Life in Paleochora, Crete

Paleochora, Crete

J:  Our current stop is Paleochora, a fishing village of less than 2,500, on the southern coast of Crete and a two hour bus ride from Chania.  Paleochora sits on a small peninsula 700 yards long and 400 yards wide extending into the Mediterranean.  The ruins of a 12th century fortress are at the far end of the spit.  The west side has a long sandy beach, filled with rentable recliners and umbrellas (5 Euros per day for a couple), while on the opposite side of the peninsula there is a small pebble beach and a long rocky seawall.  The town consists of three streets: a road along on each side of the peninsula and a road bisecting the middle.

Caravella Restaurant

G:  Once off the afternoon bus, we were advised to walk a few blocks to Caravella Restaurant, owned by George our new landlord...and people were gracious to point the way.  Two men met the bus on bicycle and asked if we needed a nice room.  Not creepy, just typical.  Luckily we had one though!  We had found this most amazing apartment online--probably a one of a kind in tiny Paleochora.  The landlord lives on the top floor of a six unit apartment building.  However, George spends most of  his life at his restaurant, right on the waterfront.   It is rated as one of the best fish restaurants in Greece.  We learned that shallow water fish have small eyes and deep water fish have big eyes--for seeing in the murky depths.  How could we have lived this long and not known this? 

Giant beans with wild greens, cheese stuffed artichokes, and meatballs

J:  Since we had not had breakfast, we were famished, so George took us inside and introduced us to the offerings of the day.   These 3 items were what we chose.   Everything was just delicious.  George bragged about the fresh fish which the restaurant's fishing boat catches each morning.  But we were a little shocked when the menu price for each fish dish (about 8 varieties are offered) was 45 Euros (almost US$60).  We quickly decided to order three appetizers for a total of less than 10 Euros!!
Later we learned that the price for the fish was a per kilo price.  Most of the whole grilled fish are about 200 grams or roughly 12 Euros and are prepared for two guests.  We're thinking about trying it this Sunday!

We're on the 2nd floor

G:  When we were done, George popped us into his van and drove us to the bluff at the base of the peninsula  to his Caravella apartments.  They looked just like online.  One year old, the pictures say it all.  And the same price as our disappointing apartment in Agios Nikolaos...And we get maid service every day, clean towels every 2 days and clean sheets every 3 days.  I told him he was going to spoil us!

King sized!

Small but functional

Won't need the fireplace, but we welcomed the comfy reading chairs!

Simple IKEA-style furnishings

Balcony with recliner chairs

The view east from Paleochora

G:  Travel writer Paul Theroux in Pillars of Hercules, a Grand Tour of the Mediterranean,  wrote "But tourists did not really go to Greece for the history; they went for the sunshine, and these cautioning signs were in many cases meant to restrain north Europeans who in the Greek warmth became militant nudists--Germans especially!"  The term militant nudists has caused us to giggle over and over here...part of the beach is a self-proclaimed nudist beach.  As one gets nearer the snack shack, a giant sign proclaims in English "NO NUDISM HERE.  KEEP THE BEACH CLEAN"  Within yards of the sign, the militant nudists are busy getting their share of the Greek warmth!  Guess they can't read English or are just militant enough to ignore the sign!.

Looking back from Paleochora spit at the long sandy beach and our apartment on the hillside

G:  Now is our time to get more walking in--without a car, we are walking to town, to the beach below and uphill coming home!  It is serene here, there is  a gaggle of  retired tourists, but there is a sense that the season is winding down.  It is October, after all!  Two competing supermarkets have everything you could want, including fabulous fresh local produce.  Several outdoor cafes and restaurants, 2 laundromats--one inside a hardware store, the other one part of a travel agency so you can schedule excursions while you wait for your clothes!  What a marketing idea! Wash and dry is $9-10E per load.
Next up:  The Cretan Diet and more!  We're here until Oct.18-- reading, playing guitar, enjoying the sea, making plans for the next place....  Love to read your comments on anything we've sent so far!  There is a place at the end of each blog. Wish you all were here!