Spring Crete
Spring is a wonderful time of the year when everything around blooms, smells and dazzles with a variety of flowers, and especially if it is spring in Crete. When even just driving along a mountain road is a pleasure, because. it seems as if it lies in a botanical garden. The weather is wonderful, until it's hot, but it's not cold either, although it's easy to burn out in such a non-scorching sun. Resting in Crete for 10 days from the end of April to the beginning of May, we observed how the temperature rose noticeably every day, in the first days they pulled windbreakers in the evening, then they took them with them and sometimes threw them on during gusts of wind, and then completely abandoned. The water temperature in the sea at this time is invigorating, but you can swim. Strongly, of course, you won’t swim, but although I’m not a walrus, I plunged several times daily. It all depends on the place of bathing, in the bays the water is slightly warmer than on the channel.
Our last visit to Crete was devoted to the western part, this time we decided to explore the east. We lived 2 km from Agios Nikolas, went there on foot (30 minutes to the center). A very beautiful town, and at any time of the day. We walked, walked along the streets, shops, were in the port, near the lake, in the Mirgos tavern on the high bank of the lake we ate delicious ice cream (we have long forgotten how to do this), in a word, we rested.
Kera rented a Peugeot 207 for 68 euros for 3 days with insurance, the car came across an old, dead car, but most importantly, it drove, and moreover, it drove on such roads that, as I recall, it’s already scary))) Their gasoline, however, has risen in price compared to the previous season 1.9 - 2.0 euro/litre.
We devoted the first day on wheels to the direction of Vai. On the way, we saw many breathtaking views, we wanted to stop everywhere and take pictures of everything. When palm trees began to appear everywhere along the road, we realized that we were approaching. Palm trees were everywhere: interspersed with reeds, trees and separately, and in front of the palm forest. Entrance to the beach was free, everything worked (bathrooms, tavern), but there were no sunbeds yet, the season had not really begun yet, but people were already appearing. We walked along the beach, climbed to the observation deck, went for a swim, sunbathed, took home to plant palm seeds, maybe a reminder of Vai will grow))) In general, I liked everything, the minus was a very cold sea and a very strong wind, from which you could hide only in a grove . On the way back, we stopped at the Toplu Monastery, paid 3 euros for entry, walked around, looked at the courtyard of the monastery, icons, a museum, a 2-story high cactus and headed to Sitia. This is a small town built in the image and likeness of all Cretan towns: with a neat promenade, a center with a monument and four palm trees, and shopping streets. Whether the siesta had an effect, whether it was the off-season, whether the town itself was like that, but it seemed half-dead to us. In general, we walked home.
On the second day, our path lay on the Omalos plateau. Having passed a turn on the plateau in front of Neapoli, we had to turn behind Malia. But it turned out to be for the best, the road was unforgettable: beautiful views, adrenaline on a mountain serpentine such that it was sometimes scary to look out the window, a couple of ruins and we leave for an ideal plain at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level, surrounded on all sides by mountains. And on some mountains there was still snow, a very beautiful picture. Past the planted fields and flowering meadows, we headed to the cave of Zeus. The ascent to the cave itself is steep, but along the path lined with stones is relatively convenient. You can also go up on a donkey, but they won't add up the price for them there. Entrance - 4 euros. I liked the cave, all these stalactites, stalagmites impressed me. Then the same descent, below we landed in one tavern to replenish the supply of spent forces with freshly squeezed tasty juice and again on the road. The way back ran through the picturesque mountain village of Kritsa and the monastery of Our Lady of Kera.
On the third day we decided to explore the south of the island and headed towards Ierapetra. On the way, on the advice of our hotel guide, we stopped at Vulisma Beach, which is located near the village of Istron in a very beautiful bay with clear blue water and fine sand, a great place to relax. We also visited Ha Canyon. I liked the gorge itself, the surrounding nature and the view, it's worth a visit. In Ierapetra, we parked at the port, tried some water on a nearby beach, and realizing that we would not see anything interesting here, we headed east towards Ferma and Agia Fotia. I was struck by the desertedness and abandonment of the southern part of the island, in the northern part, of course, it was also not crowded, but so much... There are a lot of abandoned buildings and hotels, despite the fact that the natural resources there are no worse than in the north. In the area of the village of Ferma, they found a deserted beach with small pebbles, 10 kilometers long, throughout which there is only one hotel that is not yet working. There we parked, went swimming, sunbathed, for the entire time we were there we saw about 10 people in the distance, and it seemed that the locals were resting.
Since there was still time left after visiting the south of the island, we decided to stop by the most fashionable resort - Elounda. We parked again at the port, wandered there, and drove towards Plaka, a village that is located directly opposite the island of Spinalonga. On the island itself, we bought a separate excursion the other day, which consisted of a boat trip to the island, a tour of the island itself, then swimming in some supposedly warm bay (so “warm” that it made my teeth hurt) and a barbecue lunch. For a change, the tour will go: easy and unobtrusive.
Once again convinced of the uniqueness of the island of Crete, with a dreary feeling and a lot of impressions, we flew home. Before that, of course, they threw a coin into the sea, because this is a place where you always want to return...
