Sleeping on a boat is always very comforting to me, even on a big ship. We awoke as the was coming into the port of Chania around 5:30am, still very dark. We disembarked and jumped on a city bus going to the center. I was regretting that I had not made advance reservations for a car rental. But I figured once the car rental offices opened we’d find something suitable. So we wandered around the old town of Chania which faces the water. All the tavernas were closed at 6:30 am but the sunrise was beautiful as it came up over the mountains and lit up the old buildings.
It was nice to wander around along the port and through the narrow streets when the shops are closed and there was little car and less foot traffic. Some of the buildings and the fortress were built by the Venetians. Chania is one of the nicer ports in the Greek islands.
At 8:00 the car rental offices started opening. We found one called Speedy Rentals and I thought I’d really scored when he said we could have a car for 3 days, unlimited kilometers, full insurance for 105 euros (about $50/day) after we’d just paid a lot more in Athens for a small car from Hertz. Well when they showed us the car I realized why it was a deal – this car must have 150, 000 miles, no hub cabs, dents and scrapes all around, smells like smoke, parts missing inside – as Julile would say “POS – a piece of shit”. Bill says “get in, there are no refunds and it won’t matter if we run into a wall”. So off we went. It actually drives well. This is my karma for dropping off a rental car in 2004 at 6:00am with a big scrape in the side – only Laura knows the true story and she’s not around to tell. It might have to do with driving down a very narrow alley late at night that wasn’t meant for cars.
So we are back in Crete where we have spent many lovely vacations since before we were married. My Uncle Yiannis owns a summer home in a small village in hills above Rethymon. The house is on a hill that looks down the valley to the sea. We eat all our meals outside. It’s a comforting place – like coming home in some ways. At dinner we reminiced about all the trips I’ve made here – while I was still in college(before Bill) and Yiannis was first married, for our honeymoon in 83 when we baptized their oldest son, in 87 before our kids were born and then again 97, 98, 2000 and 2002 all with our kids. Yiannis kids are not that much older than ours so those trips were a lot of fun with all six of them. Never came to Crete with either of my parents – Mom came several times in those baby years when we didn’t even think of overseas travels and then she died before our kids were old enough. One year I came for Easter with dear friend Laura – that was a great week full of funny stories.
Things are mostly the same – the village is hundreds of years old so the houses don’t change. There are still goats and chickens, cats and dogs with free rein of the neighborhood. It is very dark and quiet at night – except the cicadas. Actually there is something rustling around outside the window of this office – assuming its four legged and hoping its on the other side of the wall… Also no mosquitos this summer. Noone is sure why. The heat has broken here – we have all the windows open and have beautiful breezes.
Bill and Yiannis and I spent all day talking and catching up and look forward to a few restful days of doing more of the same. There are lots of books here and I plan to read, sleep, play online, take some walks and eat. Over the years we have been all over this wonderful island so I don’t feel the need to sightsee this time. Bonnie – I’ll post some pictures of the village tomorrow.
It’s late but I really want to get these pictures uploaded. Is it a bad sign if roosters are crowing and I’m still up?