Milos to Crete

Milos to Crete via Athens 

After dinner last night we retired onto our comfortable double hanging swing. With the lights of the town below us, I quietly played my Baby Taylor guitar and sang songs in hushed tones for my sweetheart until the wee hours. 

The morning sun streamed through the frosted glass of our front door to signal us to rise. Our bedroom was sunken and had a loft with an extra bed. We went through the dark roast illy espresso coffee we brought with us so I bought another container yesterday. Jill noticed that it was medium roast, which I have never seen before. I brewed us a pot and it was excellent. We got packed and then just relaxed until our taxi picked us up to take us to the airport. 

We managed to get our bags to follow us straight through to Chania, Crete which was a concern because our flights were on two different tickets. We were concerned because we had a one hour connection and didn't want to collect our bags and then line up to checkin and go through security again. Our flight to Athens was late, leaving us 15 minutes to connect! Our Aegean flight attendant arranged for a ‘Connection Ambassador’ to meet us as we got off the plane to lead us quickly through the terminal to our gate. We arrived just as they were boarding the bus to take us to the plane. It was tense. Aegean is a wonderful airline and one of the best in the world. Then the worry was … would our bags make the connection because it was a long bus ride to our jet.

It is a 40 minute flight to Chania, Crete. We waited and waited as almost everyone got their bags. There were just a few of us left when out popped our bags, we were so relieved. 

The line up for the bus to Chania was long and we were hungry and tired, so we took a cab. Even at 8 o'clock the traffic was horrendous. Our cabbie drove like a maniac through side streets to get us to our layover hotel across from the bus station. First order of business was to eat. The fish and chip restaurant across the road was highly recommended. Jill had bass with chips and yep, I had calamari. When we were about to leave, the waitress brought us some dough balls covered with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds and a large bottle of raki, on the house. Cretan hospitality. We walked down to the Venetian Harbour, which was buzzing with activity. The shops were busy as were all of the restaurants. After getting my belt shortened at the shop where I bought it last year, we stopped to hear a duo play Greek music while nursing two small draught beers. Our day was complete. Off tomorrow at 12:45pm to Paleochora, the most south-western tip of Crete. It’s a spectacular bus ride up and over the mountains.

Milos, Greece, Layover Day

We took the ferry from Sifnos to Milos to a hotel by the church clock tower, the highest point of the town. It's called Uncle’s Place. And what a place. The fridge was stocked with water, juice, cold cuts, cheese, bread and fresh fruit, cake, cookies, local honey, olive oil, butter, Melba toast and even a few small bottles of Tsipouro. The bathroom was kitted out with every luxury item you could imagine. Everything was ultra modern, probably designed by a stylist. The kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and outdoor space was awesome. The views were great. One of the nicest places we have ever stayed. 

It was a short but steep walk down to the port. Lots of cats along the way. Jill picked this place because it had a washing machine, the only place we could do our laundry which we have been saving up. She sent me to hopefully buy a fish for dinner while she stayed back to do the laundry. We lucked out because Christina was there and I was able to get a nice size dorada which she happily cleaned for me, a 5 euro bargain. Then to the market for lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, lemon, more olive oil and wine. I also finally found some figs to go with our Metaxa and espresso. Dinner could not have been more enjoyable.

Tomorrow we fly to Chania, Crete via Athens.

 

Milos, Greece, Day 6

Last night Jill got bit by a friendly schizo cat who showed up on our terrace, so this morning we walked into Adamas to talk to the pharmacist. As we passed by the fish market (which was amazingly open) we asked if Christina was in to clean the fish today and unfortunately she was not.  Jill told the pharmacist that she was a bit by a stay cat and deadpan, the pharmacist said, “did the cat die”. We had a good laugh and he said not to worry. 

We stopped in to the fish market again on our way back to our hotel and I asked if I could use his facilities to clean the fish that I so wanted to buy. He said no. I decided I would clean it myself. I asked for Dorada and one went in the bag. Jill asked if one was enough. I asked if he had any that were bigger, but was told that all were about 600 g so we took one more. 6 Euros each was a bargain since restaurants were charging 60 Euros a kilo. When we got back to our hotel I asked Christos if I could possible use his kitchen to clean the fish, when he asked his Mother she offered to clean them for me. Wonderful.

We decided to go to one of the most popular restaurants for lunch, across from the beach. It was like an artist’s enclave. Colourful painted chairs, all with hand painted inscriptions and hand written menus in a variety of languages. Jill had the juicy pork chops and I had the melitzana (eggplant) stuffed with ground lamb and goat. We were so full at the end. Back for a siesta and then a swim. Wednesday means cruise ship day, although it was not a big one it was perfect for island cruising. 

We picked up another bottle of Italian bubbly for our last night on Milos. We leave tomorrow at noon by ferry for Sifnos. Dinner was spectacular. It was a little like camping since the cooking facilities were limited. No oven, but a two burner stove top did the trick with two fry pans with lids. We bought some extra virgin olive oil in town so we were set with salt, a lemon and Italian parsley. Simple and delicious.  Dinner with wine would have cost us 120 Euros in a restaurant but we did it for 24 and finished it off with an espresso. I brought my 6 cup mocha.

Milos, Greece, Day 5

Before we left on this holiday, I had an idea to use my real first name, Dusan, pronounced Dushan, while in Greece. Peter is my middle name. I was called Dusan at home and by my parent’s friends until we moved to Canada where I turned twelve. Peter is the name I used at school, as my mother believed in the importance of assimilation. In Australia my parents went by Jane and Roy rather than Vuko and Slavica when they named their grocery store. My sister Allankah was Helen. I thought the idea would be fun.

So I have been trying to buy a whole fresh fish since we arrived. Sunday, he was closed. On Monday, he had fish but no one to clean it. "Come back tomorrow, we open at 9". I waited and no one. Today, I thought we’d have breakfast first. Nope, no one there at 9:45, and again at 10:45. We even passed by again on our way to catch the bus to Pollonia, a small seaside town northwest of Adamas. Our plan was to grab a bite after walking around the small town and then catching the one o'clock bus back to Adamas, a 20 minute ride. We stopped in a store and showed the woman the sign that was in the fish market window. It said, back in five minutes. She told us the woman who cleans fish there is her sister Christina, “tell her you met Maria, Pollonia”. She was so happy. We were blown away by the small world and the coincidence.

We had a light al fresco lunch at a seaside table of grilled sardines for me and Jill had a locally produced fried cheese which was delicious, and a couple of Mythos beers to quench our thirst. Then back to Adamas and guess what, the sign at the fish market still said, back in 5 minutes. So back to the market for more chevap, Jill’s choice, and salad for dinner and more marinated octopus. It was a hot day so the swim at our beach before dinner was awesome. It seems that the summer Meltemi winds have subsided. 

A bit about Milos, the original home of Venus de Milo now at the Louvre. It is a volcanic island and a source of obsidian, a glass like volcanic rock which was used for knives and sharp tools before the Bronze Age, as early as 15,000 years ago. The greyish-white volcanic rocks at the beach we went to yesterday, are the most photographed rock structures in the Aegean.

I have added more picture to yesterday’s post which were missed.

Milos, Greece, Day 4

My day started when my alarm went off at 8:30. My job was to go to the fish market for tonight's dinner. We checked the day before and the owner said tomorrow at 9 we open. I waited and waited then went home empty handed. We decided to go to Sarakiniko after breakfast but had to try the market one more time, a ten minute brisk hot walk each way. The fish I was after was Dorada, a gilt-head bream, a fav. It was open and yes he had lots of big ones for 12 Euros per kilo, a good price but when I asked if he could clean it, he said no, not until tomorrow when the lady comes in, so no fish tonight my darling. Tomorrow I'll be back.

We caught the bus to Sarakiniko at 11. It runs every two hours. Words to describe this location escape me. The pictures will have to do the talking. The specs you see on the white rocks are people. We stayed for two hours, had a swim and did some exploring. The swimming was not the greatest as it was silty with a gravelly bottom, but the location was out of this world beautiful. 

We stopped for a late lunch in Adamas. On the way home we picked up some groceries for dinner, chevap (skinless sausages of beef, lamb, and pork) and Italian bubbly.  With bags in hand, we started home. I failed to look down and had a collision with a step on a narrow footpath. Down I went tumbling wondering if I would survive. The bubbly did not break and neither did any parts of my body, but lots of bruises and trauma … skinned knee, arm, elbow, wrist, back … my toe, the initial point of contact, did not fair very well. How come in this split second I did not follow my own advice to look down while walking? Rules are meant to be broken when you are having the time of your life. 

Back home, a swim at our beautiful beach and then a shower, glasses of wine, all is good, and looking forward to dinner on our terrace.