Winter in Crete

Aghios Nikolaos 14th April

Hello again everyone! Yes, I know it's nearly Easter and this is the first time we've added to our blog in 2011.  We have some catching up to do, so I will try to summarise what we've been up to while we've been here in Crete.

If last season's cruising was all about places, this winter has been all about people -  making new friends, joining in social events and being a part of the small liveaboard community here in the marina which is predominantly made up of English with a few Swiss and German sailors.  We've also made friends with a few of the expat locals.

There's a communal BBQ every Sunday; a boules tournament on the beach every Wednesday; and walks often followed by raki and mezedes at the Two Brothers taverna on Thursdays.  Somehow we've fitted in twice weekly Greek conversation lessons with Stratos and all the usual boat maintenance as well.  Oh, and Cathy has published her book Paulina Annenkova on Amazon! 

Making friends on the pontoon

A taverna stop on one of our walks

Greek conversation lessons with Stratos

The Rainbow Choir concert

Leighton, Clare and Alois on Schironn B for the New Year's Eve party

Molly helps celebrate Leighton's 65th Birthday - New Year's Eve

We've not missed out on exploring the island either as we've had a third share in a hire car for most of the time we've been here. Crete is a beautiful island with magnificent scenery. It is mostly mountainous but lots of different wild flowers (anemones; orchids; ox-eye daisies; vetch; daphne; asphodel; sage and thyme to name a few) bloom all through the winter and into spring and bring colour to the landscape.  Winter in Crete is like early summer at home - lush green everywhere - with abundant harvests of olives; oranges; spinach-like horta; avocados; artichokes, etc. etc.

We are big fans of the legend of the Minotaur. This is from our visit to Knossos. 

Bull jumper fresco from Knossos

Bull Jumper fresco from Knossos

Palace at Knossos

We've seen the olive pickers harvest their crop, walked up dramatic rocky gorges; followed Minoan trails several thousand years old across the hills; and hunted for fossils and shards of Minoan pottery (is that inscription Linear B, or does it say 'made in Taiwan'?). A highlight of the winter was a visit to Chania and learning about the Battle for Crete (which took place 70 years ago this May) in which Cathy's father played a significant part as a midshipman in HMS Kingston.  Here are some of the sights:

Indiana Jones tracks down that elusive Minoan clay tablet

Looking down towards the Libyan Sea

Do we have to climb up there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The oldest olive tree in Crete - 3,000 years old

On top of the world - beat that!