Crete: the stuff myths (and heroes)are made of

Our last Greek Island of our trip…saved the biggest for last! We knew Crete was too large and our travels for so long that spending a week going spot to spot was not the way to end our trip. We had planned to do a Turkey Riviera Sailing cruise but we got kicked off the first because we are too old and the second because they could only find one other couple to travel with us. So we will save the sailing cruise for another time.

We arrived in the dark, rented a car with a few other Brits pulling out nearby that seemed to be having difficulty adjusting to driving on the correct side of the road. The plan was to spend a night in Heraklion so we could go to the Palace of Knossos in the morning. Yup, just needed a simple room to spend the night before heading out…..but they upgraded us to another property due to construction issues. Now we were on our way to an all inclusive on the beach for one night! We had missed dinner so they had made us up a plate. But more importantly, the bar was open till midnight so we tossed the bags and headed to the bar with a half hour to spare.

Once again…we are faced with the pressures of trying to figure out which cocktail to pick. There are 3 types of new alcohol here to research. One is ouzo which Brant has already written off. I like ouzo with fennel though it is a little like using mouthwash that makes you a bit drunk. Then there is Raki (also known as Tsipouro or Greek Moonshine). This varies hugely as much is homemade with shots handed out for free at the end of a meal. I think its better with honey and herbs added, this I think it served hot in the winter. My favorite was Metaxa which is basically brandy but they can no longer call it that because they don’t use French grapes. There is also Mastiha which is a liqueur made from the resin of the Mastic tree. It has a pine herbal flavor. And if you get bored of regular wine, you can try Retsina. It is a wine that that has pine flavor that seems like what pine sol would taste like….though I had one Retsina that was very tasty.

The bartender decided we needed a little help and made us a special welcome cocktail. Tasty and strong. He then went on to describe his travel plans. His biggest problem was having enough money for those plane tickets. He felt he could find jobs wherever he went. I loved listening to his confidence and desire to see the world.

This place made me think of little cabanas on the beach in south Florida until they were leveled to build condos. A nice spot but time for Knossos. After a REALLY BFGB we are headed to Knossos. This spot was discovered by an archaeologist who many feel got carried away with his “remodel” of the site. Nonetheless it is very very old and after being deserted for 3,000 years it required lots of excavation. It is called Europe’s oldest city and was settled as early as the Neolithic age. Its first settlement happened in 7,000 BC and was occupied until about 1,100 BC. It was not discovered until 1878 and excavations began in 1900.

But here is what I think is most interesting. Long ago, I read a book called “Natural Born Heroes”.The book was mainly about the kidnapping of a German general from Crete during World War 2 but very tangential with descriptions of Crete and much about healthy lifestyles that enable hero behavior. I decided to reread the book while traveling on Crete. I was so surprised to realize that the book took place in the towns we visited and even on some of the hikes we took.

In the book, there is an archaeologist who was not respected by other archaeologists but is respected by Cretans who recognize his love for Crete. He theorizes that there is truth in Greek mythology. That Greek mythology reflects a few bits and pieces of the lives of true people. In the book the author outlines how the findings at Place of Knossos might further support his ideas…..even a plausible explanation for the Minotaur. It was remarkable to consider how ancient this site was and how even more remarkable that it existed for so long.

After leaving Knossos the plan had been to go straight to our next stop but Mátala Bay became irresistible. I hate to even admit we did it online but it was only an hour or so out of the way so why not? For those who don’t know, this is the beach where Joni Mitchell camped in a cave for a month with mean old Carey. The story amazes me. Here is this new star singer, well enough known for the hippies at Mátala to recognize her,who goes to Mátala trying to move on from her recent breakup with Stephen Stills and hooks up with a bar/cafe employee who lets her move into his cave with him. For a month she keeps writing, playing and singing and walks away with most of one of the most famous albums of all time, Blue. It seems a story as good as a Greek myth.

The beach was crowded, the town looked likely to have Joni souvenirs (so we avoided), so happy we did not park on the asphalt parking lot and instead in a dirt field, we just headed out to the beach and to get food and drink at Micheal’s Cafe (not the mermaid cafe)…in full of view of the Mátala Bay Caves. I know this place has changed but the beach is still crystal clear and the caves are still there. If you can erase the palapas and all the people except the ones wearing flowing skirts, you can imagine it. That album, I always felt, was meant to take you to another place, the best thing to do when you are stressed, and that album did it for me so many times. And it is still beautiful poetry that makes me tear up at times.

Then we headed up this crazy wild Baja Sur like coast to Chora Sfakion. We now will stay at a pretty big house looking over the coast which is described as being a traditional home. A good place to spread out, wash clothes, repack and ready for return. We are not sure why this is considered traditional…perhaps the terrazzo floors? The shuttered windows?, the large kitchen with 5 liters cans of olive oil?

And we came here to hike…especially the gorges. We told a young man we met from Berlin in Koufonisia that we were headed here and he said—-“oh, where the hikers go.” He is correct, everyone here is in their North Face or Patagonia best. Brant and I are here to test how well pickleball shoes hold on scree and marble cliff polished by thousands of hikers. (Shoes are toughest part of carryon).

Hike number one: Imbros Gorge, we drive a crazy curvy road about 20 min from the house, park and have some bowls of slow cooked lamb and pork beer and wine then head down the stairs into the gorge. It is described as being easy and it is for the most part. Some ankle turning rocks but a few miles later through a narrow gorge we pop out at small palapa with fresh squeezed OJ. The plan is take a cab, or the back of a pick up back up to our car. We are so happy to just have a ride back up to the top, but other hikers are busy negotiating the price. Such a strange system…the price keeps changing as a couple more hikers emerge. Finally we have 9 packed into an SUV (don’t ask how), but only after the driver has become angry with the Patagonian clad hikers trying to reduce the price from 5 to 4 euros. Ceremoniously the hikers who did not participate in the argument (us plus wives) are seated in front and the other 4 are stuffed into the back. I don’t believe there were even seats there!

Hike number two: Chora Sfakion to Loutros. The hike starts a couple kilometers outside the village which requires sharing a cliff hugging road with big trucks so we find a cab to take us to the trail head. We hop over the guardrail and find us on a trail going straight down between switchbacks. The switchbacks are so close together that the Brant’s head seems just a foot directly below my feet. It’s a relief when we each the part of the trail with a guide wire. We finally reach a spectacular beach called Sweetwater. And oh is it sweet to be there! The beach is about half naked and half not. There is a small pier to allow a boat to drop off and pick up passengers. There is a tiny restaurant on the pier too. Nice to not have to pack sandwiches on these hikes! But now we need to make a decision. Our calves are tired from tensing to keep our balance and it’s difficult to tolerate an even longer trail to a small town where we will meet another water ferry. A German hiker had just arrived from the little town and tells us this leg is about the same as the next just longer. This doesn’t seem possible based on what we have read. He says he has an app he trusts completely. We decide to take our chances and find the hike to the next town and find it is far, far easier, Oh my, still wondering what those hikers thought! . So wish we had at least given them the cab phone number. How nice to sit on the water ferry and let it take us home.

Hike number three: Marmara Beach to Loutros. This time the water ferry drops us at the beach. After a delicious lunch Brant swims out to the caves but sadly this beach seems a little crowded. (For the first time we see sign posted requesting no nudity), We are told in the busy season it is 4x busier. After checking the gorge, we are back up on white and gray seaside cliffs that are not too difficult just treacherous. It is even more treacherous when we have to share it with goats. The E4 route leads us to a bar but alcohol and cliffs are not a good combo. Eventually after visiting some castle ruins we make it to the tiny town of Loutros where we finally have those drinks and await our ferry back.

We left with many more hikes to do and another island to visit (Gavdos Island). We drove to the top of a gorge and then hiked in a bit at the bottom (we realized we did not have the time or proper shoes to do the whole thing). We have never been to a place quite like this. The hikes are unique and beautiful. We are surprised how different each one is and how easy the town has made it for those of us who need a little help (ferries, cabs and buses). It was kind of a playground for adults. You could hike down and have a boat pick you up on the beach after you finished your aperol spritz…..

Reading my book has made it easier to understand the area. Dramatic scenery is best description. Definitely a place to come back and finish our explorations.

It’s time to get back to Brooklyn so we headed to Chania. We stopped at a beautiful winery and spent the night at a beautiful perfect hotel in Chania. It’s a very touristy town but shops with some unique art pieces and of course every inch packed with cafes. For the past month we have eaten inside only once or twice.

Once the rental car is returned we are ready for a flight to Athens then Athens to Istanbul then Newark, NewJersey. Istanbul is such a huge city but feels very comfortable. We walked along a path next to the ocean and found a spot to eat. Thanks to google translate we were able to order—and we all laughed and the cats joined us…our typical mealtimes in Turkey and Greece.

They had an impressive variety of wine and learned that this where malvasian wines originated