Rethymno, Crete
Today Cathy decided to take me to a beautiful beach on the other side of the island. Located about 40 kilometers from Rethymno, the drive was unbelievable! It started out with pretty scenery… green hills and rocky hills.
Coming around the corner, oh my gosh… it was majestic! Located in the southwest of Crete, Kourtaliotiko Gorge was used as a natural fortress by the ancient Minoans over 4,000 years ago! In the Middle Ages, it was an important trade route.
With peaks jutting up almost 2000 feet in the sky, I felt small driving through the gorge. The rocky terrain was powerful. To this day, there are reminders of the historical significance of this area. Notice the church built into the side of the mountain. Click on the photo to see a large image.
Taking pictures from the car, I wasn’t able to get the angle or content desired… but there were images I didn’t want to forget! Not normal by any means, I have a thing for cemeteries. If you look closely, you can see that behind the wall are tombstones. At some point on this trip, I will wander through an old cemetery and take photos. Weird, I know…
What a treat! Reaching our destination, Souda Beach reminded me of Kauai. Not the texture of the beach but the feeling of peace I got. Thinking back to my first visit to Kauai in the late 70’s, early 80s, the minute I stepped off the plane, I felt at home. The same thing happened here… hmmm maybe I will end up here!
Every so often, I notice umbrellas along the coastline. They are open to the public and provide food/drink service. This is a nice thing for me since I can’t be in the sun but I LOVE the beach! As you can see, the beach is small gravel rather than sand.
Checking out the beach, we saw a little lagoon. Not sure if that was really swimmable but the sea looked inviting. Rocky ridges jutting from the sea also reminds me of the west side of Kauai. Though it can get very hot in the summer months, our temperatures have been quite mild.
From on top of the hill, we got a nice perspective of Souda Beach. Approximately a third of a mile of sandy beach, I made sure to take these at an angle that doesn’t show the nude bathers! These photos from my phone, do not do the blue waters justice. Like the Gorge, these places are much more impressive in person!
Stopping at a place Cathy knew, we enjoyed very cheap Greek food. It was so good! The owner was very nice. We had a rich blue sea view. It’s always fun to visit a place like this with people in the know… eating at places I would never have realized existed is quite a treat!
Just snapping, snapping, snapping out the window… I honestly wish I could have captured the true beauty of this island gem. Cathy said May is a good month because everything is green. As the months go on, the terrain becomes very brown. Maybe I will always come in May so my mind believes this is how it always looks!
Stopping at a lookout spot… okay, we may or may not have just stopped in the middle of the road. To be fair, no one is really out driving in this area. A couple of cars passed but mostly we had the road to ourselves! Wanting to take a shot of the road winding carved through the gorge.
Yes… still more… but this gorge made such an impression on me! The surrounding valleys and greenery… incredible colors. Thankful I got to see this now during the spring before the green turns to brown. But this area would still be beautiful and so would the beaches!
Our next stop was a charming spot called Maravel Garden. Stocked with items intended for health, there were walls of teas for a variety of ailments. Soaps and lotions for healing skin, bruises, bites, etc. It was a fun little store. The owner was extremely knowledgeable about his products.
In addition to the store, there was a little cafe overlooking gardens and a valley. A peaceful setting with a variety of healing teas (which can also be purchased for home use). We each picked out a tea and enjoyed the view. Below, colorful flowers bloomed along a path. We didn’t go down there but I’m told there is an actual garden and a venue for outdoor music.
Here was the fun part about our experience! Our order was taken by a nice young man but delivered by this robot. It must be the new thing. Next to us, sat three people who had their order delivered by a robot. They left a small piece of paper on the tray and the robot kept repeating something to the effect of take the rest of your order… over and over and over again! At first it was funny, but it soon became annoying.
Looking back and admiring the little business, we noticed a sign that said, “The Wine Cellar”. Of course, that caught my eye. Grabbing the lotions we planned to purchase; we went to explore the wines. Using my Vivino app, I found a Greek wine that was a 98% match for my taste. It will go with me to Croatia, so we will see how accurate the app is. With four walls of wines, and a display in the middle of the room, I was so enthralled, I forgot to take any photos downstairs!!! Kind of hard to believe!
After returning from a full day of exploring, it was nice to open my hotel room door and see my balcony. The blue waters always make me feel rested. Poseidon Hotel has been such a rejuvenating experience for me. Weeks of walking, sightseeing and eating… it was nice to slow it down a bit. The balcony is a great spot for that.
All the activity that can be seen from the balcony is fun! It’s a great spot to watch the world go by. Vacationers and locals walk along the sidewalk that lines the shore. Rows and rows of umbrellas are up and down the beach. Parasailing looks fun, but wouldn’t work for me and my fear of heights!
After an interesting and exciting start to my visit, it was a perfect day of exploring and relaxing. Coming back to the hotel, after watching life below, I got busy typing and posting photos. It’s nice having a little cafe downstairs with “Happy Hour” so I could enjoy it on my balcony while getting some work done.
Days end is the best when you have a view of the sunset. The sky became more orange as the sun set. Soon after, the lights around town began to twinkle. Nighty night…
