A New Year!

Having had a bit of a break over Christmas and the New Year, here we are again.

A few photos taken over the festivities

Good food, Good Company, Good music at Parasia on New Year's Eve

Chania

After a few days of solid rain Xmas Day dawned clear and bright

A wander through Kalyves on Jan 2nd

Kindling and Kalyves

Spring is nearly here. I say nearly because one week it is warm and sunny and the next it is dull and raining. March is notorious here in Crete for being wet. At the weekend it was glorious but with a dodgy weather forecast so we decided that we had better take advantage of the weather and collect some kindling for the woodburner.

We knew we would find dry pinecones just around the corner in Litsarda

Treasure!

And a wander around the village

As the weather was so lovely we decided that a walk along the beach at Kalyves was in order. Looking towards Kera this rock formation looks like a dinosaur emerging from the water.

The beach was quiet and peaceful 

The "Pirate ship"

White mountains behind the village

The water was so clear that it looked as if the boats were floating on air above the water.

A Quiet Saturday

Quiet Saturday

A mixture of the aftermath of a fluey cold and a bad back meant that the weekend needed to be quiet!

After collecting the groceries for the week we went to our favourite beach cafe in Kalyves run by Pandelis.

The day was warm and the skies blue. A smattering of tourists on the beach.

Bikers out enjoying the sunshine

A good mix of people, Locals and tourists enjoying their coffee and the stunning views

We ordered a frappe and a soda

Followed by some yummy toasties for lunch

There was quite a breeze so the clear blinds were down

I had to take photos through the gaps!

The sea was quiet

A little bit choppy

Fishing boat coming into harbour. We sat for a peaceful hour mesmerized by the sea.

In the evening we decided to pop up to Kefalas for a drink with my best man Gianni, who has a little kafenion "Melas"

It is a typical village Kafenion

With some interesting features

We started with a beer and a soda, which came with pistachio nuts

Later we asked for some local wine. Gianni busied himself finding mezes

Paximadi, Fava, moussaka, olives and cheese that had been preserved for two years in oil - very tasty.

Not a lot left!

We left rather later than planned!