BAGKLIST
sheep or goat’s-milk yoghurt is a popular snack. Spili‘s square is i beautiful. The Old women bring donkeys and goats to the stone ‘ lion-headed fountains to drink. Everywhere is sunlight. greenery. birdsong. the sound of running water ; and. in May at least. blissfully free of midges and mosquioes. We tried i some of the local wine. described as ‘fast‘. It was—we felt the effects within minutes. We were told it wouldn’t give us a hangover and that was true too. though we each drank enough to deserve one.
We headed further west and south to Paleochora. on the coast of the Libyan sea. It‘s on the peninsula; look behind you in the main street I and see a sandy beach with Tamarisk i
l
trees — then look forward and see more beach. more sea. We were offered a room by a friendly woman asking a price of 5000 drachmas (260 to the pound). ‘You‘re German‘?’ she asked my partner. ‘Scottish.’ he told her. ‘2000 drachmas then,‘ came 5 the reply. We weren‘t sure if this was I historical dislike of Germany or just a recognition of lower British incomes. Whatever. the Scots are familiar to Cretans. and seem welcome.
Paleochora is fairly remote and activities are pleasantly restricted to walking. swimming. eating and drinking. All very pleasant in a 24°C I heat. We explored the cafes where i the young men were having a good { time drinking beer. while the old ! men fiddled with worry beads and drank ouzo. We tried various local drinks. Ouzo is better known than the more potent Raki. Rethymnon has an even more powerful drink. Mournoraki, made from mulberries j and best drunk in small doses. And Mandarini is a wonderful tangerine hqueun
From Paleochora you can take a ferry along the south coast. through crystal-clear sea — we were lucky to i see a school of porpoises — to Chora Spakion. We stopped en route to walk along the beautiful Samaria Gorge at Agia Roumeli. and again at the remote village at Loutro. The harbour at Chora Spakion is lined with cafes and. on stalls outside
again.
TRAVEL
Anogia
them. we found the best selection of i food so far. There was barbouria
j (red mullet), kalamarakia (squid in } batter). beans in Olive oil. courgettes I with potato. moussaka. kotopoula
' (chicken. grilled or baked). souvlakia. melidzanosalata (aubergine puree with garlic. herbs and onion) and dolmades. Tiny, skinny cats, ubiquitous on Crete. hang around for scraps.
Our final visit was to Zaros. Inland at the foot of Mount Idi, it‘s another idyllic village from where we walked into Zaros Gorge past one of the many monasteries in the area. its roofstacked with barrels of raki. Here we saw and smelled masses of sage, thyme and marjoram growing wild on the hillsides.
Our last few hours were spent in Iraklion‘s Archeological Museum. ' It's stuffed with wonderful scuptures 3 and frescoes. but also packed with ' tourists. We‘d seen a lot in Crete, but we‘d missed a lot too: Knossos and Phaestos; the towns of Rethymnon and Chanaia where the Venetian and Turkish influence is still visible; the Lasithi Plain with its white windmills; the Roman ruins at Gortys; a hundred village bars in a hundred village squares. There‘s nothing else for it: we‘ll have to go
CRETE: USEFUL INFORMATION
Getting there
By air: £208 retum— Glasgow to Iraklion. By road: go via Munich and Belgrade to Salonica. then take the ierry. By rail: to Paris and then via Venice
,. ~ .
and Belgrade to Salonica to " _ ‘
gettheterry. Accommodation Contact student travel Tourist iniormation oitices
specialists Campus Travel
operate in most towns and at The Hub, Hilihead Street.
stay open until 7.30pm.
l
Glasgow (041 357 0608 and i They'll help you and a
i 041 552 2357) Or 9801908 i room. It is easy to geta Tram. 5 NICOISOH Square. 1 room in a hotel in smaller
. Edinbufllh (031 558 3303) i towns in May; you might
3"“ Edinburoh Tram ' want to book in July and Centre at Bristo Scum (031 August. Buses and lerries 553 2152). I are met by locals with
roomsto let. Ask to seethe room. Prices are reasonable. oiten cheap.
Pubhcafions
Let’s Go Greece gives very detailed intormation. although you might iind it spoils things by telling you what you'll iind round every comer. The Berlitz Pocket Guide to Crete gives a good outline it a hit precious. Flowers of Crete is on sale in Crete itsell and tells you aboutthe hundreds of plants you'll see.
Temperatures
In April the average temperature is 21°C rising graduallyto 30°C in July and August.
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