Crete 12 - Trip to Chania, lost wallet

For today we had planned to go to Chania by bus and visit some excavations and museums. But a quirk of fate crossed our plans - somewhere on the way from the ticket office in Kavros to a book store in Chania I lost my wallet including my Mastercard and the ATM card. We looked everywhere we had been so far but couldn't find it. People were very nice and everyone tried to help us. We immediatly went back to Kavros and searched there too. A lady from a ceramics shop even helped me to translate my problem to the guy in the ticket office. She said she will tell me if she heard something when I come back in the evening.
So we went back to the Hotel, I canceled my cards and we spent the afternoon on the beach.
After dinner we once again went to Kavros to ask the lady if she had heard something. But as I thought there was no trace of my wallet.
At this time it didn't matter too much to me. Cards were already canceled, and there were only two more days left, so money wasn't such a big problem.
To bad we couldn't visit Chania again but we will come to Crete again and then we will make it up.

Crete 7 - Sunrise, Elafonissi, Agia Sofia's Cave, Chania

A sunrise is always wonderfull, especially when you can watch it on a beach. You will never regret having gotten up early to catch it on time!
When it starts you first can see the horizon becomming reddish and then the sun emerges out of the water - visually spoken - and grows from the little disk up to the big fireball that gives us all light, warmth and a lot of energy.
So we got up early - actually to early - and it was just perfect.



After sunrise we went to breakfast and started afterwards for todays tour.
We had planned to go to the beach of Elafonissi. We were told that it is one of the most wonderfull sand beaches on crete so we just had to check that.

On the way we stopped at Kissamos at the archeological museum. Very interesting and new. Must have opened just a few weeks ago. There was no entrance fee - we guess it will come when the museum is known better. It is built on an excavation site direct on old walls that were buried again to keep them save after examination.

Not far away from Kissamos we found a little chapel built into a cave. Really fascinating!



On the way over the mountains we once more had contact with a herd, this time not sheep but goats. Some of these animals are kind of stupid and selfish. They walk on the road directly towards the car and look at you just like asking 'What are you doing on MY road?'. Very funny!

After a long ride through the mountains we reached Elafonissi Beach.
There are no hotels and - as far as planned - never will be due to environmental protection.
Just sunbeds and umbrellas, one taverna at the beach, one near the parking place, a little shop and showers and toilettes. As we could see this way of regulation really works out. The flora is beautifull and there are a lot of different birds.



It was wonderfull allthough we caught a not so pleasing day, it was a bit stormy all the time with just a few pauses and sometimes it felt like you were sandblasted.
The beach is absolutely clean, the water is refreshing and clear. In the water there are some big rocks - just like little islands - and the water was shallow enough so you could just walk over to these rocks.



Like always I just had to go for a walk to see what's around. In the beginning the sand wasn't too warm so I left my sandals at the sunbeds. Big mistake! When I was at the other end I felt the sand heaten up more and more with every step. Although me feet were burning like hell when I reached the water again I really enjoyed the trip.

I also snorkeld a bit and took some underwater photos too.
The fish at this place are very curious and let you come really close.

*Pics will follow*


On the way back to Chania we stopped at another church and later at the archeological cave Agia Sofia's. It's a long way up, fortunately it's a stairway but it's still not too comfortable.
To be honest the cave is nothing special. It's very smelly and their is a lot of bird dung from the pigeons. There is a tiny chapel build in but there is nothing that makes the way up really worth it.



After the cave we went on to Chania.
In Chania we parked near the old harbor next to a monument built in memory of a ship accident in which many people died most of them from Crete.
The old harbor looks magnificent in the evening sunlight.



We went to one of the many tavernas for dinner. First we ordered Tzatziki as starter and then Julia had Pastitsio and I ordered Giouvetsi. Everything was excelent.

When we finnished dinner we continued along the harbor and Julia bought a new sd-card for her camera. Yep, she filled 1 gb within only seven days. Photography is a real passion of her. She also found a beautifull dress in another shop.

Finally we went to the same bar we visited on the booked trip around Chania and had watermelon juices and fruit salad with ice cream again.
Chania is very alive at night, the strets are crowded and the tavernas and bars are full with people.



Due to the plan to go to the lagoon of Gramvoussa tomorrow we decided to go back to the hotel to get some sleep. When we arrived at the car we were a bit shocked. Some Idiots had completely blocked us; no way to move out.
So, what do we do now?
Julia said we should call the police, but there was no public phone and we didn't have a telephonenumber and there were only tourists all around.
Suddenly - like a ray of light on a rainy day - a police car drove by and I stopped them. I explained them that we were blocked and they were very nice but they couldn't help us because they didn't have a crane that day.
Yes, he said: 'I am very sorry but we don't have a crane today.'
They don't have one 'today'?
I really had to keep myself back not to ask them: 'Does the crane have a day off??? Is it lying on the beach and relaxing???'
But it wasn't their fault so why argue with police in a foreign country.
All we could do was to wait and hope one of those a**holes who blocked us would come back soon.
Fortunately a father with his family came and drove away with a car that was parked next to one of the idiot's cars and there was than just enough space to get out.

If that parking problem wasn't enough we took the long way home.
Still filled with a little anger I left Chania in the wrong direction. When I noticed that mistake I thought it wouldn't be much of a problem - just stay on the old road until you can change to the new national road again.
Near to Kissamos I was fed up and took the next turn in direction to the island's inner side in faith of hitting the new road but we ended up in the mountains in totaly black night. It was nearly midnight and I was very tired and the stress level got higher by every minute.
After a long time out in nowhere we finally reached the new national road and got back to the hotel by about 01:30 am.

Even with that hell of a finish the day was wonderfull and we saw a lot!

Crete 4 - Around Chania

Today was our first booked excursion 'Around Chania'.

First Stop - Monastery Agia Triada:

The monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) was built in the seventeenth century by two brothers of the Venetian Zangaroli family--monks who had converted to the Orthodox faith. It was built on top of a pre-existing church.

There are only 4 or 5 monks living in the monastery due to the nearly worldwide problems with getting young people into church. Although the monastery is a very rich one. The own a huge area of olive groves. Of course the monks don't do all the work there on their own. The surrounding farmers help them and the monks are more like the managers.

Second Stop - Venizeloses' Graves:

The Venizeloses were great cretan politicians. Father and son.

The father Eleftherios Venizélos (1864-1936) was a leader of the Cretan rebellion of 1897. The uprising ended with Crete being granted autonomy by the Ottoman Empire.
Later he became prime minister and achieved to unite autonomous Crete with Greece in 1913.

His son Sophoklis (1894-1964) strove for Geece to join the Nato.

Their graves are on their own well cared cementery on a hill overlooking Chania (Profitis Ilias). And a little chapel is placed above them.


Third Stop - Chania:

Chania was the capital of Crete from 1898 to 1971. Then Heraklion became the capital of Crete.
It is the second largest City on the Island and their is a lot of places you should have a look at. Museums, excavations, the fortress and of course the venetian harbour.
It's just wonderfull. A nice mix of old and new.



I love the view to the lighthouse.

Our guide took us from the harbour through the narrow backstreets to the church and then to the market. The market is not open air but a cross shaped hall. There you can buy nearly everthing.

In the free time we had, we went back to a bar at the harbour and had watermelon juices and fruit salad with ice cream.

Fourth Stop - Maleme:

The last stop on the tour was the german soldiers cementery on a hill above Maleme.
It's really touching. A huge well cared 'garden' with double graves in small distances to each other.



4465 German soldiers are buried here from the war years 1941-45.
About 400 died at sea - the names of those who couldn't be recovered are listed on commemorative plaques.

This war memorial should always remind us that wars don't do anything good!
There is never a winner!
Gained areas or countries, oil springs, religious dominance or anything else never justify the loss of lives!