick is they are all pronounced the same). We got our rental car. A tiny yellow Hyundai Atos that Daniel had to drive for the first time on the right (wrong) side of the road.

Drove all the way on the main road to Ravdoucha to find our villa along a dirt road up a hill among many olive farms. After a nap we took a drive to explore Ravdoucha and the beach. It's a ghost town with very few inhabitants. Next we went to Kolimvari (pronounced by me as Calimarie) one of the nearast mini-markets to pick up some essentials. We soon discovered Cretans are maniacs on the roads. They drive without indicaters on the wrong side of the road and honk although you are already driving twice the speed limit in the slow lane.

Day 2

Despit the rainy, windy weather we took a drive from Ravdoucha via Rodopos to Afrata to Afrata beach. Along the way we got lost among the many small dirt roads where the only sign of life is the goats among the bad plumbing which waters the olive groves.

Afrata beach looks like a very nice place to snorkel. I picked up a gorgeous pink rock. In the distance on the horizon you can spot Hania. Further on we passed the Gonia Monastery. Very beautiful place with lots of old religious artifacts. Most people seem to be Greek Orthodox.

The toilets here are strange. The toilets are sunken in and you have to squat to do your business also you can't throw the toilet paper down you throw it in the bin next to the toilet. Some toilets don't flush you have to take a bucket full of water and throw it down the toilet.

Next stop Hania. Hania is the second biggest town (city). We parked our car in the centre illegally and walked to the old city. We strolled along the Harbour and had lunch at Monastir. At the Monastir Daniel had the grilled mixed meat platter and I had the mixed seafood platter both was delicious. They even had something that looked like boerewors. Nobody show you to your seat you choose your own seat and then they bring you bread and water. There are at all times at least 3 cats inside the restaurant. After the main meal you receive a dessert of preserve fruit. At the Monastir it was a pear. With dessert you get Raki (a.k.a. Witblitz) which you meant to drink cold with dessert.

Afterwards we walked along the harbour wall all the way to the lighthouse. We returned to the city centre and bought some souvaneirs. Then we took the coastal road home.

Day 3

The sun is shining today but it is still windy at the coast. We decided to go inland. Our first stop is Agia Sofia caves. To get there we had to traverse a very narrow mountain pass. We also drove through a mountain tunnel. At the cave we walked up to find a small chapel built into the mouth of the cave. Chapel's seems to built in odd places e.g. high up a mountain or caves. We presume the little shop just opened for the season as we arrived because the music started playing and the lights went on just as we walked up the steps.

Next we drove to Milia a goatherder village in the mountains. From Vlatos the road to Milia is a dirt mountain pass very steep drops. Along the way you can see the snow peaked mountains. At Milia we had to park outside the village and walk down. The whole entire village is only about 3 houses. We had lunch at the local taverna. Daniel had rabbit in red wine sauce and I had lamb both very nice. Because these taverna are so small there is no menu. Instead you are invited into the kitchen to see what is cooking in the pots. Dessert was preserved quince (we bought a bottle it was so good) and Raki. Mythos the local beer tastes just like castle.

From Milia we drove along the coastal pass via Elos and Plantanias to Flassorna Beach. The beach is sandy big by Crete standards with coarse sand. It was quite windy and the sea was stormy. We took a stroll along the beach. We were the only people there except for one other couple.

From there we drove to the Ancient city of Falassarna which is no more then a long stone wall and some scattered foundations. On our war back we stopped to have a look at the ocean of olive farms and tomato tunnels that scatter the platua leading onto the sea. Then we drove home via a town called Kissamos.

Getting home we once again had to attempt the dodgy water-filled mud potholes. The car seriously bounces and lands on the other side of them. Only to discover tonight there is a much safer/shorter dirt road if you go the other way round - we were driving through somebody's olive plantation all this time.

Day 4

We took the coastal mountain pass via Kissamos to Elfonnisi. At Elfonnissi we walked through the lagoon to the opposite sandbank. Water was freezing but crystal clear. We saw pink sand. It is crushed pink shells that looks like pink sand. We also picked up some shells while strolling along the beach and rocks. We saw some fishermen fish some weird fish. They were 3ft long and 10cm thick. A whole school of them. Next we walked back and had lunch at the local taverna. The views was amazing over the lagoon and the bay. Today was their first day opening of the season. We seem to catch everything as it is opening. Daniel ate the lemon chicken and I had the aubergine bake (local delicasi) just ok. Then we returned to the beach to have a nap on the sand.

When we arrived home we had coffee on the top deck enjoying the last bit of good weather of the day. On the way home we also collected wood for making a fire in the fire place. When we stopped at one of the heaps of wood next to the road a local took our their gun - we decided to look elsewhere for wood. We eventually gathered enough wood to make our first cosy fire.

Day 5

Via Plantanias and Lake Agia we headed to Therrissos and Therrissos Gorge. The mountain pass was spectacular and exstremely high and treacherous. We also saw some crazy foreign hikers. On the way we picked some olives which weren't ripe. They tasted disgusting. I am not a big fam overall of Crete's olives. We also picked some oranges which were delicious and very fragrant.

There were some road blocks near Lake Agia. The first sign of police since we've been here. Near Therissos there were roadworks and the poeple expected us to go back rather than make space for our car to pass (back on a narrow mountain pass 16km). The gorge was not that spectacular.

Once back on the National Road we headed to Calimarie for someting to eat. We stopped at a Italian pizza place which had no service and no pizza so we decided to go down to the harbour were we found The Argentine. At the Argentine we had our first Greek salad with yummy sheep feta. The main course was tender deep fried calamarie (rings&tentacles) and of course the free dessert, today it was lemon jelly tart. The lunch took 2 hours as most lunches do here. From Kalamarie we drove to Vouves where the oldest olive tree stands. Then we went home to make a cosy fire.

Today we heard many trucks with loudspeakers selling goods from their trucks to townspeople.

Day 6

Today was a lazy day. Late morning we headed off to Elafonisia Beach which is my favourite place in Crete so far. We took a quick dip as it was very cold and windy in the Mediteranian. and spend the rest of the dya lazing about catching a tan and reading on the beach. We also collected some pink sand before heading home and stopping off for some ice-cream.

Day 7

Today we headed down to Palechora. We drove past lots of olive farms , constructions and quarries. The town is situated on a peninsuala it has a pebble beach on the one side and a sandy beach on the other. We parked next to the sandy beach and walked into the town centre. We visited the old fort and took in the views of the city and sea. We headed back into the town centre to have a drink at on of the local cafe's, then went for a walk on the sandy beach.

We started heading back to Ravdoucha and had a nice lunch at Waves on the Rock (secluded seaside tavern)/ For main course we had calimari and greek salad our free dessert today was greek yoghurt covered with someting that looks like lemon curd preserve and some funky pumkin preserve. We dont know what is was but looked pumkinny and tasted nice. We finished our last meal on the island with a shot Raki each.

Weird and wonderful

They tie the main bull goat to a rock on the side of the road when a car comes the other free roaming goats dont go in the road but stay with the billy goat.

Old ladies wear black for 3years after a loved ones death and its also their national colour.

Mini-chapel can be found everywhere. Why?

Phrases desceibing Crete: olive tree, goats, cats, crazy drivers, narrow mountain passes, beautiful beaches, many odd located chapels, many more odd mini chapels?, old ladies in black.