Yassou from Greece!

Yassou! Or perhaps Yassas? Here was I thinking I knew one word in Greek but apparently I don’t know anyone here well enough to use it! Apparently Yassou is the more formal/ respectful way of saying Hello but Yassas is used when you don’t know someone as well. Luckily I didn’t manage to insult anyone on my first day in Greece! But enough of that..

I have been in Greece for just over a week and have mostly loved it. I hate to say that this is with the exception of Athens. I’m reserving judgement until my second visit in a weeks time but my first impression was mixed.

Athens

Loved: my first night - dinner with the Gorgeous Cerutti Sisters looking over the Acropolis. The ancient history held within the walls of every exhibit and that also smacks you in the face every time you step outside. The stunning views from the vantage points such as the rooftop bars and Areo Pagus. One of the most beautiful and best laid out museums I’ve ever been to (The Acropolis Museum). The shopping - so many shoes! (that’s window shopping for me).

Didn’t Love: The multitude of some of the rudest tourists I’ve ever experienced - these people completely lacked spatial awareness and were completely unapologetic. The lack of authenticity (aware that I experienced this in Plaka which is like trying to get a ‘real’ experience of Sydney in Darling Harbour). The sadness - I understand Greece is having a rough time but those who were on the street here broke my heart. They just seemed like they had no hope.

As I said, I don’t think experienced the real Athens so am going to try to venture a bit further when I’m there for a few more days next week.

On Tuesday I gladly moved onto Crete to a city called Rethymnon. I got very lucky with a last minute booking in an apartment overlooking the beach. The area I was staying in was still very touristy but delightful. Everyone was relaxed and happy. There was a good mix of places to eat that were traditional or more modern. The Old City that sat on the Venetian Harbour was very pretty. And working out was available to visit in the surrounding areas was easy! I settled on two activities.

The first was a day trip to Elafonissi. Elafonissi is technically an Island but has always been accessible to Crete by wading through water no more than about a metre deep. This past winter brought a sandbank and now you can actually get there by crossing dry land. Elafonissi consistently features in National Geographic’s ‘Most Beautiful Beaches’ lists. It’s known for it’s unique combination of turquoise waters and sand that while technically white, often looks very pink because of the many broken up seashells contained in it. I don’t have much more to say about it as the pictures speak for itself but I really felt like I was in Paradise!

The next afternoon I went on a quad bike safari into the mountains of Crete. I’ve been quad biking before but this was definitely the best time! The bikes were auto but the group was small and all very competent drivers. The trail was a mixture of on road and off road riding. The off road was fun! A mixture of hills, rocks and every some water crossing. The on road sections allowed you pick up a bit more pace. And the views…. They were so beautiful and so different. One section reminded me a lot of Queenstown.

The activity lasted for 4 hours with 4 stops. Plus a five minute stop when our guide saw a farmer picking figs. They were obviously friends and the farmer let us all try them straight off the tree - so delicious!!

We arrived back at 8pm just as the sun was setting. This made the last part of the ride both stunning, as you watched the brilliant pink and orange display as the sun disappeared into the water, but also a bit hair raising, as there were parts where you rode with the sun directly into your eyes and pretty much couldn’t see what was in front of you! It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip and I would recommend it to anyone who gets a chance to go.

Yesterday I sadly left Rethymnon for a short overnight stay in Heraklion on my way for a week of horseriding in Avdou. I hear the internet connection is not very good there so may not post again until after my week with the donkeys :)