Race Across … A Relatively Small Part Of Crete

We were up early this morning for our 9am flight from Bristol to Chania in Crete.

The  flight was fine, the taxi driver we had booked was there waiting at the airport and drove us the 90 minutes across the mountains, all hairpin bends and steep drops, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his phone, straight to the harbour at Chora Sfakion, where the water taxi we had also booked was waiting  to take us to the taverna we are staying in for four nights in Lykos, an isolated bay just around the headland from Loutro. It was at this point that it all turned a bit Race Across The World.


The boat driver did warn us it was a bit windy and choppy and we had a very bumpy and exhilarating crossing as far as Loutro where he announced that he couldn't get round the headland to our taverna as it was too windy and rough to moor at the jetty here. He phoned the owner of the taverna who couldn't come and get us in his boat for the same reason. 


The only answer was to leave our cases at a hotel in Loutro and walk along the coast path to the taverna with a few extra things stuffed in our rucksacks and a carrier bag. 

“It's only 45 minutes”the guy at the hotel bar in Loutro said! “Just follow the path at the end of the harbour”


1 1/2 hours later, having gone round in a circle for 30 minutes once, (the path was rocky, steep in places and not very well marked - that's my excuse), we finally found the taverna with the help of a young Dutch couple who were staying in the next door apartments and out for a “evening stroll”. 


By this time it was getting dusky, was still very hot and we were a sweaty, stressed mess! I think the owners were about to send out a search party! They were concerned enough to ply us with free beer at least!


We were further restored by an excellent meal, plenty of wine and a night cap of raki.


It’s a wonderfully, typically Greek taverna in the most amazing unspoilt setting and the stress soon melted away - much like us!


The blip is of Loutro harbour, just before we set off on our hike.