My studio at Villa Elena in Myrtos

My studio at Villa Elena is at the top floor, with a big terrace. To shade for summersun there is a big roof over the terrace, but luckily the sun stands lower now, so she shines from the seaside on the terrace, from about 07.30 hours until 12.00 hours. Around 13.00 the sun comes on the small balcony on the other side.

 I have a new instrument with me, a bes clarinet and a book Teach yourself the clarinet. This evening I will exercise again.

 I could have chosen another room, with separate bedroom and a small living room, with more relaxing chairs. But I like the spacious feeling here. It here also feels lighter.

 I already tried a pizza for lunch :)

 The computer is connected by a wire coming trough a small opening between the 2 windows. Otherwise the signal was not strong enough to reach the room.

 I love the terrace. It feels nobody can see you.

I already told the owner, Susanna, that I probably will stay until January 2. Then I will have some  time to visit other places on my way to the airport on the NW coast. Hope to be able to drive over the mountains to the north. But I only have summer tires, so in case of white mountains I have to take the highway around.

For now the temperature is every afternoon around 20C, this week above, last week just below 20. In the evening it cools down to 16C, sometimes lower. This for november.

12% by car to Males

Today I felt for mountaineering by car. I have to say that I did not know that the road after Mithi would be more or less for only one car in width. Had I known.... But such an impressive drive. What a view! What a landscape!

 So I drove up from sea level in Myrtos to close to 1.300 meter I guess. The highest tops there are 1.500m, not even so far from the coast. The higher you come, the more olive trees you see. Agriculture is the mean source of income, making this area of Crete the most wealthy, mostly because of export of tomatoes, olive oil etc to the European Union.

 This valley above Myrtos has its own microclimate, which is subtropical. Here they even grow those little tropical bananas.

 Walking trough Males. Almost all the cars had to be parked outside the center, because of these tiny streets.

 Males church / one of 2 churches: a Greek orthodox church. Very small.

 A woman busy with moving a green garden bicycle. Was this bicycle so plants could climb in? I will never know. Very nice and long view from her garden. Besides the small old houses, a lot of big new houses in Males.

 Many home owners grow also citrus trees. I would have loved to pick one, but I was too scared to do.

 What is better to do, when you feel you have to go to the loo, then zipping a nice cup of sweet Greek coffee, served together with a glass of water? This must be the tiniest kafenion there is. He first offered me Nestle coffee, because we Europeans are so glad in it; but finally he understood my few words of Greek. He also had a very small shop in there. The toilet though, I had to fint in the big taverne on a big lower street. That taverne was crowded today, sunday. Got the impression that people from Lerapetra drive up the mountains to eat here.

During my way up to Males I felt my hart sometimes pounding, when I saw over the edge of the road. Wow, so steep down, and no protection for falling off most of the time. If I was lucky when falling I hoped to have a soft landing in an olive tree. But even those olives trees hanging there on those 12% slopes, I wondered 'how can they ever get those olives off''. I would not be able to walk there, I am sure, far too steep.

Learning Greek wherever I can.

Winter in Greece

After having tried to find THE winter place for me in Asia, I have decided to try to find THE place in Southern Europe. My first try is to find MY place on Crete, I wonder if I maybe already found THE winterplace to be this week at the southeast coast of Crete. But first a quick overview of my first 2 weeks on Crete.

My plane landed on the northwest side of Crete, in Chania (pronounce in Dutch like Hania). This is a lovely town, the biggest one in Crete. I got my car on the airport at 21.30 hours on a dark parking place nearby. I got a very bad map, and I did not know where to go. The only thing I remembered was that it if I waslucky was pretty straight ahead. So I did a big guess in which direction and from which road to start driving. In the old center I opened my window in front of a traffic light and ask my neighbour if he knew my street. Yes he did and follow me was his answer. Such a nice start to get to know the Greek! Yes, it was pretty much straight ahead, except at the end, there the cap driver did the job.

Next day I dipped my toes in the see and decided, too cold.

On Monday I started driving my little Kia towards the east of Crete. My purpose was to stay in Limnes at the house (which when I booked nobody would be living when I would be there) of 2 bisexual ladies. Guess what. After a few days they announced almost in the middle of the night that the price would go up. When I remembered them of our agreement one of them became extremely sociopathic. I wonder, why I being a psychologist, had not seen the signs before?

 olives.

At a taveerne.

water mill.


I visited the 'big city' Agios Nikoloas and its surrounding. Here I definitely I don't want to live. Far too many touristic appartments.

Near Plaka.

The hairdresser can even do the hairs in your ears if needed.

 Agios Marina.


I visited Sitia in the northeast. A very nice relaxed town, but almost everything was closed for the winter. Palm trees along the harbour, some terraces, a fort on a hill, a narrow shopping street. Looked very charming. Here I think I could live, but it is far away from the rest of Crete.

I visited Neapoli. With a member of the local expat photoclub, I photographed for several hours with my Nikon (all the pics here are from my phone).

Well instead of 2 months I stayed 1 week in Limnes. Luckily my Greek teacher Manolis had mentioned that he thought that I would like Myrtos on the southeast coast. So I contactet some places there and now I am staying at a spaceous studio with big roof terrace at Villa Elena, from Susanna's Pension (a German lady married to a Greek). I have my own kitchen, my own bathroom with even a bath in it, a double and single bed, as well as a front balcony, for when I also want to catch sun in the afternoon.

Yesterday I did my first mountain hike right from my room. Just 4.5 km, where I took my time to enjoy the nature and far views. On my way I picked some wild timian for kitchen use.

Today I had my second Greek lesson. Manolis teaches also in Myrtos. A private lesson cost me 13 EUR. One lesson a week for the rest of the year I think it will be, because I feel very relaxed and happy here, so I can think of staying until January 2 and then driving back slowly to my plane leaving on January 10 from Chania.