Poulsbo Book Club Connection

We had a great visit from friends in Poulsbo connected with the Book Club that Suzanna has been fortunate to be a part of for many years.  It is so nice to share this place with friends.

We didn’t have much time, but managed to get to the south coast, eat Sfakian Pies (in the car, in the rain), no view of the Imbros Gorge that day, but it was lovely when we got to the coast.  Our picture reflects the wild weather of rain, sun, rainbows, and misty clouds.

We spent quite a bit of time walking in Chania, going to museums, and we managed to get rained on.  Once again we ate food!  We hope our friends enjoyed their time and that we did not wear them out too much.

Friends by the Venetian moat in Chania.

Lunch at the Monasteraki Taverna

A street in the Castelli part of Chania.  This was where the Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Minoan cities were located.

Old doorway in the Castelli.

Rough water at Chania water front promenade.  Water was sloshing up on the walk way.  Usually this sort of thing happens in the winter, not in September.

Bookies outside the book store!

The rest of the group.

Chania from the hill east of town.  We had coffee at a coffee shop overlooking the city.  We sat outside and shivvered.

But the sky scape was stunning.

Rainbow on the south coast.

Souda Bay from the Turkish fortress at Aptera.

Looking east along Souda Bay from Aptera.

Sisters and Sisters

Julie and I had a great time, just the two of us.  But we could have been more organized, so we ended up missing some things because they were closed before we got there.  I took the whole week off that she was here.  We took a long trip to the eastern part of Crete where she had never been before.   This was her second visit to see us and her fourth time to Crete.  I think she likes it here.  I'm hoping she is able to come once more before we leave.

Morning coffee overlooking Chania.

Trip to the Botanical Park

Grape Arbor at the Botanical Park

Grapes at the Botanical Park.  We hand lunch here, they served fried olives and tomatoes.  Julie really like them and has been making them for herself.

Kritsa from our Hotel room

View from our drive north of Aghios Nicolaus

View with solar panels

View of shore line north of Aghios Nicolaous

The small island is Spinalonga.  It has a fortress on it that was used most recently as home to a Leper Colony.  The colony closed in the 1950s.

The village where you take the boat to Spinalonga.

The pier where we caught the boat

Julie enjoying the ride.

The boat ride.

Spinalonga from the boat.

Inside the Spinalonga Fortress.

Julie hiking on Spinalonga.

Spinalonga

Spinalonga

Spinalonga main gate.

Pretty tree on Spinalonga

Bastion at Spinalonga

I can't remember where this was taken.

Sisters at Meso Potami Lasithi

Taverna decorated with tomatoes.

And pumpkins

Sisters with wine and Raki

Tourist stop near the Lashithi Plain

We did not Ascend the stairs, but I am curious.

Dinner at home.  Unfortunately it wasn't as good as it looks!

Just Lee and Us

We continued to eat as much as possible.  Thassa the dog ate many pairs of flip flops.  Lee and Grier spent day after long summer day going swimming, drawing, and reading, bike riding, playing music, and playing backgammon.    I went to work.

We went on two camping trips together.  The highlight of one was watching a Cycada turn from a grub to a winged insect.  Three chairs around a tree, in the dark, and a flash light and an hour and a half later it had wings.  We were so hungry we had to make the 10 steps to the taverna before we saw it fly away.  I checked on it later and it was gone, so it must have flown up into the tree.  The highlight of our other camping trip was playing games with friends at the taverna and swimming by moonlight.  We are forever spoiled concerning camping.  I’m not sure if we still be able to convince ourselves to go to a campground that isn’t on the beach and doesn’t have a built in Taverna complete with all the usual suspects (Greek salad, souvlaki, tzaziki, boiled greens, fresh French fries, wine, Raki…) about 10 steps away from our camp site!

Grier and Lee went on a 10 day driving tour of Crete and to a wind surfing camp. I went to work.  It’s a good thing I like my job.  The summer flew by and then our trio came to an end.  Grier and Lee left for the states in mid-August.  It was painful to see them go but I had the fun of preparing for a visit from my sister Julie.  She was only here for a week, but there was no grass growing under our feet and I didn’t work.  We continued to eat.  

An outing and  nice luck in a mountain will age.  Thassa is being a good dog under the table.

Sheep pipes at Omalos Plateau

Angelic Leland in the 4,000 year old Olive tree

Our campsite at No Problem Campground

View of Aghia Galini from the beach next to No Problem camp ground

Aghia Galini

Grier and Lee waiting for me

Moon from Aghia Galini

Agia Triada Minoan Site

Pretty beach on the south coast

Nice view of the south coast