Itisallgreek2me

Sunday-Wednesday, 21-24 August 2022… Relaxing Sunday at home with family, reminiscing over the joyous and happy time we all spent at the baptism the previous day and sharing a simple but oh so delicious lunch.

Monday Kostoúla dropped me off at Plaka beach where I met up with Vanna. Had my last swim for now, before lunch at their house, time with Odysséas and Metó, the sweetest children, then a lift back home with Roma.

I’m feeling somewhat anxious about my upcoming trip back to New Zealand. Never mind that Anna read my Greek coffee cup and could see a very clear road ahead and lots of money coming my way… haha 🤣 among other things.

Tuesday lunch… when asked, I requested my favourite meal of all – Yemistá (stuffed vegetables). I don’t even want to talk about how I felt farewelling Anna, Katina, Vasilis, Maria and Katerina who were all at the house when I left around 16.00 hours with Kostoúla who so very kindly drove me to Chania Airport. Light rain as we boarded the aircraft and a noticeable drop in temperature… preparing me for what lies ahead.

Stayed overnight near Athens Airport at Garden’s House in Spata. The cutest little accommodation setup you’ve ever seen… like a little cottage, very clean, comfortable and quiet – lovely! Costas, the owner of Garden’s House, picked me up last night from the Airport and today his wife Georgia returned me for a reasonable fee. Check out time was 11.30 hours, however, I was able to stay on until 14.00 hours.

Thunderstorms all around Athens… fortunately, made it into the terminal before the rain set in. With hours to kill and hunger pangs… first stop Flocafé for a Club Sandwich and a glass of wine.

At 23.00 hours I farewell Greece for now. What a ride it has been… I hope many of you have enjoyed sharing my journey.

Saturday, 20 August 2022… What fortunate timing to be on Crete for the baptism of brothers Michalis and Constantinos… sons of Chrissoúla’s daughter Xristiána, Anna’s granddaughter.

The Greek Orthodox baptism is a lengthy, beautiful ceremony, where the child, sponsored by a godparent, officially becomes a Christian. Much festivity surrounds this very important event, attended by family and friends of both the parents and godparents.

Following the baptism at the church, everyone heads to a venue to celebrate… sharing a meal, as well as music and dancing. For me it was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with many more family members in Chania… thanks to Kostoúla who picked up Katína and I from Kastéli and delivered us home safely around 02.00 hours.

Being a part of this family is a great privilege and not something I take for granted. I will be very sad to leave them on Tuesday… I don’t know what else to say.

Monday-Friday, 15-19 August 2022… Many days this little house with a big heart is full, inside and out, with family, friends, dogs and cats. Greeks tend to talk a lot and all at the same time… it can be difficult for me to get a word in edgeways. After a meal (and they seem to be never ending) I quite like escaping to the kitchen sink. The more dishes there are to clean, the happier I am… sounds strange I know.

Often the only place to find peace and quiet is at the beach. You can’t imagine how much I enjoy my mornings there… sun, sea and strolling along the water’s edge where I spend hours musing over the thousands upon thousands of beautiful pebbles.

Monday afternoon’s siesta was disturbed by the very loud meows of our very pregnant cat who in true form, eventually took herself off, not to the spot carefully chosen for her by Vasilis but rather to one of her own choosing… inside a discarded 20kg heavy paper sack. By Tuesday we would discover 3 new additions to the feline family… sadly, only 2 survived.

Tuesday began as most days do in Kastéli with time spent at the beach, lunch, siesta, shower, then downstairs for my afternoon coffee. What a surprise to find Anna’s daughter Kiki here, visiting from Chania… I hadn’t seen her for maybe 10 years. Together with her late husband Sifi, Kiki lived in Germany for many years, where their children and grandchildren still live. However, many are currently holidaying on Crete and today for the first time in almost 40 years, I got to see Kiki’s daughter Voula and son Yani again, as well as meet their children for the first time.

Had a wonderful catchup with Kiki while the families enjoyed time at beaches nearby and Katina put together a meal for everyone. Multi lingual conversation… Greek, German and a little English, finishing our evening back in the courtyard.

I never come to Kastéli without visiting the cemetery where Costas and other family members have been laid to rest. Walked up the hill Thursday morning before the intense heat of the day… lovely views of the town from up there too.

Not many days left now… Tuesday I fly to Athens and late Wednesday I begin the long journey home.

Week ending Sunday, 14 August 2022… as portrayed in Images.

Saturday, 6 August 2022… Sacrificed going to the beach this morning, to allow me to go and see a travel agent about my Sky Express flight from Crete to Athens. I’ve been unable to Manage My Booking online… turns out, what I thought was a zero in the reservation number is actually a capital O! Enjoyed a walk around the town at the same time.

The Feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated on 6 August, that is today and those on a strict fast, which precedes 15 August, are allowed to eat fish on this day and so everyone eats fish.

After siesta, sitting in the courtyard having our afternoon coffee… first Maria, then Katerina (Anna’s great granddaughters) arrived. In the evening visited Vanna (granddaughter) and Roma… transported there by Vasilis on the back of his motorbike. When we returned to the house around 11.45 hours, Vasilis and a friend were off to listen to live Cretan music where, no doubt, much drinking would take place. They asked me to join them and I was oh so tempted. However, declined the offer… thanking myself in the morning for allowing good sense to prevail.

Sunday, 7 August 2022… Caught up with a few family members today. Anna’s granddaughter Kostoúla came to visit us from Plataniás… so lovely to see her. Maria, her daughter was here too for lunch… Pastítsio – yum, yum! Later in the day Katerína was back and ‘Ioánna (sister of Vasilis and Kostoúla) came from Chania.

Here we have 5 dogs… Leon and Parapóthi are allowed inside, as well as 5 cats, one of whom is pregnant. Then, of course, there are the uncountable number of budgerigars (has to be more than 100), chickens and one solo rabbit. From daybreak the roosters are crowing, the cicadas are singing and the budgerigars are chirping… it’s such a different life here in Kastéli Kissámou.

Thursday, 4 August 2022… My arrival at the family home in Kastéli Kissámou going on 02.00 hours set all 5 dogs barking and woke up Vasilis who greeted me at the door.

For many years when I have come to visit, I have had a made up bed in Anna’s room which I’ve been ever so grateful for. Imagine my surprise when Vasilis ushered me upstairs and showed me to his room, all cleaned and ready for me to stay in while he will sleep on the sofa downstairs… you know the feeling when you can’t thank someone enough.

I’m also feeling very blessed right now… here I am once again with my Cretan family whom I’ve known since 1981. Anna who is now 102 and doing remarkably well is cared for by Katina, a daughter-in-law and mother of Vasilis.

Visited the Vodafone store this morning… fingers crossed all my telephone woes will be a thing of the past and yes, there is even a cheap ‘Made in China’ shop here where I purchased a new trolley case for E40 (NZ$65 approx.).

Enjoyed my first meal here today where our main meal is usually had midday. It has always been customary for Anna and I to partake of a small glass of wine at mealtimes and to that end, nothing has changed. Katina’s Greek Salads are legendary and she cooks amazing, delicious food.

At the moment Vasilis is working on an old traditional stone house in a nearby village. He arrived home for lunch shirtless… why, because it was used to carry figs, picked off a tree in the village, nothing artificial nor chemical has been anywhere near them and they are truly to die for… as sweet as honey!

After lunch is always siesta time… evenings are often spent in the company of others. Tonight Vanna (Anna’s granddaughter) together with Odysséas and Metó (great great grandchildren) came to visit. Typically, bedtime is around midnight.

Friday, 5 August 2022… Today like many to follow, began with my habitual large mug of Greek coffee… by 10.00 hours I was at the local beach. Back home around noon for another delicious lunch… Keftedákia (meatballs), Yemistá (stuffed vegetables) and Greek Salad. Siesta and a quiet evening, however, I expect the weekend maybe a different story.

Monday, 1 August 2022… Kaló Mína (Good Month) seems to echo about on the first day of the month in Greece.

After yesterday’s trials and tribulations, today has been one of chilling out. Had my coffee in my room as I do whenever it is possible, heading out around 09.00 hours in search of a Bakery. Settled for Bougátsa, a Greek breakfast pastry with Semolina custard between layers of phyllo… yummy! Returned to my room at Porfýra with a few provisions before heading out again for a walk around Potamós.

Unfortunately, there is no longer a bus service operating between locations on the island so without a car, I am somewhat limited as to where I can go… even the nearest beaches are some 6km away. However, after more than 2 months on the road, I am actually quite happy to sit back and reflect for a couple of days.

Ventured out late afternoon to find somewhere to have lunch/early dinner. In the Square, I came upon Taverna Panáretos. Thoroughly enjoyed Makarónia me Kimá (spaghetti bolognaise) with a quarter kilo of the house white wine.

Tuesday, 2 August 2022… My first stop this morning… a jewellers to get a broken clasp replaced on a chain but, unfortunately, nowhere to get a new wheel on my trolley case or buy another one.

It is cooler today, like 29°C with a welcoming breeze. Visited Astikón for a late breakfast… eggs and bacon and a cappuccino. Established in 1908, Astikón is open every day from 08.00 – 03.00 hours for coffee, food or even late night drinks when there is often live music… really cool vibe!

An afternoon on the terrace sunbathing and doing Code Crackers. In the evening went back to Taverna Panáretos for dinner.

Wednesday, 3 August 2022… Had my hosts arrange for Manos, the lovely but crazy taxi driver who drove me to Potamós on Sunday, to pick me up this morning at 11.00 hours and take me back to Diakófti. What I didn’t know prior was that Manos hails from Diakófti and his mum runs the local Mini Market. He took me to meet her and I was able to leave my luggage there for the day.

Diakófti is the main ferry Port of Kýthira. There is also a lovely beach and two shipwrecks… the Nordland shipwreck (off Prasonisi Island) and the beached Shipwrecked Fishermen of Kýthira.

Seajets ferry boat “Aqua Jewell” was scheduled to depart Diakófti at 19.20 hours and arrive at Kissamos 23.15 hours. Accordingly, I had arranged for family to pick me up from the Port. However, in reality we left Kýthira at 20.53 hours and arrived on Crete at 01.30 hours. With no data on my phone and no Wifi on the boat, I couldn’t contact family. Seeing a deserted Port, they had been and gone by the time I arrived… fortunately, I managed to get a taxi.

Extremely happy to be here.

Sunday, 31 July 2022… Left Areópoli this morning on the 08.30 hours bus to Gytheio… a mere 40 minutes ride away. All quite uneventful, however, I was surprised to find out how far the bus stop is from the harbour. Glad I left early before the heat of the day.

In 2010, I spent 4 nights in Gytheio, staying at Leonidas Hotel right on the waterfront. Walked by there today on my way to the ferry ticket office. I already had an online ticket, however, I had hoped to leave my luggage there for the day but no… the lady said it wasn’t possible. Walked on to a nearby cafe… same story, sorry, no room! Then visited RE salto Cafe snack bar… no problem 😊 and so it became my luggage storage, food, drink, Wifi, phone charge, WC stop during my 10 hours in Gytheio.

The last thing I did before leaving Aróma Avlís was publish my Blog about my time in Areópoli… no problem with my phone. By the time I reached Gytheio, although I had good Wifi connection at the Cafe, I couldn’t access my website nor my email and many of my Apps were down. It came up saying “No Internet Connection” well there was… some things like FB were working perfectly fine. “Problem connecting to the Server” etc etc. Began to wonder if I had been hacked. Being Sunday, Vodafone store was closed. I couldn’t access the Vodafone GR App so a card was of no use to Top Up data if that was the problem. Made for hot, frustrating and worrying work, necessitating an Amstel beer at 10 o’clock in the morning… a coffee fix wouldn’t cut it!

Went walkabout for a couple of hours to the pine tree covered island of Cranae, these days joined to the mainland by a causeway. Cranae is reputed to be the place where Paris and Helen spent the night together before leaving for Troy… starting the Trojan War.

On Cranae you will see the small Byzantine Church of Agios Petros. The Tzanetakis Tower, built in 1829 and now I believe housing a Museum that never seems to be open and a marble Lighthouse built in 1823… height 23m. Close to the Church I came across a mother cat with her 4 kittens… so sad, someone had left them a little food and mother watched her babies eat before moving in to finish any leftovers.

Returned to RE salto for lunch, ending up staying there for the remainder of the day as it was too hot to venture out anywhere. Late afternoon a mad rush back to the ferry ticket office for a paper ticket… with my phone woes, the QR Code was no longer available on my E-ticket.

Departed Gytheio on Seajets ferry boat “Aqua Jewell” at 19.00 hours, arriving on the island of Kythira just before 21.30 hours. A wheel broke on my trolley case as I was coming off the ferry… buggar! My hosts at Porfyra in Potamós had arranged for Manos the taxi driver to pick me up from the Port… what a character he turned out to be. Drove me here at break neck speeds, overtaking everything in sight on the 20km journey through the night… exhausting!

So it was quite a day… best news, the problems with my phone appear to be resolved.

Friday, 29 July 2022… Left Pirgaki Studios in Kardamýli around 07.00 hours to go wait for the 06.15 hours bus heading south from Kalamata. When it arrived at 07.25, I was informed it would take me to Agíos Nikón, not Oítylo, a little closer to my destination. Then, 15 minutes into my ride, I was told to get off in Stoúpa and take another bus a couple of minutes away. That bus duly arrived 10 minutes later, empty, however, it did deliver me to Agios Nikón around 08.25 hours… phew!

Until I arrived in Agíos Nikón I had no idea that it is only a tiny mountain village… no taxis and no buses to Areópoli. Only one thing to do… hitchhike. A very nice lady supplied me with paper on which to write “OÍTYLO” “AREÓPOLI” “Parakalo” (Please). Fortunately, it was my lucky day. The second car to pass by did a turn around, bringing me all the way, even driving through the narrow cobblestone alleyways of Areópoli wanting to take me to my accommodation. That didn’t quite work out, however, I had less than 300m to walk to Aróma Avlís Apartment (Perfumed Courtyard). At E129.60 for 2 nights (NZ$105 per night) it is the most expensive accommodation of my travels, however, it is worth the extra… very traditional and comfortable.

The lovely couple who picked me up this morning were Christina (Greek) and Giuliano (Italian). They live near Milan, however, are currently holidaying in Greece, staying in Stoúpa and today, their last day, decided to drive back to a beach south of Areópoli, they first visited on Monday. Such an awesome couple, I cannot thank them enough for their kindness.

Dropped off my luggage at the apartment and went to have my first look around Areópoli since the 1970’s. It was and still is one of the most beautiful and colourful small towns in Greece. In the evening I ate at Spáka by Plateia Athanaton, strolled down lively Kapetan Matapa Street, the main road of the old town, finishing up eating a tub of pistachio icecream in the Square.

Saturday, 30 July 2022… This morning a visit to the local weekly Laïkí (Farmers Market) was, as always, delightful. Couldn’t resist returning to the same Bakery as yesterday for another Hortópita (Greens Pie) before checking out Kastro Mavromichalis, then visiting the nearby Pyrgos Pikoulaki Museum where the exhibition is called “Stories of the Religious Faith of Mani”.

When I arrived yesterday, my host Grigórios recommended Kozouni near Plateia Athanaton… he said it’s where the locals go for homestyle cooking when they don’t feel like cooking at home. Kozouni is only open from 12.00 – 18.00 hours and yesterday I left it too late to go. However, today I got a takeaway from there and really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow I move on… 08.30 hours bus to Gytheio where I’ll spend some 10 hours before catching Seajets ferry boat “Aqua Jewell” to the island of Kythira, my last stop before Crete.

Thursday, 28 July 2022… It feels like forever since I first wished to visit the Patrick Leigh Fermor home, one of the most beautiful properties in Greece… located in Kalamitsi, just south of Kardamýli.

Patrick Leigh Fermor (1915-2011) Paddy, or Kýrios Michális as he was affectionately known, made the Mani internationally famous through his writing. He once wrote “Passing by you see the Mani in 3 days, walking in 3 months and in order to see it’s soul you need 3 lives… one for the sea, one for it’s mountains and one for it’s people.”

One of Britain’s best loved travel writers, at the age of 18 he walked from the hook of Holland to Constantinople. Paddy also played a prominent role in the Cretan resistance during WWII. Disguised as a shepherd, he lived for more than 2 years in the mountains and in 1944, led the party that captured German commander General Heinrich Kreipe and whisked him off the island.

Together with his wife Joan, a photographer, they developed a special relationship with Greece and in the 1960’s built their home in Kalamitsi. Paddy lived and wrote in Kalamitsi until the ripe old age of 96, passing away the day after arriving in England where he is buried next to Joan.

In 1996 the Patrick Leigh Fermor home was bequeathed to the Benaki Museum. Over the 3 months of summer, it is rented out and scheduled visits are only on a Monday from 11.00 – 12.00 hours. Since I arrived in Kardamýli on a Tuesday and leave on a Friday, that is of no use to me so yesterday I telephoned, hoping and praying they may allow an exemption to visit but sadly… no 😒😪 However, the lady did explain to me how to find the path leading up to the property.

Left my room early this morning to walk the 2.5km to Kalamitsi… better to at least see the property from behind the wall than not at all. I have to say, what I saw and felt today is really beyond description. It is not difficult to understand why Paddy and Joan bought the plot of land and built their beautiful villa in such a stunning location.

I then went on to spend some time at nearby Kalamitsi Beach. Whilst endeavouring to snap images from the beach of the Fermor home, I got talking to Grigórios and Giánnis, 2 young Greeks in their 20’s, tripping around in their van. They knew about the Fermor home.

Eventually returned to Kardamýli… a somewhat slow walk on an extremely hot day. Tomorrow I will make my way further south to Areópoli.