WE continue to get to know our way around Crete. Actually, we continue to get to know our way around Sisi, a beach village of 1400 actual residents and the rest, albino, beached whales looking for a bit of color. I did make a major discovery on my walk yesterday morning, two, yes count them two more WiFi spots within the village. Our plan is to try one of them this evening as the place we have been using, although they have been very kind , is a restaurant and it always seems a bit crass to come in and use the WiFi for a 3 euro glass of wine. It is interesting that we would not think a thing of using it at home for a 3 dollar cup of coffee. Having said that, I think I can feel the guilt already beginning to fade!
We decided to take our first excursion today. We had told our hosts, Stuart and Angela, that we really wanted to avoid the typical beach towns (and on an island there are a lot of them!) and go to some places that are more traditionally Cretan (insert any of thousand Cretan play on words here). They actually enjoy the same thing and, thus, had a number of suggestions to make. We plan to spread them over the next week and a half that we are on the island.
Saturday we headed for Mochlos. This is a small beach village about an hour to an hour and a half east of where we are staying. WE started about 11 in the morning on the National Highway (that should tell you how many through-ways there on Crete. This was after filling the car with gas at $9.50 cents a gallon. Americans have little to complain about. Europeans, understandably so, have efficient small cars and in Greece many us motor bikes and scooters. We may be seeing the America of the future!.
After a fill-up (yamato!), we strted toward Aigos Nikolaus, a large resort town about 18 miles from us, right on the coast. From there we began to climb up some very dramatic hills (small mountains?) right along the Mediterranean. As we climbed the view was spectacular.
Beautiful clear water that seemed a gradation of nearly every shade of blue and green filled every bay as we wound our way up and up, passing through little towns from which one could launch oneself down to the sea.
After about 45 minutes we came to the turn off for Mochlos (also spelled Molos, and Moclos if any one cares to find it on the map (or Google). We wound our way along a narrow road for about 5 kilometers and suddenly were there. We made our way through the narrow streets of the little village, being lead along by the promise of public parking. We finally gave up on that and just found a place by the side of the sea.
Tucked into a little harbor
The village is little more than a series of tavernas, small hotels and vacation rentals.
We did not take much time to explore, as little time was needed. Things were very centrally located. Polley had an intuition about one of the half dozen places to eat and so we sat. The sun was shining, but as the taverna sat on a little point across from the harbor, it was a bit breezy. In order to hold down our wine glasses in the wind, we were forced to keep them full! Seafood was the main attraction of the places and as you can see from this fellow, Octopus was a featured delicacy.
Besides the wine, we had what the Greeks call “small fish.” These are actually anchovies, but sometimes you will find smelt as well on the menu.
I ordered the Matoli special (Matoli being one of the owners). It was a peeled bake potato, shaped like a little boat, that is filled with a spicy tomato-cheese sauce.
It was very good and I warn friends and family that it could end up on our dinner table sometime in the near future. We sat there for a couple of hours just enjoying the weather, the food and drink and the various tourists playing in the water. The drive back went quite quickly and we were home for a late siesta. A very nice afternoon.
Later we had an ouzo at a little bar called Ormos, where I had discovered the WiFi. It was a very powerful connection and will doubtless be our place of choice for an early evening cocktail. It is the perfect time for writing home as with the 10 hour time difference, Portland is just waking up as we are trying to decide where to eat. In fact, yesterday’s blog was sent from Ormos. Following the technological cocktail hour, we went an had a pizza at Remezzo’s. That is where we had first discovered WiFi in Sisi and we felt we owed them a dinner. WE had trouble deciding between a vegetarian pizza and one called Vesuvius, similar to the vegetarian but with the addition of generous drops of Tabasco. We ask if we might have half and half. This was a totally new concept to Sisi. But they were willing to try it and it was delicious. It may catch on in Crete!
So then it was home. I was very tired as the driving was quite physical what with the endless turns along the highway and down to Mochlos. It was good to force us to get out and explore. Our apartment is so comfortable with the pool that it is hard to pull ourselves away.
In fact, on Sunday our hosts told us they would be away for most of the day. A friend of theirs past away. The Greek tradition is to bury the person within two days and then 40 days after to have a kind of wake. That was what they were attending on Sunday. So, we had the place to ourselves. I went into the village and downloaded the Sunday New York Times and Polley and I lounged about the pool before going into Sisi for our glass of wine (alright, half liter!). We sat on the harbor side and watched boats come and go,along with three crazy ducks that swim about the harbor in formation, one while one in front, a black one in the middle and another white behind.
Back to the apartment for siesta and then back to the pool. About 6:30, we returned to Ormos for some ouzo and then to dinner at a newly discovered taverna, called Lafito. Very nice owner and a quaint little setting with this beautiful bougainvillea hanging in front.
We had some wonderful food: baked feta with capers, peppers, onion, and olive oil, some very good, tiny little dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and their special of the night, which were just meatballs in tomato sauce. The meatballs, however, were wonderfully moist. All very good, but, of course, we couldn’t finish it and now have more in our refrigerator. It may have to be dinner in on Monday evening. We are planning a day trip on Monday, so I will bring you back news from that. Weather is continuing to warm up, about 80 yesterday. There is, however, a nice breeze that really does not make things uncomfortable. More later .
Ed and Polley
No comments:
Post a Comment