Another Greek Ferry Tale ~ Destination Crete

The summer sun was uncompromising as we pulled into the line of vehicles waiting to enter the ferry. Often times -- especially on hot and humid afternoons like this -- we wonder why so many people flock to Greece in the summer as shoulder seasons - spring and fall - offer far kinder weather for travel. 

Perhaps, this year the visitors are like we are, making good on a promises made during COVID lockdown to travel again as soon as possible. . . no longer put off trips to some future date. 'Carpe Diem!' we think, even if the sun is baking our brains while we await boarding.

Bound for Crete

This trip in late June, our second 'ferry tale' since Greece reopened to travel in May, was to Crete, the largest and the most populated island in Greece. This ferry took us and our trusty Hi Ho Silver (our Toyota RAV) from Gythio, a town just an hour's drive southeast of us in the Peloponnese to Kissamos, the westernmost port in Crete. 

Our ferry route in red and orange

Often times ferry departure and arrival times are at odd times of the day, such as in the late afternoon and in the middle of the night, as was the case for this trip. Our projected midnight arrival time was actually delayed when one of the semi trucks got high centered on the loading ramp . . .thus we didn't get to our hotel in Chania until 1 a.m. That delayed arrival made us even happier in those wee small hours of the morning that we had brought our car and didn't need to search out a rental car lot along the dark perimeter of the ferry dock. 

Ready to drive a car onto a Greek ferry are you?

But taking a car on a Greek ferry is somewhat 'a trip' in itself - and certainly not for the faint-of-heart or timid driver.  It is especially hair-raising for Americans who are used to having space, lots of personal space. It just isn't that way in Europe. So I must tip my hat to The Scout, who had the duty of driving the car into the ferry.

Drivers wait for cars to move so they can get into their car

The cars are packed so tightly into the belly of the ship that passengers aren't allowed to stay in them when they are driven into the ferry. So The Scout drove the car in and I waited at the ferry entrance for him to emerge. (When we disembarked passengers were allowed to go to the car and wait and thus I was able to take these photos.)  This vessel had a gargantuan loft on which we were parked which required driving down a narrow and steep ramp, 'Tap your brakes! Tap your brakes! Tap your brakes,' the staff shouted as we began our descent.

Tap your brake! and down we went in a blur

Now before I prompt an onslaught of  'unsafe' and 'overloaded' comments, let me assure you that every ferry on which we've ever traveled in Greece with a car has looked this same way. The staff carefully load by vehicle size and destination as these ships often have buses and large semi-tractor trailer rigs filling the center sections. This ferry route operates once a week so they make use of every bit of space.

Inside look at Greek ferries

Our journey was scheduled to be 7.5 hours in length. We could have sat inside at tables in a cavernous restaurant or in airplane type seats in a small airconditioned television area. We, like many others, chose the view seats on the upper exterior deck. The ocean breeze lessened the heat and the canopy provided shade.  This vessel also came without internet so one entertained oneself by reading or sightseeing (or watching Greek television inside). 

Upper deck where every seat has a view. . .

While this was a modern ship, its engine did seem to have mechanical intestinal disturbances which resulted in oil and soot being belched from giant smokestacks making us very cautious in leaning on railings and moving around to different seats.

Soot and oil on passenger benches: don't wear white!

I know I've sung the praises of Greek ferry travel before, but I must again tell you that the Absolute. Best. Part. is:  arriving and departing islands that you might otherwise never have seen as you make your way to your destination.  

This routing took us to the island of Kythira, two hours from Gythio, and then to Antikythera another two hours south.  No matter what the ferry or the island, there is an excitement about approaching land. Once docked, the mad dash and a scramble to load and unload passengers and vehicles always makes for great entertainment. And such was the case in this teeny tiny place. A virtual parade of construction vehicles rumbled off the ship here.

Approaching Potamos, the port in Antikythera 10 p.m.

This route let us see the port shrouded in darkness as well as the way the tiny little place looks in the blazing heat of day. Antikythera reportedly has a year-round population of about 45 and that number can swell to 500 in the summertime.  The island has a medical center, police station, small grocery stores and a helipad.

Approaching Potamos port in Antikythira island at 10 a.m.

Now the larger island of Kythira has perhaps one of the most desolate looking ports we've seen in Greece, but having spent a week here a couple years ago, let me assure you the place also offers charming villages sprinkled about its hillsides and beaches. For a look at Kythira, click this link.

Tourists wait for the ferry at Kythira port

A number of you've written, saying you hope to experience a Greek ferry trip one day. We encourage you to do just that but do keep in mind a few key points: first, weather can impact ferry schedules, up to and including, keeping the ferries from sailing, so make sure your schedule allows for possible delays.  Also check which days the days and how often the ferries sail to places you want to visit. You might be thinking two nights and the ferry may only come once a week. Check arrival and departure times as they could be 2 a.m. in the morning.

Ferries, still our favorite way to visit Greek islands, are conducive to 'slow travel' -- but that doesn't appeal to everyone so pack your patience or book a flight if you can't sit back and relax.

And they aren't the cheapest way to travel either. Our tickets, for a small SUV and two passengers traveling between Gythio and Kissamos cost 150 euros or $177US each way. (Now I have to admit it was great buying things like big jars of Cretan honey and simply putting them in the car, not worrying about fitting them into a suitcase!)

Destination Crete

Crete ahead!

We were gobsmacked to realize that it has been seven years since we spent time in Crete. How had we let that much time slip by without returning to the island where we had actually looked for real estate before settling in the Mani? 

Would Niki still have a bakery in Chora Sfakia on Crete's southern coast? Did they still make those Cretan meat pies at our favorite restaurant in the village? Would Elounda to the east be as charming as we remembered it?

I have Facebook friends on Crete who I've known for years now. It was time to meet as many of them face-to-face as I could. The ferry travels between Gythio and Crete every Wednesday. . .we had a week. in which to travel down Memory Lane. Hope you'll join us next time as we do just that!

Until then, thanks for your time and stay safe!

Linking up soon with:

Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
 

Our Greek Village ~ Summer Comes Softly

Summer has come softly to our Greek village this year.  

The heat is building slowly, not yet as intense as we know it will get.

Agios Nikolaos - our village

Uncut grass in the area's olive groves grows golden now, the hillsides so dry they are tinder for wildfires we hope won't happen.  

Summer day Agios Nikolaos

The cicadas, those miniature mariachis of gardens and groves, seemed to announce summer's arrival in late June, in a softer, more quiet manner than previous years.

Pantazi Beach between our home and Ag. Nik

Even tourism here has softened this summer.  With the lack of British tourists (Greece still remains on their amber list) traffic is lighter; the sunbeds are not full on the local beaches.  Again, we anticipate this will intensify - we hope so, for the sake of businesses - by late summer, but for now it adds to the soft ambiance of summer in Greece.

Soft Summer Days

Morning coffee - no 'road shows' today

Our days get underway early this time of year in an effort to beat the temperatures which are slowly climbing, now in the 90F's/30CC's. We are out watering the gardens and grove at our Stone House on the Hill before the sun rises too high in the sky. Meeting friends is done earlier in the morning and later in the evening on these soft summer days.

Soft summer days in Greece's rural Peloponnese encourage us to balance the chores and errands with rest time and play time.

Filling the water bottles a routine here

Errands -- grocery shopping, and garbage or water runs -- are done early in the day as well. As our longtime readers know, we take our garbage to community bins and refill water bottles at community fountains. One bit of news in our world is that we now have a  bona fide, volunteer-run recycling center, so it too has become an 'errand destination'.

Balancing those chores and play time, we take a break after our errands and indulge in 'having a coffee' in the village. Actually being able to sit at a table at a taverna or cafe is still pure delight after nearly a year of lockdown. 

Indulging in coffee breaks 

Coffee breaks here can by themselves fill up a morning or afternoon as you never know who you might see or what might happen in the course of sipping coffee in the village. We have our favorite coffee spots, all are clustered about our two intersections in town. You see, our village has only one main street that hugs the harbor and runs the length of the town. There is an intersection at each end of it and one stop sign that is often ignored. So coffee time at either end of town during the hectic days of summer usually guarantees a show. 

Intersection entertainment in the village

You might even call it a theatre of the absurd as tourists behind the wheels of rental cars vie for the right of way with delivery vans, construction trucks, a tractor and boat, pedestrians and a stray cat or two.

Now before you start rolling your eyes at the thought of watching an intersection for entertainment, let me tell you it is one of the things that make village life special. Most of the cafes are along the main street so traffic does play a role in the eating and drinking experience - sometimes you are moving your chair so that a passing bus doesn't hit you. 

Dodging the bus is part of village dining experience

With these soft summer days, though, we find the daytime rhythms to be relaxed and the routines to be reminiscent of the pre-covid days. The usual summer crush hasn't yet happened. 

Why just the other day while sipping an Americano and cappuccino, The Scout and I saw Papas Paniotis, our local priest, who waved to us as he passed us in his distinctive pickup truck. Then Ilias, one of the village's three special brothers, greeted us with his customary grunt and hand wave as he loped past our table delivering a grocery order to the taverna where we sipped. George, our rather new village mailman, was the next to come past, nodding but probably still not sure of our names. We had a big wave from Stuart, a British expat friend who cares for a number of stray cats in the village went past on his morning feeding route. All are very routine and all make for magic moments.

Captain Antonis 

On another morning we'd exchanged greetings with Captain Antonis, who is again running his fishing boat tours this year. (It was such fun last year, we plan to take the cruise again this summer). Then we stopped to chat with Sofia, who manages our seasonal clothing store. She and I are FB friends so we had to catch up on the details of recent FB posts.  

'I should write about this on the blog,' I said to The Scout. 'We travel places in Greece and I write about those places and people. But I should be writing about our village life here as well. Some people travel great distances to have only a couple of vacation weeks here and it is our world every day.'

Our Greek Village

Summer scenes in our village

So for those new to our blog, we live just outside a fishing village called Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nickolas). Like many places in Greece, it has two names. It is also known as Selinitsa. We are located  on the western coast of the 'middle finger' of the Peloponnese, an area called The Mani.

Our Kalamata olive oil - 2020 harvest

The year-round population is a few hundred and it balloons during the warm weather months as part-time expats and tourists return each year. The local industry is divided between fishing, tourism and olive growing and oil production - we are the heart of Kalamata olive country. 

It was definitely a sleepy feeling village when we first 'discovered' it some eight years ago. Greece and its citizens back then were still struggling to emerge from their economic disaster. It has been during these morning coffees that we've really paid attention to the changes that have taken place here since we arrived. In recent months we've watched workers turn an empty waterfront business space into the new home of  Rodi's a pasta/pizza restaurant. Rodi's has been a longtime favorite, operating in neighboring village Stoupa. Now we have our own Rodi's in 'Ag. Nik' as we call our village. 

It has been good seeing all of the dozen bars and restaurants along our main street reopening after the covid lockdown and welcoming guests again. 

Hades, our go-to 'Cheers'  has undergone an extensive remodeling and upgrading project and will soon be having a grand reopening celebration. Pantazi Beach Cafe has also had a facelift for this season. Gregg's Plateia, the family-owned cafe that has us among its faithful fans has a new paint job that gives new life to this village favorite.

Selinitsa Residences overlook the harbor

A new tourist accommodation has opened, Selinitsa Residences, right in the heart of town, offering posh, modern rooms in a completely rehabilitated heritage building. Another building next door is being rehabilitated reportedly for the same purpose. Just outside of town, our old friend George, who operates Ilias and Asteria,  has added an ultramodern high rise to his accommodations. Those returning guests (and others lucky enough to get a reservation) will be able to choose from his traditional waterfront apartments or his new studios just across the street. We've toured them and they are spectacular, as in 'move over Mykonos' spectacular!

Everyday scenes in our Greek village

Often times as I sip one of those coffees in the village I think about the time not so long ago that I wouldn't have imagined us living in a Greek village.

Nowadays, while sipping coffee, I can't imagine us not living in a Greek village, specifically, 'our' Greek village. . .especially on these soft summer days.

Sunset Pantazi Beach

We thank you again for the time you've spent with us today and hope to see you back again. Welcome to our new subscribers. . .we look forward to your comments and emails.

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Rhodes Less Traveled

The plan was to be at the palace when it opened. That way, we reasoned, we'd avoid the lines of tourists waiting to enter.

However, we found that aside from a few staff members keeping an eye on visitors, we were alone in the Palace of the Grand Master, the crowning structure within the walled medieval city of Rhodes on a Friday morning in May.

As we made our way up the enormous empty stairway it really became clear that we were traveling in a Rhodes less traveled.

Alone in a Palace

The last time we visited the Palace, nearly a decade ago, the crush of tourists was so dense I let The Scout blaze us a trail and we walked single file at times as we made our way through the hordes filling this edifice that dates back to the 7th Century.

Empty Courtyard Palace of the Grand Master - Rhodes, Greece 

By the time we completed this recent visit to this massive palace we had encountered fewer than a dozen other tourists. 

Tourists were few in the ancient city

In pre-pandemic years it was normal to have this and other ancient sites within the walled city teeming with tourists. But this year, like last, is turning out to be not quite 'normal' in terms of tourism. Admittedly, our visit here came within a week of Greece re-opening the country to tourism. It will take some time for tourists to return.

Greek Island Hopping

Arriving Kastellorizo - island-hopping in Greece

Rhodes was part of a week-long island hopping adventure that kicked off our travel season in Greece. The ease of travel within Greece is among the many benefits of being expats living in the Peloponnese. We simply drove to Athens' port city, Piraeus, and boarded a ferry. Traveling by ferry is one of our favorite means of exploring Greece.

The far-flung island of Kastellorizo, also known as Megisti, located far south of Rhodes, off the coast of Turkey was our first destination. After three nights there we caught the local ferry that runs between it and Rhodes to finish our week on the larger island. The massive ship carried us between the two islands in 4.5 hours at a cost of 1.5 euros, roughly $1.80  per ticket. 

We had the better part of three days in which to reacquaint ourselves with Rhodes, or Rodos, as it is known here; the largest of the Aegean Sea's Dodecanese islands.

Rhodes/Rodos

Our focus was within the walled ancient city

Rhodes has a bit of something for every visitor:  the new Rhodes city (begun a mere 500 years ago) offers modern, sleek high-rise resort accommodations, a casino, dozens of dining venues and a plethora of shopping opportunities like found in any large city. Traveling outside the Rhodes metropolitan area one can find beaches and resorts and several small towns offering accommodations and endless dining opportunities.

Our room - Nikos Takis Hotel Rhodes

With only two nights we were content to focus on the history found within Rhodes ancient walled city. The Scout found us a stunning hotel, the Nikos Takis Fashion Boutique Hotel, which put us footsteps between two landmarks representing different periods of island rule: that of the Knights of St. John and the Ottomans.   

Nikos Takis Hotel patio with views to the harbor

Our room, one of eight in the small boutique hotel, opened onto the hotel patio from where we had views of the harbor. The nightly rate also included a full breakfast served in the patio.

Street of the Knights not crowded at all

We wandered about on foot, following narrow streets back and forth, up hill and down. We remembered these streets as being congested on our last visit, The reduced number of tourists rendered them delightfully easy to maneuver. A number of tourist shops and restaurants hadn't yet opened for the season but there were plenty of shopping, eating and drinking opportunities to keep us satiated during our stay. 

It is interesting to note, that while we think of the old walled city, surrounded by a moat, as a tourist destination, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a very real and active neighborhood in the city - home to some 6,000 residents. 

Knights of St. John 

Entry Palace of the Grand Master

While the island's history, like many in the Dodecanese, is a checkerboard with periods of  Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Italian occupation, it seems the fortifications built, modernized and expanded by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem during their occupation dominate the tourists' top 10 favorite places.

Archaeological museum in Knight's hospital

It was in 1309 when the city was sold to the Knights. The Order had been founded in the 12th century to provide care for the poor, sick or injured pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land and the Crusaders.  It soon became a military unit, acquiring large amounts of land. It founded its headquarters in Rhodes. 

Church of Panagia Tou Kastrou

The Knights' hospital houses the Archaeological Museum. It was difficult to decide if the displays or the building itself was 'the best part' of that stop.  The nearby Church of the Panagia Tou Kastrou, with its towering nave, is a performing arts venue. 

We visited the hospital, church and the Palace as part of a package admissions ticket that got us into the three sites for 10 euros each. 

Ottoman Influence 

Mosque of Suleiman the Great from Sissito Restaurant

Our hotel was a short walk from the Palace of the Grand Master to our right and the Mosque of Suleiman the Great to our left.  We also were lucky to have our hotel recommend Sissito, a restaurant serving amazing food in its courtyard at the side of the Mosque. Suleiman the Great had founded a public kitchen in the area where the restaurant now operates and many of the buildings surrounding the restaurant in the complex host cultural activities and art exhibits. 

An Island Escape Artist

Patricia Wilson, and her latest book, Summer in Greece

One of the highpoints of our stay was meeting one of the best 'island escape artists' I know. British expat Patricia Wilson, author of several novels set on Greek islands, lives with her husband on Rhodes. Each of her books, set on a different island, is an entertaining historical novel that highlights a segment of the featured island's history, while providing a bit of contemporary romance and a very good Greek getaway. 

Over a long leisurely lunch, the Wilsons and we talked of expat life in Greece, writing and Greek island adventures. I am trying to convince her the next novel should be based in The Mani!  BTW, the novel in the photo above, Summer in Greece, was just released this spring. I won't give away the plot but if you want a great armchair getaway to Greece this year - this is the book to read.

Rhodes, Greece

I will sign off for this week with a thank you to all of you who took the time to write and let me know that you had received last week's post. The  new email system is working! And a welcome to all the new subscribers as well - several who've reported how easy it was to sign up.

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Linking soon with the following:

Through My Lens
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Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

In Greece: Time to Travel! Or is it?

It is time for some real travel! Or so we have been telling ourselves since our last six-month-long 'hard lockdown' ended in Greece a few weeks ago. 

As we reported here in the last article, this pair of boomer-aged American expats were packed and on a Greek road (and ferry) trip within hours of the lifting of travel restrictions.  

Neighborhood traffic jam - The Mani

We know the change of scenery that we experienced on our 'ferry tale' trip to the Dodecanese islands seemed to replenish the souls and the spirits of these two aging vagabonds.  Our Peloponnese countryside is stunning, but it is great to be reminded of other stunning landscapes to be found in Greece. 

Being fully vaccinated, we didn't have to take pre-travel tests, and because we live here, didn't have to fill out Greece's mandatory PLF, Passenger Locator Form, required for all who enter the country.  We had to wear a mask in public areas, which is becoming second nature these days and we continued to use hand sanitizer as if preparing to perform surgery.

Mani coastline - Greek Peloponnese

As inspired as we were by that taste of travel, we remain hesitant to book any itinerary for outside Greece. And it isn't based on a fear of travel in time of Covid or of any of the health considerations being bantered around in traditional and social media.  It is simply based on the uncertainties of travel.

One of the many Greek ferry lines - Blue Star Ferries

Travel - A Game of Chance

Our hesitancy is fueled by the ever changing rules and regulations that countries are imposing and withdrawing as they try to reign in the spread of Covid and get their populations vaccinated. Planning a trip even a few months down the road has become a  game of chance.  

Reduced flights to Athens have kept the airport uncrowded

For example, we have a huge contingent of British citizens who come to Greece as regularly as Americans head to Hawaii, Florida, or Arizona for their vacation getaways.  Time and time again in recent days we have read of summer travel plans being dashed when flights between England and Greece were cancelled. Travelers report rebooking as many of two or three times and some have finally given up and are waiting until next year. 

(For those of you not following travel news on this side of the pond, England still has Greece on its 'amber' travel list which means a lengthy quarantine when getting back from a trip to Greece or if traveling to England for vacation from here. Therefore numbers of travelers are way down and flights are being cancelled as result.)

View of Dubai from the plane - we transited there in March

I am using England as an example but travel rules related to Covid, seem ever-changing everywhere  on an almost daily basis. Today's news briefs from the World Health Organization announced that Morocco was soon opening to tourists while the next headline announced Uganda was starting another lockdown.  Do you go or do you stay is a very real consideration among travelers.

The uncertainties of rules in countries that one might transit make it difficult for Americans trying to visit Europe as well. A good friend of ours, a seasoned traveler, hasn't given up travel plans - yet - but has delayed booking any flights to come see us this fall until headlines about rampant Covid variants and quarantines and cancelled flights in England have subsided.

You can't forget you are traveling in a time of Covid

We have a week to use in France that we rescheduled five times in 2020 and finally just held off booking a specific time for this year.  We'd considered using it later this month, but an article a few days ago in the Washington Post was so confusing about the rules for Americans entering that country -- whether from America or another European country --  that we decided just to table those plans for now. 

Canadian Rockies as we approached Seattle

A return to the States this fall is also in the talking stages at our house. The conversations no longer focus only on dates and prices but also on routings and Covid requirements.  While I have been writing this post, The Scout has found several options for flying between Athens and Seattle but as he read them off my responses have been questions not confirmations of a plan: 

'But, is Turkey open? Can we fly to Istanbul from Athens?'  (Turkey was closed because of Covid two weeks ago - keeping us from visiting it while on our 'ferry tale' trip.

'Vancouver? Vancouver, BC (Canada)? But Americans aren't allowed there are they, yet?' Even if allowed into and out of both countries now, it is difficult to plan a trip several months out when Covid manages to change things within days.

Celebrity cruise ship docked in Piraeus port

Tourism headlines here this week did announce that the first cruise ships have sailed from Greece, with a 70 percent occupancy. Forty ships are expected to arrive in coming months. Cruising -- before the pandemic -- created 12,000 jobs in Greece and brought in 500 million euros annually.

So for now our cruising will be aboard Greek ferries. The Scout is putting together another 'ferry tale' itinerary for us. Not quite sure which islands will make the cut but I'll tell you about them next week!

Greek islands - so many from which to choose

Travel in the Blogosphere

Our most recent 'trip' into that unknown world of the blogosphere to update the delivery system of TravelnWrite has ended. And hopefully the ending was a successful one - not the double or nothing I pondered as possibilities when that adventure began 

We are hoping that those of you who signed up to receive our posts as emails are reading this as such and that it arrived in your inbox only once having been sent from Mailchimp.  The email format is a bit different, actually better to our way of thinking, so maybe change is good. 

Planning a trip? If so where and when?

How about adding a comment or dropping us a note about  your travel plans - or lack of them due to Covid? I would also so appreciate a note from those 'subscribers' who have received the new email to let me know it came through loud and clear.

On that note, stay safe and have a good June whether you travel in real life or by armchair.  Thanks for the time you spent with us today ~