Crete, Greece

We traveled to yet another distinctively beautiful corner of the world: Crete, the largest island in Greece. The airport we flew into (Heraklion) is completely chaotic in the way that all island airports seem to be. The difference with this airport, however, is that from it you can see glittering Mediterranean just about a football field away. 

We stayed up in the mountains of western Crete about 45 minutes from the nearest city, Rethymno. Our house was made completely of stone (built over a hundred years ago) and was my favorite spot from which to watch the sunset. Mornings were slow, with the sound of the cicadas to ease us into the day over our mugs of coffee and tea. Our little rental Lancia SUV handled the hairpin turns and rocky unpaved cliffhanging roads into town with more grace than I expected from a manual. The most traffic we encountered was a herd of goats (see below).

Driving around Crete is magnificent - the landscape changes so rapidly from mountain to glittering Mediterranean and white sand beaches. (Dad, you're right, the water is a perfect turquoise and crystal-clear!). Next time I come to Crete, road trip around the whole island is a must.

Rethymno was a labyrinth of little alleys punctuated by overflowing floral canopies and colorful doors. Each restaurant we visited served homemade dishes with everything from the vegetables to the olive oil to the meat and cheese supplied by the family's own farm (or another local farm). The food as a result was totally delicious. Perhaps it's just my Mediterranean roots speaking, but I could eat nothing but Cretan food and die a happy (and healthy) human.

PS - temperatures got as hot as 107°F!!! (Hence my scarf made into a dress — it was just too hot for real clothes!!!).