Tuesday, 29 August 2017

Ten ways to eat a rainbow


Salads, fruit and vegetable in season are an easy way to up your vitamins. "Eat a rainbow" say many doctors. Easy here in Crete

Traditional Greek salad - with glystrida


Salad with red and green cabbage, lettuce, carrots, peppers and more!


Cretan salad which includes myzithra cheese and paximadi


Avocado and orange

Lettuce and strawberries


Feta and watermelon


Classic Greek salad


Salad with beetroot  and carrots

Beetroot and orange


Bring on that 5 a day!

Thursday, 24 August 2017

3000 year old Olive Tree of Palea Roumata



In the hidden village of Palea Rumata is a very old olive tree - still fruiting every year. Old? Ancient!



At its widest it has a diameter or 4.3 metres and a perimeter of 10.5 metres


It is believed to be around 3000 year old




It's hollow middle has been used for hiding weapons in the wars agains both the Turks and the Germans


It was also used as a meeting place for the local resistance during WW2
The figure gives you an idea of the size of the tree




sunflowers growing in the village


Ripening blackberries


Wander up into the pretty village where you will find a kafenion and a library founded in 1944





Monday, 21 August 2017

Summer in the (just out of) City!


While you are rushing around looking for bargains, fighting your way through the other shoppers at the top end of Chania ( Think Kotsovolos, Zara, Stradivarius, etc) did you realise there is an oasis just a few hundred metres away?



Before you drive out of town - take a trip down to Nea Hora ( or get the regular bus) Youcould even walk if you are not carrying a lot of shopping!


It is a blue flag beach with disabled access into the sea




A harbour to wander around admiring the boats


Little rocky islands off shore

I loved this use of old doors as lamp stands!



We called into now of the many seafood restaurants for lunch





Lovely views and opportunity for "people watching"



Salad, kalamares and tsatsiki

The salad included paximadi, pickled peppers and mizithra... yum!

The kalamares was well cooked and the tsatsiki tasty. 

At the end of the meal we were brought tsigoudia (raki) 

and tasty watermelon


I rather like the contrast of the industrial style lampshades along with the nautical theme

You may like to know:

Service: Pleasant, friendly and cheerfull. A family concern

Type of food: Fish and seafood, also other options available.

Prices, Very good value

Complementary raki  and fruit  at the end of the meal

Raki on Richter scale 8. Good flavour and fiery. After the first sip the fieriness seemed to dissipate so take care - easy to drink too much without realising

Would we return? Yes, certainly.


Sunday, 6 August 2017

Kick Ass Angel

Who has a guardian angel ?
Well, I have decided that this fabulous angel in the  tiny village of Apostoloi in the Amari valley is deserving of being anyones guardian angel - who would argue with this wonderful being?
The statue is names NIKI - (Victor) and is at the war memorial in the village


Amazing power and strength




Wednesday, 2 August 2017

The other side of Palaeochora

The pretty seaside village of Palaeochora is set on a promontory and is surrounded by sea on three sides. It is a lovely little place, but how many people venture a couple of kilometres outside to the other side of the bay?

On one side of the headland is a pebbly beach - two minutes walk away on the other side is a sandy one!

The best part for me is the headland itself with its sand dunes, rocky inlets and fascinating  rock formations.



Very rough and rugged rocks, interspersed with smooth ones








I love this natural "concrete" made of stones and shells







Looking across to the sandy beach and the greenhouses