Today we had a stroll around Totterdown, it was sunny and hot though not quite as hot as Crete. We went for a pint at Star and Dove. Pauline and Stuart were kind enough to make us lunch - minestrone soup and ciabatta.
Pauline then drove us to the airport. The flight to Edinburgh actually left early,
about 8pm.
Barry, who'd been looking after our house and cats with Tamsin, met us at the airport and gave us a lift home, we arrived before 10.
Sunday 26 May 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
Leaving Crete
Today is our last day in crete so after our breakfast buffet we pack and check out of the hotel about 9.30. We drove to a car park in
Chania for a walk round town as we don't need to be at the airport till about 1.30pm. There's an open air market near where we park the car, with literally hundreds of stalls selling fruit and veg and other produce.
Yes, this is produce too :-(
We walk around the narrow streets of the old town of Chania.
Then we go to the Archaeological museum.
One last drink overlooking the harbour.
We then bought some cheese and spinach pies and had a picnic lunch on city walls with views over the city and south to the White Mountains.
We then drove to airport. The flight was 10 minutes late but otherwise uneventful. Chris kindly gave us a lift back to Bristol and we quickly went out for a drink to the Oxford bar.
Then back to Barry's house for a take away curry and off to bed.
Yes, this is produce too :-(
We walk around the narrow streets of the old town of Chania.
Then we go to the Archaeological museum.
One last drink overlooking the harbour.
We then bought some cheese and spinach pies and had a picnic lunch on city walls with views over the city and south to the White Mountains.
We then drove to airport. The flight was 10 minutes late but otherwise uneventful. Chris kindly gave us a lift back to Bristol and we quickly went out for a drink to the Oxford bar.
Then back to Barry's house for a take away curry and off to bed.
Friday 24 May 2013
Samaria Gorge!
Today we're going to walk Samaria Gorge so have to get up early to catch the bus. The hotel kindly gave us breakfast at 7am. We then walked to the bus
station about 15 minutes away for the 7.45 bus.
The bus goes to the Omalos Plateau in the White Mountains. The route is very scenic, through lots of villages with plantations of thousands of orange trees. As we get higher they give way to olive groves, then mountain scenery. We arrive at the edge of the plateau, the start of the gorge walk, about 9.30.
The first part of the gorge is very steep, dropping nearly 1000m to the floor. There are many warnings of possible rockfalls.
The path isn't quite as steep after that, as we wind our way down towards the sea, 16km away. There are horses as ambulances to assist the injured or exhausted.
There are stunning views and landscapes all the way down.
About half way down is the abandoned village of Samaria.
It takes about five and a half hours in total until we get to the village of Agia Roumeli at the seafront.
We had brought our beach towels and swimming stuff hoping for a dip in the sea, but it was actually very windy. One or two brave souls were in but we didn't fancy it. Agia Roumeli has no road connections to the outside world, there's one boat out at 5.30 so we have about 3 hours to wait. We start by finding a seat under a sheltered, shady tree, and managed to pick up a wifi signal from a nearby hotel!
Later we go to a bar where there are rumors it might be too windy for the boat to dock. If that happens our chances of getting the flight home tomorrow are slim.
In the end the boat had to beach itself rather than tie up, and everybody had to run on board. It was quite exciting really.
The boat took about an hour to get to Hora Sfakion where we caught the bus back to Chania, arriving back to the hotel about 9.00.
We went out to the Akrogiali fish restaurant very near the hotel, where we had swordfish and small fried mullet (not quite what we expected from the menu but still good).
The bus goes to the Omalos Plateau in the White Mountains. The route is very scenic, through lots of villages with plantations of thousands of orange trees. As we get higher they give way to olive groves, then mountain scenery. We arrive at the edge of the plateau, the start of the gorge walk, about 9.30.
The first part of the gorge is very steep, dropping nearly 1000m to the floor. There are many warnings of possible rockfalls.
The path isn't quite as steep after that, as we wind our way down towards the sea, 16km away. There are horses as ambulances to assist the injured or exhausted.
There are stunning views and landscapes all the way down.
About half way down is the abandoned village of Samaria.
It takes about five and a half hours in total until we get to the village of Agia Roumeli at the seafront.
We had brought our beach towels and swimming stuff hoping for a dip in the sea, but it was actually very windy. One or two brave souls were in but we didn't fancy it. Agia Roumeli has no road connections to the outside world, there's one boat out at 5.30 so we have about 3 hours to wait. We start by finding a seat under a sheltered, shady tree, and managed to pick up a wifi signal from a nearby hotel!
Later we go to a bar where there are rumors it might be too windy for the boat to dock. If that happens our chances of getting the flight home tomorrow are slim.
In the end the boat had to beach itself rather than tie up, and everybody had to run on board. It was quite exciting really.
The boat took about an hour to get to Hora Sfakion where we caught the bus back to Chania, arriving back to the hotel about 9.00.
We went out to the Akrogiali fish restaurant very near the hotel, where we had swordfish and small fried mullet (not quite what we expected from the menu but still good).
Thursday 23 May 2013
Kalathenai
After our buffet breakfast at hotel we drive south-west to the village of Kalathenai. It's very windy and quite hazy.
We walk through groves of olives, oranges, walnuts and peaches. There are a lot of bee hives too.
We reach the "traditional village" of Milia. This is actually a restored abandoned village, with one bar/restaurant and a dozen or so cottages you can rent out. It looks idyllic though.
We then head higher up to a plateau, then complete the circle by walking down the road back to Kalathenai village.
After the walk we drove on to Kissamos in the north west of Crete for a drink in a taverna overlooking the sea.
When we got back to the hotel it was still windy, so we never really got to use the beach there.
We walked into town to the Semiramis restaurant, where we had chicken souvlaki and pork gyros.
We walk through groves of olives, oranges, walnuts and peaches. There are a lot of bee hives too.
We reach the "traditional village" of Milia. This is actually a restored abandoned village, with one bar/restaurant and a dozen or so cottages you can rent out. It looks idyllic though.
We then head higher up to a plateau, then complete the circle by walking down the road back to Kalathenai village.
After the walk we drove on to Kissamos in the north west of Crete for a drink in a taverna overlooking the sea.
When we got back to the hotel it was still windy, so we never really got to use the beach there.
We walked into town to the Semiramis restaurant, where we had chicken souvlaki and pork gyros.
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