chania day two

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So. I am in Chania, a smallish town on the north coast of Crete, the largest, southernmost Greek isle. The place was originally built by Venetian nobility, in an exodus where one sixth of Venice came here. Accordingly there is an old Venetian harbour and fortress, all crumbling, old stone. It is nice here. You wouldn't believe it's in the same country as Athens, such is the difference. It is tranquil relaxing laid back...the waiters don't try to hustle you...the food is cheaper and better, as is the liquor.

They don't drink ouzo as much as raki here. Raki is similar to Italian grappa, distilled from the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes;what's left over after the grapes have been mashed for wine. It has a smell that flickers between whisky and tequila, and a taste all its own, which you try to identify as something else. It's good. After most meals at a restaurant they bring you a complimentary dessert and a little bottle of raki to drink before you leave. It's a custom I'm going to enjoy getting used to.

Apparently my friend Noah was around here when everyone was making the stuff, and they were just giving it away everywhere. I had to pay eight euros for a bottle, and I'm planning on getting another one to bring back, to finish in one night with my friends. It is good.

We arrived here yesterday, and wandered about after a nightlong ferry ride from Piraeus port in Athens. I have had my fill of Athens for the next ten years at least. So we got here all squint eyed and tired, and set about locating our pension (a small rooming house), Pension Lena. After some arrangements we got our room, which is without compare! It is on the top floor of this wonderful narrow little three storey building, windows all around the walls, soft blue paint, old old pictures on the walls, breezy white curtains, antique furniture...it is so cool, and for seventeen euros a night (each), it is a steal! Ours is the only room on the top floor, up a spiralling staircase, across from a wonderful little terrace on the roof. It's awesome, and I will take lots of pictures. As soon as the power outage ends and I can charge my camera.

We have been eating like kings. With Kathleena here, we can order two dishes and split them; the first is usually a Greek salad, though we've determined not to overdo it. Yesterday I ordered mackerel...which turned out to be A MACKEREL, grilled and sitting on a bed of rice. Kathleena didn't have any, more for me! It was the first time I'd had a whole fish. It was good. I told Kathleena to look away as I broke open the head and looked for meat in there. There wasn't any, but the eyes had some nice juice in them. Then for dinner we had dinner with appetizer and drinks for ten euros each. Tzaziki, stewed beef with potatoes, boureki (cheese and zucchini casserole), two big bottles of Amstel, and this filament-y honey dessert, which was free. The food is good here, and supposedly one of the healthiest diets on Earth. I know I've consumed more olive oil than I ever have.

Tomorrow we hike the Samaria Gorge, an enormous gorge that cuts down to the south coast of Crete. Sometimes it's only three feet wide, sometimes three hundred feet deep. It's gonna be cool.

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