Countdown

has started, and since the airportstrikes in Norway is over, there will be no delays...

I went by bus to the starting point of Irini Gorge on Tuesday. Only five people in all left the bus there, the others onboard continued to Samaria. Another bus with German tourists came about ten minutes after. First I had a look at an old chapel from 1348. It was a special place.

Then I had a coffee before I started to walk. It was a perfect morning, the gorge was in shadow so it felt nice and cool to walk. After I while I passed many of the Germans, but seemed to have the same tempo as a girl who turned out to be from Holland. Elvira worked in an car-renting company and part of her job was to see the sights... made me a little envious, that one.... Wolfgang from Germany also became part of our little group.

It was really a beautiful walk, the gorge was lush with flowers. Oleanders that by sea level are in full bloom was about to burst from buds to flowers this high up. But as we walked on down, they opened up and I could only wish those trees would grow in my garden back home. The bottom of the gorge was almost pink with flowers. And the scent of thyme and oregano followed us all the way.

In some parts the walls of the gorge rose several hundred meters high, and the passage was rather narrow.

Finally we came down to the little taverna with the appropriate name the Oasis. We sat down for fresh pressed orangejuice and a small lunch.

Here the others was picked up by bus, while I had to walk the remaining kilometers along the road down to Sougia. Arriving there in the early afternoon the village soon cast its spell on me again, and since I had brought my toothbrush and paste I was equipped to stay the night.

I looked around, and it it is not hard to find nice places with kitchen from 25 Euro and up.
So I ended up with a quite nice studio with a balcony facing the sea and with sea view for 25 Euro at the back of the village.

A nice evening meal in one of the small tavernas ended the day. Mountain goat with some vegetable mix was my menu for this day, and for lunch today before the boat left for Palochora was lamb cooked in the oven. Delicious! And afterwards sitting out on the balcony trying to read while the waves kept crashing against the beach. 25 degrees Celsius is a decent temperature!

And now, back in Paleochora, I have to look around for another tasty meal! Not the worst task I can think of...

Tomorrow will be my last full day before going in to Chania Friday around noon. My host from arriving in Chania will be on a field trip, so I will probably end up with a hotel. But for only 25-30 euro a night I will survive that too.

Maybe no more reports now befor I am home...