Spinalonga.

After a wet night we've had a pleasantly sunny day.

In the morning we met up with our friends in Mach library and there was much telling of holiday tales and family dramas before we settled down to working on our Welsh.

Our friends brought us up to speed with the lessons we'd missed but had looked at on holiday and we all went through the set homework. No news yet if we will be having a lesson this week or not.

Afterwards we went to lunch at the Café Glyndwr to celebrate the end of yet another year. I can't believe we have been learning this complex language for five years already (and I still can't follow S4C, the Welsh tv channel).

Peter spent the afternoon playing pool while I pottered around in the garden and then I went to the pub for a Rowing Club carnival meeting. Our theme is now a mash-up of Bay Watch, Cardigan bay and celebrating 25 years of the UK lifeguards.

And now back to sunny Crete -

We visited Spinalonga last year but felt it warranted a return visit. We were out in good time to catch the first boat from Plaka at 10.00,

thus avoiding the crowds that soon followed. (I try my best not to have random people in my photos so it might look like that Crete was more or less deserted when we were there which wasn't quite the case especially on Spinalonga and at Knossos.)

We pushed on quickly through the Market Street leaving behind large groups (a lot of Russians and French that time) with their tour guides.

Stopping on the way to peer through gateways into the ruined buildings.

And then made our way around the far side of the island.

When the island was a military site (to defend Mirabella Bay) it was completely encircled by walls and battlements.

This year we made it to the top of the island which gave us great views to Kolokytha Island (above) and Plaka (below). 

Looking down we could see the restored houses in Market Street and then all the way up the ruins and foundations of the many other buildings that had once covered the hillside.

There were lots of little paths between the buildings and even the main route was rough going. A challenge for Peter's ankles and knees but he did it.

Two visits is probably enough so I don't think we'll go across the water again. No doubt we'll continue with our daily tradition of going going down to the sea front and watching the floodlights turning on to light up Spinalonga's walls and main structures. 

A Walk From Cletwr ..... and Toilets.

At last I was back walking with my group of friends. A local walk this week starting at Cletwr, along the river, up the wooded hill with bird and dormouse boxes on the trees and back down the lane. We were lucky in that the promised rain held off until the very end though now it does seem to have settled in for the evening.

 

We usually take the footpath through this field and stop for our break on the rise with views out to sea but this group of large horses though very pretty were overly friendly and we had a dog with us. Instead we sat ourselves down on either side of the narrow lane to share biscuits and eat a snack before heading back down the lane to Cletwr.

Why toilets you ask? Don't worry this won't be scatological but I found the different toilets and hand washing facilities we came across in our travels quite interesting.

Being of an age when if there's a toilet available it might be worth paying a visit I became acquainted with a variety of facilities in different public places. And all were acceptably clean with the top prize going to the toilets at Knossos where a lady popped in and sprayed the toilet before each customer.

The first thing I noticed in the toilets in the main lounge area at Schiphol airport were the vast cubicle doors. They were at least 8ft high solid doors reminiscent of a bank vault. No chance of prying eyes something I found unnerving on our travels many years ago in a distant country (don't want to offend the inhabitants) where there were frequently wide gaps down the sides of the cubicle doors which were sometimes only 5ft high.

I'm used to a range of flushing methods, things to press or light sensors to hold your hand in front of but in one place (can't remember exactly which) there was a metal disc on the wall and a small sign above saying automatic toilet. ? Nothing to press or hold your hand in front of. Standing up from the toilet had no effect and I had given up and was going to apologise to the next person when I found that opening the cubicle door set off the flush. That was a new one.

On one plane coming back going into the toilet cubicle set off loud birdsong which was rather sweet.

Hand washing systems varied too. I'm used to taps which dispense soap and then water when you put your hand underneath but I came across one set of sinks where the air to dry your hands came out of the ends of the t-shaped bar water and soap came out of. 

Moving on to Spinalonga the island across from Plaka. During the Ottoman era or maybe earlier the prosperous merchants houses were built round a small internal courtyards with a toilet built in one corner.

Going back 4,000 years to the Palace of Knossos the queen's apartments included a separate toilet with running water. As a nearby guide explained to her group it is the earliest known flushing toilet. Well, if you were the queen of a mighty city state why not?

Kritsa Gorge.

This morning's warm wind got the first lot of washing dried but by the time the second machine load had finished the light drizzle had set in and it's been wet on and off ever since.

I generally feel more relaxed on Saturdays as I don't have any commitments for the day (but wouldn't life be boring if I had no plans for the week?). So as usual today has been a domestic day. 

After a late start recovering from yesterday's ride, I baked a Bara Brith, stewed the next lot of apples, got some paperwork done and planted three agapanthus that had been half price at Morrisons. I also did some diy, completing the lower half of my compost bin including a cover made from a saved piece of roofing rubber. Eventually there will be a top section for filling and the lower section will be the previous year's weeds composting away.

Now back to holiday stuff. 

The mountains of Crete contain some pretty spectacular gorges. 

Not too far from Agios Nikolaos is the mountain village of Kritsa home to 19 churches plus many tavernas and gift shops as it is a tourist hot spot.

The gorge is a little way outside the village and I was hoping it would be suitable for us to walk.

But unfortunately after climbing down some fairly steep steps to the then dry river bed,

the way led over a series of large boulders, 4-5ft high which were just too much for Peter. I climbed over them and went on a short way into the gorge to take photos but knew Peter would be fussing if I took too long. He has become quite a worrier in his old age.

At first we thought that was it for our walk but then saw the end of the return route which goes around the side of the mountain. Peter took some persuading that we weren't just marching across somebody's land and would have irate farmers shouting at us. In fact the Greeks have immense respect for older folk and will do anything they can to help you. It was only after we saw returning hikers that Peter agreed to take the track.

We had a fairly gentle climb up the stony path which gave us far reaching views across the mountains down towards the sea.

Below us were more olive groves.

By the time we decided to turn and head back dark clouds had gathered overhead and eventually thunder rumbled but no rain. However as we drove back to the city we could see where there had been quite significant cloudbursts across the road.

Riding Again.

It's been fairly warm today but with the ever present threat of showers.

Last week Iola asked if we would like an all day (7 hour) ride this week. Of course my friend Tanya said yes straight away but as only one other person signed up and the weather forecast wasn't good it was changed to a four hour ride. 

I have to say that seven hours might have been too much for much for my knees and back (especially after disco aerobics last night) but four hours was fine. It was a brilliant ride and we had hardly any rain which was a bonus. It was a new route for me going up the hill and over to Llanidloes before swinging round and back past Trawscoed. There was lots of cantering up grassy fields and then along the disused railway track to Trawscoed. No wonder there are always horse trailers parked in the car park at Black Covert Woods when I've been there with the walking group.

 

That's me in my high viz pink cycling jacket (Peter's comment was that at least they would be able to find me if I fell off), with Tanya in front.

Today I rode Cody, the dressage horse. He was a dream to ride with a very comfortable trot and I might admit to doing a lovely collected canter instead of trotting back through the final fields.

This time I dismounted safely, without landing on my bottom! and once the horses had all had a feed we led them out to the field.

Afterwards I did the usual shopping, not so much these days as we have freezers full of food which we don't get round to eating. And then I went to Charlies to try and get a new hat. Although my current hat was fitted when I bought it, it's always had a habit of tipping down over my eyebrows especially when I duck down to avoid overhanging branches. I've made adaptions to the lace up bit at the back and added extra foam inside but it's really getting on my nerves. Added to the fact that the hat I wore in Crete was so much better. Time for a new hat. I was hoping to get one with a little dial at the back that you use to tighten it up but no matter which hat I tried and how tight it was to start with it didn't take much to tip them forward. The poor lady was up and down her ladder getting every style and size but nothing worked. Next week I'll go to Wynnstay's on the industrial estate and see if they have some different makes of hat.

Kolokytha.

Another typical summer's day here with rain and wind.

In the morning I made a start on working out how to make a compost bin in the back garden using some small wooden pallets that I had brought home. They are just the right size to go in a little corner by the garage but first I had to mix up some cement and fill in a gap under some blockwork.

That done it was time to rapidly scan my Welsh course book before class having not done as much as I hoped on holiday. But when we logged on our tutor was having a family crisis. She'd brought her poorly son home from school and now he was considerably worse and she was waiting for the doctor to phone her back. We all told her to forget the class as a sick child is far more important. It was the last class of the year but she might do one next week instead.

Now for more walks in sunny Crete -

Having a car meant that we could drive out to Kolokytha (the island, as it is known locally) to walk in the unspoiled countryside. The circular walk is 7km and clearly marked though we did lose the track once.

Coming over the causeway (from the right) and negotiating the steep bridge that twists in the middle you come to a large car park. This was where I did my first practice drives to get used to the feel of the car doing figures of eight around the two windmills.

On our first walk we just went up to this chapel and had a short stroll on the dusty track before driving back over the bridge and stopping by the foundations of the drowned city of Olous.

The next time Peter wore his walking boots, less stones under his toes and better support for his ankles.

That time we followed the track around the eastern side of the island. In a way the scenery was reminiscent of Morthoe though a great deal hotter even with the breeze.

This chapel was higher up on the hill and we were happy to sit on the stone bench in the shade for a while. The many chapels we saw are all in regular use and well maintained.

From the chapel we worked our way down to a small sandy beach. There was a larger sandy beach further along which was a regular stopping place for cruise ships so quite busy.

We did our next walk on a very windy day. This time we set off round the west side of the island.

Walking along the beach we had sea spray blowing over us but then the path went inland and up.

Up, up, up a tiny and very rocky track made for donkeys.

The views got better and better the higher we went until eventually we could see over to the other side of the island. At that point we decided to go back rather than try and continue all the way round. 

On our last walk on the island we did manage to do the whole route. I have to be mindful of Peter's arthritis so he sets the pace and the distance. We're just thankful that he can walk at all having been told twenty years ago that he should expect to be in a wheelchair in a few years.

We took the eastward route marching up the easy track before the way became a stony path with painted markers on the gaps made in the old field walls.

Before turning back over the spine of the island we diverted to visit yet another chapel down by the sea. It was coming back from here that we lost our way for a little bit.

The gap between two hills looks a bit desolate but was actually full of flowers and birdsong.

The path became a bit of a rocky scramble as we skirted a bay in which were moored three yachts whose occupants were living a lavish lifestyle. 

Up above there were the remains of farm buildings and I'm guessing this was a threshing circle. A bit more uphill walking until we came to the high point we had reached before from where it was all downhill back to the windmills in the car park.