Thursday, July 29, 2021

The days fly by

Getting enough sleep doesn't work out here quite as well. So I'm already back in the car at 9 o'clock heading towards the peninsula 'Paleochora' in the southwest. For the journey there, I deliberately chose the much longer and winding mountain route.

But first there's a little detour to the oldest olive tree in the world (!) in 'Ano Vouves'. It is supposed to be 3500-5000 years old and has a diameter of 3.64 meters and a circumference of 12.5 meters (at the bottom). Like many old olive trees, it is hollow inside. So you can stand inside the tree. You can't go inside this specimen, but it would be possible without any problems. I have to touch it and feel it for a moment. I like to touch trees. Next to it there is a mini museum and a small, rustic shop with a tavern including homemade baked goods.

But now on the long way: this landscape is always exciting. The road winds its way up to the top to the wind turbines and then down to the sea, passing by mini-villages, churches, olive groves, chestnut trees that are as big as a house, and new pedestrians. They're getting bigger and bigger! Smile
And I keep discovering something I have to look at or photograph. So my journey takes a little bit longer. So what! The area is so beautiful and varied. I just have to take a closer look occasionally. And the best part: I have all the time in the world!
I also saw burned forest areas. Or a solo cyclist who was coming towards me on a very steep and unpaved forest road, or a small waterfall... and my navigation system led me from the side road to the side-side road. Oops. Normally only jeeps drive there, not regular cars. So I had to drive the route very slowly and carefully. Even so, the center lane sometimes scraped the bottom of the car. Pure adventure! But that's what makes it fun for me. lol

Arriving in Paleochora, the search for a parking space begins. Apparently there are no large parking lots here. Everyone snatches a spot right by the beach. And I'm running late for that. So I have to drive back and forth until it fits. The village is small and has many taverns, a castle ruin, and a huge, wide sandy beach.
From 7 pm to 2 am, the street down by the harbor is closed to traffic. The taverns set up outside and create a cozy and peaceful atmosphere right by the sea.
Oh yeah, this region belongs to the warmest in Greece. And oh yes, I noticed that today! It's scorching hot.

For the return journey, I chose the wider, faster and shorter route. This one is also served several times a day by buses from Chania, for example. There was also a lot to admire here.

Since I still felt like taking a detour, I looked at the map to see which monastery is nearby: 'Gonia' in Kolimbari. It looks rather modest from the outside, although it is large. But more like a fortress... so massive and rough.
But from the inside... wow. And the museum in the basement! The oldest books are from 1681! Simply amazing. I caught the moment when the monks were saying their evening prayers. I listened inside for quite a while and let the incense enchant me.

Then on to Platanias for dinner on the beach. The sun slowly set behind the village and the beach was colored a light pink accordingly.

The 4th bed was actually occupied last night.... and today it's empty again. The Russian women are still here.