Pearl Beach Rethymnon

... and we talked about architecture, the cruise, our lives and everything in between. Our destination was the Palace of Knossos, about 90 minutes away, and the route took us along a coastal road with spectacular views to the turquoise sea. We had one hour once we got to the site due to an early 3 pm closing. It is off season, after all.

Highlights

1. The Palace of Knossos is worth a visit, and in my case it was a second visit. I found ...

... were looking up!

We found a decent looking place to stay in (Kastro Hotel) on hostelbookers.com and opted to wander around there to see if we could get it a bit cheaper than on the net. Unfortunately, the map on the net wasn't correct and we ended up doing bog laps around Heraklion for AGES in the rain with our backpacks looking for the damn place. Every time we asked someone where it was they pointed us in another direction. I mean, if you don't know ...

... lashings of olive oil (hand pressed by an old lady in Argyroupoli).

On the Beach

On Wednesday we decided to visit the ancient sites of Phaestos and Gortys south east of Rethymno, with a brief stop at Matala to check out the beach. Matala is on the south coast of Crete and not as popular with the mass tourist markets, although it was popular with hippies in the 60s - Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens holidayed there. It proved ...

... a turn in the dark and only got back on track after a half hour and two lots of directions (including from some Germans, so that shouldn’t count, as they weren’t sure where we were either).

Parking is a haphazard affair in Crete. We parked outside the terminal with dozens of others and asked the driver of a van parked beside us if we could me towed. He laughed and shrugged and said at worst a small fine, but ...

... I have been most excited about.

The Samaria Gorge is the longest natural gorge in Europe (9 miles, I think?) before ending at the ocean on the southern coast of Crete. It felt like longer than that, but perhaps that was because of the rocky terrain, which kept our eyes firmly on the ground as we descended from the top of the mountain to the level part of the gorge. The hike was absolutely gorgeous--gorges (we're hilarious...). Taking the 7:30am bus was ...

... stores with an underwhelming waterfront. We were glad in a way that we had gone though, if only to affirm that Chania was the best city to stay in. We got back to Chania for another late dinner -people eat so freaking late in Europe...I even saw a woman in sequinned booty shorts pushing a baby carriage around 11pm. Anyway, we went to bed early, but still dead tired, to get up for the 7:30am bus to Samaria Gorge.

... a while but I am really ready and looking forward to it! Flying into Vancouver next wednesday then somehow getting over to Victoria where will meet dad, Lena and Karen then on friday mom is arriving! oh man it is going to be so much fun! then on sunday we are all flying home together! Which I think is really nice!

So thats about it have to get out in that sunshine to keep up my dark tan ;-)) Life is so hard!!!

... how lucky am I to be Canadian where I am allowed to walk free and where I don't get harassed and where I don't have to ask for permission for anything. it's weird and freaky and good and bad all at the same time. I don't knwo what else to say it messes your ehad a little bit and makes you sad at the same time. And then you think wow maybe you take everything for granted you travel around europe by yourself having good and bad things happen but at least you have the choice.

... are sitting on a terrace sipping fresh orange juice, enjoying baklava and listening to Grecian radio. Nex t week we will try to take a ferr to Italy so whish us good luck! I hope you are well and not becoming too jealous *g*

~*~

SMS from mum

- Liesel are you wlaking through the (Samarian) Gorge now? At the end you can take a boat. Love mama

... blue seas, high yellow and grey mountains, olive groves, fruit trees, sunshine.... Then you cruise through small Greek villages. I stopped in Bali on the way through. Somehow a Cretan town shares the name of an Indonesian island. It is a beach town, amongst many. Back on the road to Rethymno, it doesn't take long before I cruise into town and fight my way through the city traffic. Throw in the odd dead end and one way street and it is a little on the nerve-wracking side, as you don't ...