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Published: October 6th 2008
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Hey
I have kind of lost track of things here...had to look at the pics to see where I had been! This is going to be a long one because its been a few days and will be a while again until I write. We are having a rest day and I am in a bar that will let me use my laptop for the price of a cup of coffee, Gord is out shopping. The next 2 days we are renting scooters and will be touring Chios.
I said earlier that pictures are better than words to discribe what we see here. ow I find that even the pictures are not doing justice to the scenery, especially Western Levos which we visited on Sat. We didn't actuallly plan to go there, "the book" said it was barren and in parts treeless. This is true but what is was was the most dramatic landscape I have ever seen. We came across a monastery we drove to the top of a mountain to see and were mesmorized by this place just sitting on a mountain top. The road on our little journey was excellent but the elevations are extreme
and it's switchback up and switchbacks down for almost all of 165 km loop we did. I am happy to report that my Rocky Mountain driving skills with a standard transmision are still intact! Annie...you had best start practicing for your trip...not only a standard but on the other side of the road. You will do fine with some practice.
Back at the guesthouse later that night I ran into a couple of Canucks and we had a great time chatting about the upcoming election.
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Sunday we headed east from Molyvos and again encountered switchbacks and sheer drops to the sea on my side. We got our sight of Turkey which is maybe 15 km's from Lesvos. We found a cemetary on the way, the first we have seen since being here, and found only a few headstones from the 70's then nothing until after 2000. We found out why later when we went into this little house beside the graves, all the others were in small boxes on shelves. Very interesting, we want to know just how this works. We came across this cute little town and got all caught up in the view and
the dogs and chickens that were hanging out together that we kinda got lost...I just kept taking little alley after little alley and they got more and ore narrow until finally we simply could not fit thru anymore and our car was small! We have reached a compromise with driving, I do the tight switchbacks and Gord does the backing up and the parking at the edge of the road when we close to the steep drops. I can shift gears like crazy but lack any spacial perception it seems!!! We actually had to fold in the mirrows to squeeze back out of where I had driven us! This elderly Greek woman came out to scold us and when I gave her the universal "what can I say" shrug...she offered helpful suggestions in Greek the whole time we were extricating ourselves. Again, and I will say this over and over I am sure, Greek people are just incredibly kind and helpful.
We had lunch in a lovely Skala (port, the one Greek word I now know!!!), I had some kind of fish that begins with a K, and asked for it headless, please! We saw octupi hanging on a
switchbacks all day long
This isn't a big Island but it is mountainous...this is a small sample of the switchbacks closeline as you can see in the pics. Then we found the beach, donned our swimming costumes and finally got into the Northern Agean Sea. It was kinda chilly to start with but who cares...along side up was an olive orchard? grove? bordered by a dry built stone wall that we have seen all over the island. In the pic of Gord and I you can see one in the background.
Home to pack up our stuff as we were catching the ferry to Chios next day at 3 and had to get to a thermal bath and the olive trails. The bath was wonderful and tho I am not a big believer in in "healing waters", I had developed a cold and was quite congested. Since having a soak I have felt much better.
We ran into a couple at the back that were actually in the room next to us at Nassos. They are from France and gave us all sorts of good ideas about Crete. The one guy is so cute...when his English skills fail him, he makes noises...he was trying to decribe the sound of the surf on the pebble beach where
Fish truck
This guy drives around town announcing his whares on a loud speaker attached to the roof. they recommended we stay in Eastern Crete and he just kept saying, blip blip blip, blip blip blip and waving his fingers. We talked with them for so long that we ran out of time so I did not get to hike the olive trails...we thought we had all sorts of time, it isn't a large island but the roads are so slow.
Funny thing (just remembered to start uploading a video...this one is short so hopefully it will finish in time)(I had a whole paragraph written and didn't save...I am trying to remember what the funny thing is!!) ah yes, we seem to get lost easily when we are just toodling around yet when it really matters, things go quite smoothly. We arrived right on time at the port and even found the statue where we were to leave our rental car. We boarded the ferry and thoroughly enjoyed our 2.5 hr run from Lesvos to Chios. Turkey is in sight the whole of the way, that will be the case until we head for Crete.
When we arrived here in Chios Town aka Chora...everything seems to have a few names as I said, I
The road home
We look for the green cross on the pharmacy to know this is the right route to the guesthouse told Gord I liked how the place smelled. Later I was reading some info where we are staying and the byline was...Chios, the fragrant Island. Lots of Eucalyptus trees so maybe thats why. We walked to the south end of the harbour to our accomodations at Chios Rooms, owned by a former Kiwi and his Greek wife, Don and Dini. We had booked the "Penthouse"!! hahaha and have our own terrace with a bit of a view of the harbour. You can see by the picture that the place as very high ceilings. Don is a great host, layed back and helpful...I already know if he is "in the house" because he always has this beautiful traditional Greek music playing. We have a spiral staircase up to our room, which was a challenge with luggage, but we well settled in and feel very much at home. For an early bird like me it is perfect cuz I go down the stairs and right (well left actually ; ) ) into the kitchen to make a coffee. I watched the sun rise from the terrace this morning.
We went out for a stroll last night and I ended up
Morning Glories
My favourite flower is all over the place! falling in love! We stopped at a little kiosk to buy a bottle of water (our Greece info told us that each place you stay will tell you whether or not the tap water is okay to drink...Don says no, but provides water in the Inn that he gets from a "source" in the mountains and keeps in beautiful decanters). Gord asked the elderly proprietor how much and the guy answered in Greek so G held out a handful of change. Then he says, 50 cents, then we start to talk and the guy's English got better and better. I asked him for an international phone card (we have yet to use a phone here!) and he not only sold me one, but left Gord in charge of his kiosk as he ran (literally) up the street to the phone booth to show me how to use it. Gord was out wandering around today and found out his name is Kosta. We just went by again a little ago and when he saw me he took my hand and kissed it! I nearly swooned! hahaha He has been so helpful and has told us about his travels in Canada as
Olives
We tried one...not quite ripe yet!! a seaman.
If Kosta hadn't captured my heart, then Seraphim would have. He came to my door this morning looking for Don and was so upset that he bothered me...we chatted a bit and he told me he was heading home for Athens today. A bit later I went down to the kitchen for a coffee and he was there. Don had shown me how to use this espresso pot and the little propane stove thing last night but I was a bit afraid I'd blow it up...so I had some cone filters and bought coffee last night. Seraphim nearly collapsed laughing when he saw me using Greek coffee with my little cone filter (without the actual cone...one has to learn to improvise, no?). Apparently Greek coffee is boiled in water...kinda like campfire coffee I guess, which would explain why it looks like cocoa. I could go on and on about our brief encounter with Seraphim but alas, I am about done here for now I think...Techno music (in English) has been blaring away the whole time I have been sitting here!
Hope all is well with you all, enjoy the pic and please let me
know if the video works....Bye for now, Brenda and Gord
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Kelley
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Thank you!
Well my "family overseas prayer" has worked once again....just when I start to wonder....a new blog arrives. I used this method extensively when Mitch was in Thailand haha! Great photos and descriptions and adventures....I am thrilled for you both! The video is great too....gave Chevy a chance to bark when he heard your voice Gord! Anyway love to you...carry on and take care of each other...K