Leaving the port to Crete, we noticed another ferry of the same company sunk on its side in the port - not too reassuring! To make it worse we had also seen a burnt out shell of the same ferry company we were on in Bari on our way to Corfu, there seemed to be a common denominator here! Although ferries in Greece do leave something to be desired (often turning up very very late) our ferry was actually much nicer than any others we had experienced so far, we were able to sit comfortably inside at a table, and the waiters were very nice. Additionally the food was actually edible, and we even enjoyed a Scottish red beer called Macpherson on our way over! We really couldn't have asked for a better voyage.
We eventually arrived at 8pm that night and checked into our pre-booked airbnb. Tired from all the travelling (funny how sitting around waiting can be so exhausting) and with the knowledge that my brother Yannick and his partner Necia would be arriving early the next morning, we soon headed to bed. New adventures awaited!
After an early morning start we breakfasted and left our airbnb, heading for the nearby town of Chania, once a Venetian port, and now the second largest city on Crete. This area had been inhabited since the Neolithic area, and it showed. Almost every time we rounded the corner it was as if great layers of the earth had been peeled a way, allowing the stratigraphy below to once again become visible to us.
Although a very old city, having flourished under the Minoans and grown larger still under Roman rule, it was razed to the ground by marauding Saracens in the 9th century, meaning its archaeology was fragmented.
Upon our visit, we found the place quiet as it was still early morning, with only a few locals going about their business. We took a wander down to the ocean, where one period of Chania's history still stood out, the Venetians and their ship yards. Once 23 of these proud buildings (known as arsenals) stood here, but now only nine remain.
The remaining arsenals had been turned into a maritime museum, and we enjoyed a small wander inside. My favourite display was a full scale replica of an ancient Minoan ship, made using traditional methods and tools (down to using ox fat to cover and seal the ropes). It was sailed for the 2004 Olympics, and must have looked amazing.
After our brief foray into Crete's history, it was time to meet up with our new airbnb host, a good drive away and tucked into the mountains, in a tiny village named Meskla. Our host was a lovely elderly Greek man who was waiting for us inside a small cafe (or so we assumed as there were no signs nor menus) there were a few tables and chairs around and locals enjoying drinks. We joined him and he quickly ordered us some local Cretan soft drinks, the orange one was quite nice, but the lemon one tasted strangely like bananas!
The house itself was absolutely stunning, with an outdoor eating area, a pool, and a gorgeous view of the mountains. We enjoyed ourselves here thoroughly, cooking dinners and drinking wine until the sun had long fallen below the hills.
Still having a good part of our first day left, we decided to head to the beach of Sougia, which dad had fond memories of. Of course, things change in all the years he had been away, and he said back then there had been a single cafe which had the best greek yogurt ever, and a long unspoilt beach, whereas now it was built up and busy. Having nothing to compare it to, I was happy to settle into one of the tavernas for lunch. After enjoying a variety of dishes including baked feta (where I was most surprised to find Yannick had gone from disliking to practically hoarding it!) we went for a quick dip in the ocean but soon retreated due to the gusting wind and stinging sand. It was interesting to note that unlike the other islands we had been to, Crete was extremely windy.
We headed back to our airbnb for dinner, and enjoyed a quiet evening outside, accompanied by bread dipped in olive oil, and a nice cold rosé. We would find ourselves taking advantage of the lovely area a lot over the next few days, including refreshing breakfasts with jam and orange juice! It was the perfect end to a beautiful day in Crete.
The next day was spent relaxing, reading by the pool, swimming, and eating by the pool. Anything to do with the pool really. It was heaven! We had planned to go for a walk in the nearby gorge that the owner had mentioned, but we ended up having a totally relaxing day of napping at the house instead. After dinner we dared to try the tray of goodies that had been left for us in the house, and discovered the mysterious clear liquid was Raki, an alcohol popular throughout Greece and often mind blowingly strong. This one however was not so bad, and we rather enjoyed it in small doses!
The following day we decided we had better be proactive after our lazy day and begin exploring Crete, so we headed first for the beach of Elefonisi as it was on the way and supposedly beautiful. This was difficult to ascertain however as it was so crawling with people, so we instantly fled and headed instead to the much quieter ruins of Phalasarna. This ancient site was oddly enough a port town, even though the sea was a distance off. We soon learned that this was due to an earthquake that had raised the land and left the port quite effectively useless.
I really enjoyed wandering these ruins, windy as they were. They were free and open to the air, and also rather quiet with only a couple of other people wandering around. As with most ruined sites (especially in Greece) this one was only partially excavated, and awaiting more digs, especially in the necropolis. Given the lack of funding and the economic situation in Greece in general, I think we will be waiting a long time before we discover more, but in the meantime the ancient ruins lie where they are safest, secure beneath the earth.
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