Friday, July 30, 2021

The night wasn't so good. And this morning at 7 o'clock the Russians were rummaging in the room. In, out, in, out. So I was awake. I tried to sleep again in vain. Because I was still very tired.... oh well. Hostel is hostel.

The destination for the day, for one last time, should be a bit further away. Since I have heard so much and seen pictures, I am going to 'Elounda', which is 2.5 hours away, and then to 'Agios Nikolaos'.

Last night I filled up the tank and so I was ready to go this morning for the long journey. There were quite a few trucks on the road, which means it is difficult to overtake. And so the traffic is congested and everything is a bit slow. The highway, or rather the expressway, is partly in bad condition and partly in good condition. So it is important to drive attentively, especially at higher speeds. But since there isn't much to see here anyway, this wasn't a problem.

I arrived in the small town of 'Elounda' at 12:30 p.m. Beautiful place on earth! The sea... oh my goodness. Indescribable.
There is also a parking problem here. Especially when there is a vegetable market like today and a few tour buses also want to find a spot. But I found a spot right at the harbor and was right in the middle of the action.
The few shops scattered around the center are 95% identical to the other shops in other towns. Well, of course. And yet there were a few gems here too. Also in a negative sense... for example, the one with thousands of shells of all kinds in all sizes and colors. Polished to a high gloss and sometimes processed into such massive kitsch (e.g. bedside lamps) that you almost feel embarrassed. And on top of that, there are the dried/preserved animals (whole or just the head): various shark species, pufferfish in all sizes, scorpions, whole crabs, etc. A truly disgusting sight!

On the other hand, the spontaneous 20-minute boat trip to the uninhabited island of 'Spinalonga' was beautiful. It has a sad history. From 1904 to 1957, leprosy patients were brought there. They lived in the partly converted old fortress. We had a window of 70 minutes. The wind was blowing extremely strong and this was the only reason we could tolerate the heat. An impressive island with a long history.
I returned the freshly squeezed orange juice at the end (1 plastic cup) for 5 euros. It was first filled with ice cubes and then filled with juice, leaving only a small space. So it felt like two sips or something. I didn't think that was fair, so I ordered a cup without ice cubes. It looks completely different. Rip-off!

The second and last stop took me to the neighboring village. 'Agios Nikolaos' is also beautiful. Many taverns with a view of the sea or the small lake, which is separated from the sea by a small canal. I ate a bit uphill from there. I got the tip for this tavern from the travel guide and it was a hit! I could hardly decide because here you can find food that I have never seen and never eaten in a tavern before. It was incredibly delicious! And yes, I actually drank a glass of white wine! The nice waitress informed me that there is non-alcoholic wine. For example, for pregnant women. Um... thanks. Alright, I'll give this a try then. Well, what do you know, I liked it.

I left for the sunset at 7 p.m. The journey back was more challenging because I had to drive against the setting sun (it was blinding) and I was tired. But I arrived safely at the hostel. There, I found a new roommate. Eirini. My heart just melted because this Greek girl looks like Ursula and also has a warm voice and a big heart. Smile. She is actually a teacher for difficult children and also a puppeteer on the side. Tomorrow she has a few mini-street performances in Chania Old Harbor. I will visit her and report back tomorrow. Smile