Dear You,
"It must have been difficult to leave", you wrote in your comment, dear Emma.
And it was.
Not that difficult on an emotional basis (I will come back - so I am pragmatic), but on the everyday level: while on arrival I had been picked up by car at the airport of Heraklion, I had to cross the whole island on my own when leaving.
The flight started around 11 o'clock in the morning - "And don't believe that busses will be punctual in Crete!" a Lady in a Berlin travel agency uttered pessimisically.
But they were punctual! (More than our S-Bahn in Berlin at the moment, where one strike haunts the other).
But of course it would have been a stressful undertaking, so I arrived one day before leaving. First I took a taxi, than from Ierapetri a bus - which was very crowded, though nobody carried a chicken or a goat, which wouldn't have surprised me. It took hours, but those were amusing, because I could talk with a French Lady.
Husband had booked me a lovely hotel room in Heraklion - yes, now I indulged in luxury without a bad conscience - and I gratefully accepted to become even upgraded to a room with a balcony overlooking the harbour.
In the evening I strolled about the old harbour,
and visited the Fortress of the Sea - a tower that was built in Hellenistic times, than rebuilt in the 7th or 8th century, and was called after the Venetian Conquest Castellum Communis - after a large earthquake in 1523 it was decided to replace it with the existing fortress.
All day it had been a bit rainy, first time ever, and the sea and the sky painted wonderful pictures.
...the last one almost a Dutch painting...
The light is wonderful in all your sea pictures. The colorful little fishing boats is a lovely harbor picture.
ReplyDeleteDear Joanne, I was really overwhelmed by the light. And I saw some very colourful fisheing nets too.
DeleteCretans are all very efficient, in an unhurried way. I wonder what they feel about the financial trouble on the mainland. They have always seen themselves as Cretan rather then Greek, so maybe they don't care. Much easier to leave that beach resort in Tunisia...
ReplyDeletedear Tom, that's what I thought: they worked without haste. They talked about the money: "We will not pay taxes. The government doesn't give us anything back for it. Look at our roads!" They felt helpless, but were angry "at those at the top".
DeleteYou were very wise to leave a day early especially as you were alone - I think that otherwise you would have spent the night worrying about getting up on time and whether you would make it to your destination in time.
ReplyDeletedear Rosemary, you know me well :-) I can even worry that I will fetch a train - let alone a flight... So it was a very good idea to be there in time, and it was such a nice evening.
DeleteI too would have found the bus ride interesting. I am an observer especially of people. And it is always good to make a new friend even if the friendship is temporary.
ReplyDeleteDear Emma, I love to talk with people (and exchanging comments is a bit like talking, too). So many interesting ways to live one's life!
DeleteDear Britta...The people are the most memorable part of any trip so the bus sounds intriguing! Your photos are lovely and the one of colorful boats reflected in the sea is extraordinary! Closing my eyes... Imagining a quiet walk along the sea wall... Thanks for sharing a bit of your adventure!
ReplyDeletePS... Autocorrect did it again... Americanized your lovely name... Caught before posting to Brittany!!
Dear Susan, the most charming people were a couple from Herfordshire whom I met in the second week. Everything was so alright: same interests, same humour. And we are still in contact, and I am sure we will see each other again (which is seldom with acquaintances from holidays).
DeleteI am still thinking whether I change my name to "Brittany" - sounds so lovely!
Ah, you bring our own trip all back! We stayed over in Heraklion, too, and had a view of the harbor, though not so grand as yours, walked to the Fortress. Your photos of the sky are particularly lovely. Thank you so much for bringing us along on your trip!
ReplyDeleteDear Sue, thank you! I loved the city (or what I saw of it, which was a bit of the old part), and people were friendly: an angler offered to take photographs of me - and he did it well!
DeleteYour photos are magnificent. You are the ideal observer and photographer of this achingly beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteDear Geo, thank you so much! I love skies, I love width, and I love the sea (I come from northern Germany, where we have all three - and the older I become the more I find out that I love my "roots").
DeleteThe skies in the last two are good. The bus trip was also good I am sure. I like to talk to strangers. I will go to Crete one day.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, thank you! I often think about your alluring title "road to Kazakhstan" - sounds to me a bit like that bus trip.
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