After our own private breakfast on our sunny balcony, the ambiance of the hotel seemed to have improved quite a lot.
Alec had been to the bakery for the chocolate croissants and the girl had given him and extra pastry as a gift, so of course we had to go back there to buy even more cheesy ones for our intended picnic lunch.
Malia Minoan site was the next stop and we had a lovely couple of hours taking it all in. There was no one else around, and armed with a good map and look at the excellent miniature model and potted history on the way in, we were pretty content.
We went on to Potamos beach just below the site and swam and sunbathed as it was very hot. This beach is lovely, very sheltered and appeared to have been the old harbour for the Minoans with channels cut into the rocks.
Our private beach at Potomos.
We had to cut our bronzing time short to swop cars at Heraklion Airport. This was a bit of a pain but at least we now know where to go when we fly home. Notos cars in Paleochora could not let us hire their car for any longer as they were shutting for the winter. We are now the proud renters of our second Hyundai Getz from Surprice cars. (We think it should read Sure price) which doesn't seem to be quite sure of which gear it would like to be in, as we lurch along, and also has a slipping fan belt or something which whines away so everyone knows when we are starting off!
We drove into old Malia town on the recommendation of our hotel owner, and had a really enjoyable and excellent dinner at Zorbas. He is a charming host (and very handsome) and his mother is an amazing cook, so good in every way. The old town is a very far cry from the dreadful sea front, if you take the time to find it.
Malia to Tsermiado en route to Zeus's cave.
Once again I was awoken early to put on the water boiler for the coffee and then dispatched to collect chocolate croissant for our al fresco breakfast.
But at least this gives Vivi the time to get on with some domestic duties!!
It is an inconvenience making your own breakfast but it does mean you have what you most prefer. I am still not very good at cheese, ham and sticky sweet bread!
We paid our respects to the Greek lady who owned the place and the two English girls who ran the bar, pool and the day trips and returned to the same beach (via the bakery for a spanakopita) that we'd been on the day before. The same people and their dogs were still there! We had a swim then a sunbathe another swim and then tearing ourselves away (we had serious reservations about going into the mountains), we headed inland to Krassi to look at a Plane tree supposed to be older than Jesus
Christ. At more than 2000 years old the tree is a National monument, it's girth being greater than the span of 12 men holding hands.
Adjacent to the tree is a fresh water cistern built apparently in the 1800's but something similar has presumably been there for much longer as there is an aqueduct coming down from the mountain to supply it. Humans drank from one end, livestock the other although this was not immediately apparent! Then on up to Tzermiado which is on the Lassithi plateau, 830mtrs above sea level, much colder and we found walking up slopes made us quite breathless!
On the ridge of the mountain we stopped to video the vultures which were almost on our level, and to look at what seem to be very old fashioned gun placements. On closer inspection it turns out that they are ancient windmills! As you round the mountain top, the entire plateau is laid out below.
The hotel, the Argoulis, was not easy to find but overlooked the whole village and the plateau, so could not have been in a better position. Unfortunately being the only guests in the hotel, the restaurant was closed. However, looking on the bright side it did have central heating - real piping hot radiators and the luxury of a bath!! It was like staying in an old fashioned mountain lodge.
On enquiring as to where to go for some supper our host seemed a little shifty but pointed into the distance and said 'other side of gas station is a restaurant' without much conviction. So we set forth in the direction of the gas station, found the restaurant but it was playing host to a private party, probably a wedding. So we headed back into town and saw a nondescript looking place with a few people in it so brimful of confidence, in we went. On entering, Vivi announced there were only men in it, it was an ouzo'ery and she wasn't feeling comfortable. Fortunately there was a priest sitting by himself eating his supper so we decided it must be OK.
Confidently we positioned ourselves as far away from the smokers as we could be and waited. Our host arrived with red wine, bread and three glasses and proceeded to fill all three, toasted us with the usual 'Yamas ', downed his in one, and left. 10 minutes later he returned with a selection of mezedes - enough to feed a cricket team and just as we were beginning to feel that would be enough, two of the most delicious pork steaks arrived. Every 10 minutes or so he would return, help himself to another glass of red, toast it with us, down it in one and go back to join his mates
Above our heads was an enormous picture similar to The Last Supper only the diners were Pan, Zeus, Poseidon and the Devil and they are being waited upon by scantily clad maidens. When we asked for the bill we were treated to a decanter of raki, three glasses and toasts to all and sundry. The decanter was soon empty so another one was brought, it was pure magic!
We left, having not had to make a single decision for ourselves and were filled with bonhomie and good will!
The wind had now really got up and when it gusted, our shutters fairly rattled and it felt as though the window would blow in. However we were really cosy and slept like logs.
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