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.