When life gives you lemons...

pick them!

and make lemonade :].

KITTENS!!

I'm melting. 

Deeeefinitely melting.  

This little man turns me into a giant puddle of mush; look at his face!!  Yes, these little guys have suddenly turned me into the crazy cat lady.  I'm okay with it.  There are three of them and they're just a few weeks old.  Two of the cats here gave birth at the same time to a total of seven kittens.  There are now only three kittens left because one of the mama cats decided to EAT four of the other mama's children.  Yes, I said it.  Apparently this is not an uncommon fate for cats that are sick or weak.  Survival of the fittest!  Darwin was right.

Jennie doesn't know it yet, but this guy is coming in my carry-on next month.

I'm dreaming, right?

Where, oh where, to begin.  I got home late last night from a 24hr trip to Sitia, a city located on the east side of Crete, which is about a 4hr drive from where I am staying on the west side in Chania.   I was invited to go with Jenny Moody (an archaeologist who's been living/studying here for 30+yrs), McKay, and Jenny's friend/old colleague, Tamara.  We went to an ancient Minoan dinner on the sea and were guided around Minoan ruins from over 3,000 years ago.  The following day McKay and I hiked the Gorge of Richtis, which, turns out, actually meant hiking through pages of the most enchanted fairy-tale ever written... or unwritten, for that matter.  I'll let the millions of photos do the talking.  The Minoan dinner and enchanted fairy-tale, however, have to wait until another post.  I'm heading into the city right now with McKay and Dimitris to meet with a tattoo artist (!!!!!) and enjoy the night.  Really quick, before we go, I HAVE to share the high (with whoever is reading this) that I am still on from the paradise we went to today.

I'm only two weeks into this journey and every single day has been like nothing I'd ever imagined.  Here's why:

The duo.

Look to the left and you'll see where we climbed down.

That's me!  

Winding home.  The inlet down to the right is where we were.

Beaming light of relief signifying that we did not fall off the cliff.  

Kalimera!

Good morning!  I woke up a bit earlier today and did yoga on the veranda with Mr. Adolfos.

The sun is already well overhead and the sound of Cicada's and birds are swarming the air.  Silence is not something that exists around here; at least not during the weeks of summer when the cicada's are alive and well.  I'd never heard of them until arriving in Crete.  They're flying insects that look a bit like grasshoppers or crickets and make a constant chirping and rattling sound that overpowers any conversation taking place  nearby.  One cicada, two cicada, three cicada, a thousand!  Cicada's are the soundtrack of my summer.  

Sunset and Chocolate Cake

Koukouvagia.

Dinner is served.

I slept until 2:30 or so today; my body is no longer on a schedule of any sorts.  Dimitri and I went to the beach around 4 and stayed for a few hours.  I finished The Alchemist and had it on my mind and in conversation with D for the next few hours.  We came home after 7 to shower and head out for the sunset, which we didn't quite make.  He took me to a place called Koukouvagia, which means 'owl' in English.  It's a restaurant/bar/cafe (as most places are in Chania/Crete) that has the most extraordinary panoramic view of Chania and the sea.  It's also adorned with the coolest owl-themed artwork, which I'll have to take pictures of next time we go.  Since day one of being here I have been hearing from Dimitris and Haris about Koukouvagia's amazing, to die for, warm chocolate cake that is served with vanilla ice cream.  I'm usually not a chocolate cake fan but I have never, ever, in my life tasted any kind of cake that was as delicious as this.  The two of us didn't manage to finish a single slice if that gives you any idea how filling and rich it was. 

We did our best to catch the sunset before it went behind the mountain but by the time we got to Koukouvagia it had already gone down.  The sky, however, was still illuminated with the brightest and warmest colors you could imagine.  We ate on the patio, which overlooks the entire city and coast of Chania to the left,  and a vast, open sea to the right.  Once again: I'm in paradise.

At least we caught the sunset from the car...

This was taken from the car and it's such a bummer that it's blurry!

The left-side view from Koukouvagia

The right-side view from Koukouvagia

The wind.

It's 1:15am and still about 85 degrees.  I just came inside from laying on the hammock, where I had been since 7 or 8 this evening.  The weather here does not change a bit, but right now there are warm and strong winds coming in from Egypt.  There is something overpowering about the sound and power of the wind, rocking the hammock back and forth, rustling the leaves above me and making the shutters creak.  It was quite fitting for the book I was reading:  The Alchemist.  It has been living on my book shelf for years and every time I've picked it up to read I always end up putting it down.  I packed it in my suitcase for the summer and since pulling it out on the hammock this morning, I have been glued to it.  I can already think of a handful of people that I want to give this book to; if you've read it, you'll understand why.  I'm really not sure why I've been staring at it for so many years but never gave it a chance.  It's an easy read; if you haven't already read it, you will absolutely take something away from it.

 

Today was extremely relaxing.  I realize that I'm spoiled here and each day is filled with TLC in some form, but today I had a lot of quiet time and a lot of alone time.  I laid on the hammock when I woke up and did some yoga on the veranda.  I went to the beach for a few hours with D, Haris and McKay, and met up with some of their cousins (who are the kindest of Greek women that I have met thus far).  We swam for awhile and I pulled out my book, which, despite the language barrier, had been read by almost everyone in the group.  Today was the most relaxed I've been at the beach.  Maybe hard to imagine, I know, but my mind has been quite restless and has had so much time to think about everything and anything under the sun.  Finally turning to a book -- this one in particular -- reminded me that the whole point of being here is to actually be here; to live and to enjoy.


After the beach I showered in my favorite oasis and had dinner at home.  It didn't take much time at all and I was back in the hammock under the still hot and beaming sun, listening to the birds chirp and staring out at the city and the sea.  The time spent in that hammock is starting to feel like meditation.  I put my book down and fell asleep for awhile, waking up to a water-colored sky of warm pinks and oranges.  It is so beautiful here, and right now all of the energy in my body is focused on nothing but noticing and appreciating just how beautiful it is... from the color of the water to the old stones that lay every path.  The Alchemist and the tranquility of everything around me has finally put me at so much ease.  I spent hours in the hammock tonight, staring up at the stars through the grape leaves, thinking of how many amazing people have come into my life in one form or another.  Life at home in the States is so... go, go, go.  Sometimes I feel like I never have the minute (or am bad at time management) to tell all of those people how appreciative I am of them... the same appreciation I have for the beauty that I've been awestruck by every single day here.  I have all the time in the world right now to have my eyes wide open, to see all the little things that I may have missed if my brain were already rushing on to the next moment that hasn't even arrived.  I'm remembering and realizing -- all at the same time -- that no matter where I go in the world it's still me and my heart that I'm traveling with; one that is already filled with so many amazing people who have been the reasons that I constantly find myself in the situations that I do, like laying in a hammock in Greece knowing that I have the entire summer ahead of me to do whatever it is feels right.  The Alchemist talks about pursuing ones "Personal Legend," and for those of you who have read it, I'm starting to think that because of the journey life has taken me on over the past handful of years, and the people it has allowed me to love and grow with along the way, that I am actually following whatever "Personal Legend" belongs to me and my life.  I've never read a book that made so much inherent sense or had me pausing at so many points to stair up at the sky and think. 


This island is magical and the summer has only yet begun.

Where to begin...

Today marks day 11 of being in Greece!  All sense of time has gone completely out the window.  I've wanted to write down my adventures each day but have spent the past week and a half processing and letting everything soak in. Every day I feel like I'm living a dream... one that definitely deserves to be written down and shared, so, from here on out I'm going to make this blogging thing a habit. I'm doing a quick recap of first week and half up until now and then hopefully will be able to hop on here each night. 

Day 1:

After two days of travel through Iceland and Germany I landed in Chania on the island of Crete, which is where I am living this summer with Dimitri and his family.  Dimitri and I were housemates when I lived in San Francisco; we haven't seen or spoken with each other in two years but have kept in touch solely on Facebook (woohoo, FB).   D picked me up from airport and took me directly to Loutraki - which, so far, is one of my favorite beaches in Crete.  Between two days of travel, flying to the other side of the world, seeing a very good friend for the first time in years and literally being driven from a plane to paradise, well, you can imagine why I've been spending a week or so processing.  We spent the day at Loutraki swimming and sunbathing and I spent the day being surrounded by butterflies, drinking frappe and being told that I am going to have nothing short of the best summer ever, thanks to Dimitri :]. All of this threw any jet-lag I had right out the window.  After Loutraki we drove home to what is now the most charming and enchanting place I have ever been - no exaggeration necessary.  The background of this blog and all of the photos at the bottom are from around the house on different levels, porches, nooks and crannies.  I explored a bit, met the family and headed into Chania for dinner with Dimitri and a bunch of his friends.   

Loutraki

Lots of new faces... first night at dinner. 

                                                                         

Day 2:

We got home from the night before around 3 or 4am and slept well into the morning, only to wake up to more frappe and change into our bathing suits.  Quite opposite from the day before, we went to a pool bar in Chania with more good company.  First of all, the number of beautiful people in Greece is a tad overwhelming.  Secondly, the amount of time these women must spend in the gym is also very overwhelming; most of the time it's like watching models walk straight out of a magazine.  Twilight zone, really.  After swimming and drinking coffee literally all day, we came home to shower/rest/nap and head out to Chania again for dinner.  Dimitri has a twin brother that works at a restaurant near the harbor, which has become a favorite nightly spot with delicious food and cheap drinks.  I tried snails for the first time and learned some key Greek phrases like: "thank you", "excuse me", "more wine please", and "I like threesomes" (thank you, boys). 

Pool bar... lots of fun but I prefer the sea.

Snails, wine, Greek. 

 

                                                                            

Day 3:

  

This is when the routine starts to become clear.  We spent the morning sleeping in and woke up to put on our bathing suits and head to the beach for a day of coffee drinking, swimming and sunbathing.  We usually stay out at the beach until 6 or 7pm and, like always, head home to rest/shower/nap and sometimes eat.  Then once again we were off to the harbor in Chania to catch the last of the sunset and meet up with friends for another night of people watching, chatting, drinking and me trying to understand Greek.  

Savvy Beach

Sunset on the harbor.

Vagellis and Babis

                                                                          

Day 4:

This was another beach day but my pictures (and brain) are pretty scrambled.  We ended the night with a night swim to see the moon and check out the constellations... and to celebrate D's birthday once midnight rolled around!  Beaches (much like driving) do not have any regulations;  there is no fear of getting caught or fined for being anywhere "after dusk".

Just a tad chilly.

                                                                          

Day 5:

Loutraki!  This was also Dimitri + Haris' birthday but that is celebrated on Day 8 :].  Dimitri, McKay (who is living here for the summer, as well, to study archaeology) and I spent the day laying in the sun, drinking more coffee, swimming in the sea and exploring/climbing/jumping from rocks around the coast.  We napped after the beach, had dinner at Haris' restaurant and then I went to work with Dimitri from 12am-8am at The Web - a 24 internet cafe in Chania.  I was a legit zombie by the time 6am rolled around so I grabbed the camera and decided to catch the sunrise on the harbor and explore some of the extremely quaint streets of Chania.  Then, at 8am, it was time to head home and off to bed for a few hours.  

Perfect description of summer in Crete.

Loutraki.

Sunrise in the harbor.

Walking down the street in Chania's old harbor.

                                                                            

Day 6:

You'll never guess... we slept for a few hours in the morning and were at another beach drinking coffee within 45 minutes of waking up.  We spent another day at the beach and returned home to shower/rest for a few hours.  Dimitri worked again at midnight so McKay and I got dropped off in town and learned our way around the city a bit, grabbed a beer from the street vendor (definitely American of us) and found an empty bench on a cobblestone sidewalk to sit and chat for awhile.  Eventually we walked over to Haris' work to say hello and then to visit Dimitri at his.  Haris picked us up from The Web around 4am and gave us a ride home on his bike.  I was SO excited to ride on a motorcycle for the first time.  This was one of those goose-bump moments... riding home on the back of a motorcycle, under the moon, on a warm summer night in Greece.  I'm dreaming, right?  

                                                                          

Day 7:

This day was spent sleeping in (sensing a theme?) and relaxing around the house.  These have come to be some of my favorite days.  Being home here is like being on a retreat.  Everything is so naturally beautiful and charming.  I wrote in my journal, took some pictures, watched the sunset from the veranda and then went into Chania with D and McKay to meet some friends for coffee and drinks on the water.  

Soaked. I won't be walking down any more stairs when the tide is in...  

                                                                            

Day 8:

BBQ for Haris and Dimitri's birthday!  Everyone spent the day eating and drinking outside at the house.  Let me just say I have never seen (or eaten!) so much meat in my ENTIRE LIFE.  This whole vegetarian thing has vanished for the time-being, at least while I am in Crete.  It turns out that we don't eat that often here, but when we do, we eat.  By the time it was dark we were all in a food coma.  Babis (a friend of the boys) brought his computer and set it up on the veranda for a movie night.  Perfect end to a day stuffed with food, wine and laughs.

Happy Birthday!

                                                                            

Day 9

 

ELAFONISI!!  I cannot begin to describe how incredible and breathtaking this beach is, so I'm just going to post you some photos.  Elafonisi is about an hour and a half away from where I am staying so we left "early" in the morning (11 or 12) with D's car and Haris' bike.  McKay and I each took a turn riding on the bike, which apparently makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.   The drive to the beach is through the mountains on very high and very narrow roads, so it's a lot of winding and turning as you literally carve your way up the mountain and down the other side.  Almost all of the drive is on a single-lane road with two way traffic, a few fun little patches on the mountain side that do not have guard rails, and a short (but dark and narrow) tunnel that has a single lane but serves traffic both ways.  Needless to say, the ride itself is half the experience. 

Stopped to take in the view on our way through the mountains.  The little black hole on the right side is the entrance to the one-lane tunnel.

On the way home, still taking in the view.

Essential.

Dinner with D to top off an amazing day :].

                                                                          

Day 10 and 11 will have to wait until tomorrow.  Well, seeing as it's 5:45am I suppose I should say they'll have to wait til later today.  My sleep schedule is just a biiit off.  Goodnight!