Crete 2009                                 Journey Day: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18

                                      

                                                 Day 08  - July 03 - Plakias, Crete

                                                Crete Road Trip
                                                
                                                The real treat of the southern Cretan coast is a taste and vision of old Crete.  Last year's trip included a 1960s brochure and 
                                                many of the old photos can actually be seen - including older farmers using roadside donkeys with color striped saddle blanket.
                                                Another face of full of history was seen in older women walking along the road - possibly taking flowers to a roadside memorial.
 
                                                All of the towns were very full of activity - double parked, stopping the street talking, and perpetual left turns - and off the beaten 
                                                tourist trek.  One valley was covered in mile after mile of covered green houses - anything from tomatoes to carnations.  Lunch was
                                                in the coastal town Matala - known for it's cave filled side mountain overlooking the well visited bay.  Most of the old hippie generation
                                                that used the caves in the past has mostly moved on - except for "Peace" and "Love" based shops and low cost hotels.  
 
                                                One stop included the springs to Zaros - source of many of the bottled Cretan water - and route included following the mountainside
                                                road overlooking multiple valleys.   Final stops included the Arkadi Monastery (Landmark known for it's conflicts with the Turks)
                                                that has a "Remember the Alamo" feel.  Continued on to the northern coastal city of Rethymno.  Dinner was back to village of 
                                                Mirthios - hugging the mountainside and overlooking the sunset filled Plakias Bay.  If we could only spell or pronounced the taverna.

 

 
                                                           Cretan Valley    Cretan Flora    Cretan Valley
                                                       Martala Beach    Martala Beach    Martala Beach
                                            Zaro Spring Lake  Zaro Spring Lake  Zaro Spring Lake  Mt. Ida - Amari Valley
                                            Arkadi Monastery   Arkadi Monastery   Arkadi Monastery   Arkadi Monastery   Arkadi Monastery    
                                                        Arkadi Monastery    Arkadi Monastery    Arkadi Monastery
                                                       VW Polo Power - With LSU 2009 College World Series Champion Hat    Cretan Carnation Farm    Rynthemon    Rynthemon    Rynthemon

 

 

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