Dear Friends and Family, Well, we have completed our first full day in Crete and it was lovely. Perhaps a bit busier than we might have wished, but the settling-in phase is always that way. In fact, I got to wondering, for those of you who have been reading these blogs over the years (yes, now 5 years!), how many times you have heard the old “settling-in” used. But there is that period of orienting your self to the new surroundings and gathering in supplies. However, I must confess that Angela spoils us when we arrive. There is always a pound of coffee, a couple of beers, some wine, fruit, eggs, bacon and butter in stock so that come the first morning you don’t have to run about. Very nice! After having turned in about 1:30 in the morning on Saturday, we awoke about 5:45 am. You don’t want to miss the mornings in Crete. They are splendid! Also, at this time of year, temperatures have been in the 90s and 100s, so it is best to get an early start and escape the heat of the mid-afternoon. I got my walk in about 7 and, believe me, by the time I got back, about 8, I was drenched in perspiration. The sun here comes up about 7:15 and an hour later you can already begin to feel it. Fortunately, upon returning from the hike, there is the pool to just sort of fall into. We then unpacked and arranged things before heading to the village of Sissi. Wanting to get some connection with home, we headed for a little bar that we enjoyed last year, Ormos Cafe. It is a lovely setting right on the harbor.

We discovered Ormos because it was one of the few places that offered WiFi. Now there is WiFi available in a variety of locations. Once we sat down at Ormos, Nikos, the bartender, came to take our order and immediately remembered us. So much of traveling is about people and it was nice to see him. We sat and watched the crowds of kids swimming in the harbor.

Sissi is much livelier in August than it was in late May and early June, a year ago. Except for the crowds, Sissi was pretty much the same. A couple of restaurants have closed, a couple new one have opened, but nothing dramatic seems to have happened. I told Polley that the town seemed the same, even the building projects that weren’t done last year, still aren’t done! After a drink (or two) we went to the market to stock in supplies before heading back to the apartment for lunch. Polley made us a delicious Greek salad. How else should you embark on a stay in Greece. We were able to wash the salad down with glasses of Retsina. A perfect beginning. You probably not be surprised by the fact that it was then naptime. We really were feeling the jet lag. However, having arrived here late at night and getting up on schedule, I think we will adjust quite quickly to the 10-hour time difference. Of course, having said that, I must confess that we were out for 4 solid hours, not rising until a bit after 6 in the evening. We had wanted to catch the sunset at the harbor, but were running a little late. We also had an 8 pm dinner reservation at one of our favorite restaurants from last year, Neromylos. It is a lovely place with very good Greek comfort food that sits in a charming garden.

We, of course, ordered too much food, but it was very good. We had some Tzatziki (which I must confess was not as good as ours – not enough garlic!), some delicious and tender friend calamari and goat that had been cooked in a tomato sauce for 4 hours. It was marvelous. It was sooo tender, it just fell off the bone. It is an excellent restaurant and was very busy.

It also helps that the husband and wife who run it are delightful. They remembered us as well. Such a pleasant evening. However, the highlight of the meal was the electrical short that created a small explosion and a kind of fireworks display just a few feet from our table. All the restaurant watched as the wire just sparked and then burned. However, no one seemed to panic, including the German family that was sitting directing under the fire and sparks. The owners just moved their table and we all watched the spectacle. Twice the light went completely out. In fact, the second time was as we were leaving and we learned that it was nearly a half hour before the power was restored. Ah, but that is just Greece! Home for a good rest and more tomorrow.