Family, friends and others,

We are in Crete. Yesterday, June 1, we left Ingrid’s at about 6:45 am for the Athens airport. Two hours later we found ourselves waiting for the fellow to whom we were to turn in the rental car. Despite having made a specific appointment with him the day before, he was no where to be found. Traveling again without a European cell phone proved a problem. Never again! Finally, I threw myself on the kindness of an information counter woman and we called. 15 minutes later they arrived, telling me that they had no record of my wanting a 9 am pickup. I bit my tongue, instead of the his, and turned the undamaged car over to him

Polley and I had little difficult checking out baggage except for the fact that the rules had changed. Instead of a 50 pound limit per bag, we how had a 44 kilo limit per person total. We were over! The nice girl compromised and charged us for a 10 kilo overage (it was actually 15) and another 20 euros and we were set. We had a bit of breakfast and zipped through security only to find our flight slightly delayed. However, we took off about 15 minutes late for the 45 minute flight and landed pretty much on time.

We got our bags and the rental car gal was waiting for us outside. Another Maria! I swear every other woman in this country is named Maria. It’s like the Sound of Music and the Immaculate Conception all rolled into one! He quickly got our car and were on the road to our apartment in Sisi.

Our landlord’s instructions directed us along the route ending at a taverna. The last mile or so being difficult to describe. So we were to make a phone call from this taverna! Of course, again, no phone and the taverna had no phone as well. Again, we were forced to depend on the kindness of strangers. A couple from Holland were sitting there with a mobile phone and were kind enough to allow us to us it. While we awaited our landlord (actually a woman, Angela) we enjoyed a glass of retsina and a lovely conversation with the couple from Holland.

Angela soon arrived and guided us up a very rough, rural road to a beautiful home that looks down at the village of Sisi and west to the party town of Malia. There home is on the top floor with two bungalows located below. Apparently we will be the only people staying between now and 14 June. The apartment is beautiful and very spacious with a large bedroom off the central room. Only the shower is quite tiny and takes a bit of maneuvering. There is a large deck and a beautiful swimming pool.






Life looks very good in Crete

The only down-side is the lack of internet conveniently located. Tomorrow we will search out an internet café or a place with Wi-Fi.

That evening we went into Sisi to locate a place to eat. It is very much a beach town and most places along the water seem very commercial. Waiters are feeding a line of gab about their food being the best. We decided to pull back from all this and found a lovely little place about ¼-1/2 mile off the beach, in a lovely garden setting. It is called Neromilos. It is family owned and run and features traditional Crete food. They gave us as a starter some Mizithra cheese and a dab or a kind of Cretan pork stew, cooked in wine with peppers and onion and seasoned with cumin. WE decided to share an entrée with was a Crete specialty of pork and potatoes, wrapped in parchment and baked in the oven. It was very good and between Polley, me and a friendly cat we managed to eat it all.

It was then home relatively early. We have been warned not to drive too late at night as Crete drivers are crazy. I can vouch for that just from our drive from the airport. If you go the speed limit, you must drive on the shoulder of the road, even when there is a clear passing lane. Locals cross double lines, zip in and out between trucks and cars, often ignoring on-coming vehicles. Any day trips we make, the rule will be we must be home by dark. More to come, but at what intervals, I can’t say.

Ed and Polley