Thursday, 29th July 2021

The days fly by

Sleeping in just doesn't work that well here. So at 9 o'clock I'm already back in the car heading towards the peninsula 'Paleochora' in the southwest. For the outbound journey, I deliberately chose the much longer and more winding mountain route.

But first, a small detour to the oldest olive tree in the world (!) in 'Ano Vouves'. It is said 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 has become hollow inside. So you can stand inside the tree. So with this one, you're not allowed inside, but it would be possible without any problems. I got 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 store with a tavern, including homemade baked goods.

But now onto the long road: This landscape is always exciting. From the top of the wind turbines and then down to the sea, the road winds past small villages, churches, olive groves, chestnut trees as big as houses, and new pedestrians. They are getting bigger and bigger! 😄 And I always discover something I have to look at or photograph. So my journey takes a little longer. Who cares! The area is so beautiful and so varied. I just have to take a closer look from time to time. And the best part: I have all the time in the world!

I have also seen burned forest areas. Or a lone cyclist who came towards me on a very steep and unpaved forest road, or a small waterfall.... and my navigation system sometimes led me from a side road to another side road. Oops. Usually only Jeeps drive through there and not normal cars. So I had to drive very slowly and carefully. And sometimes the middle lane even touched the vehicle floor. Despite avoiding it. Pure adventure! But that's what makes it fun. 😂

Arriving in Paleochora, the search for parking begins. Apparently, there are no large parking lots here. Everyone grabs a spot right by the beach. And I'm late for that. So I have to drive back and forth until it fits. The village is small and has many taverns, a ruined castle, and a huge, wide sandy beach. From 7pm to 2am, the road by the harbor is closed to traffic. The taverns spill out onto the road, creating a cozy and quiet atmosphere right by the sea.

Oh yes, this region belongs to the warmest areas in Greece. And oh yes, I noticed that very well today! A scorching heat.

For the return journey, I have chosen the wider, faster, and shorter route. This is also driven several times a day by buses, for example, from Chania. Again, there was much to marvel at. Since I still felt like taking a detour, I looked on the map to see which monastery is nearby: 'Gonia' in Kolimbari. It looks rather modest from the outside, although it's big. But more like a fortress... so massive and rough. But from the inside... wow. And the museum in the basement! The oldest books date back to 1681! Just amazing. I happened to catch the moment when the monks were holding their evening prayer. I listened inside for quite a while and let myself be enchanted by the incense.

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

The 4th bed was actually occupied last night..... and today it was empty again. The Russian girls are still there.