Revisiting Crete after 20 years🌲
There are places on earth that leave an indelible mark on your memory. Crete definitely falls into this category.
I first set my eyes on this Greek beauty more than twenty years ago and immediately fell in love with it. Time has altered its landscapes but my feelings for this island remain the same.
For there is something about the island of Crete that takes your breath away. Crete is a land of many firsts for me: first trip abroad while living in France; first perfect swim without any lifebuoys in unforgettable Loutro; first hiking experience that left me stunned for days.
I can still remember the heady feeling of floating on salty water and realising that I could go on and on without sinking. Memories of Omalos and how we got lost in its expanses still haunt my travel narratives. For good reason, Greek food still strikes a sweet chord with me whenever I encounter it. Stuffed grape leaves are no longer my favourite but during that first trip, I ate these delicacies every single day, even when I returned to France and I had to find tinned ones, desperately, hopelessly.
In those days, tourists graced the island with their presence, yet one did not have the bone-chilling feeling that they were invading it. During our walks, we exchanged little pleasantries with many backpackers on different hiking trails, making our ordeal lighter.
This time round we could count the hikers we met on the fingers of one hand.
Unsurprisingly!
For a lot has changed in Crete in twenty years. Soaring temperatures have turned a once loveable hiking haven into a living nightmare. Needless to say, it was way more difficult to hike this year due to the inhospitable conditions.
Unbeknownst to us, a week before our trip, six hikers had died in Greece due to the sweltering heat. That was about mid-June.
By the way, we expressly chose this month because we wanted to walk in good climatic conditions. We had 3.6 litres of water each and filled our bottles whenever we could. Shockingly, at the end of the day, even that was not enough.
Yet, what remains in my mind is not the stifling heat but the pungent and pervading smell of sage in the Agia Irini Gorge that constantly reminded me of ‘the poulet à la sauge’ that I used to cook every week in our small flat in Suresnes.
My taste buds are yet to recover from the welcoming assault of delicious Greek food in all its splendour: fresh salads and seafood, roasted lamb, crispy French fries, yoghurt with honey, savoury pastries and juicy watermelons. Not forgetting the freshly squeezed orange juice! Yummy!
Sights of the beautiful oleander trees with their lovely mixture of green and pink shades remain etched in my mind.
The pristine turquoise waters of Elafonisi Beach and the unbelievable transparent and clean spring water in the Samaria Gorge are treasures to be jealously guarded.
A surreal and hilarious experience it was to stumble upon mountain goats perching on unusual places. It was surely something worth contemplating.
What about the splendid and spellbinding tales of the Minoan civilisation? Simply incredible!
This is a trip I will never forget.
As I walked and looked at the island with new eyes, it dawned on me that this place would always have a special place in my heart.
The towering mountains and the vast expanses of the sea, left me reeling with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I staggered at the magnitude of it all.
It was then that I understood why the first inhabitants of this island had been compelled to create myths in order to make sense of the world around them.
Right there, it was easy to put myself in the shoes of a Cretan and fully immerse myself in the tales of Zeus, the king of gods, who is said to have been born in a cave on the island of Crete after all.
What was it like for the Cretans who lived on the island way before international travel by airplanes and the internet?
How did these Cretans feel as they looked at the horizon and imagined what lay on the other side? Were they terrified? Did they feel the wonder of the world they had been given?
Today, Crete has lost none of its majestic touch. You feel it when the plane arrives in Heraklion and you are greeted by the blue waters that seem so within reach. You definitely feel it when you leave the island and notice the other dots of islets littered along the way. What an incredible work of nature!
Yet, I do not know if I will ever visit the island of Crete again. I am not sure if my feet will ever step back on this beautiful rocky island and feel the crunch of gravel as I make my way up a mountain. I surely do not know if I will ever hear the rhythmic cries of cicadas on a hot afternoon.
It seems right to leave the island untainted and not contribute to its further destruction as hordes of tourists claim its piece or peace every year.
Nevertheless, I hold on to the memories of my last two trips. I hold on to the tales of Apollo, Poseidon and Rhea.
Stories are a good way to keep one’s memories alive and to experience the unattainable. Stories are relics of what we have lived, seen and done.
This is all that remains of our fleeting journey on earth. This is enough to last a lifetime.
🌷🌷🌷
Extract from my diary in Crete: Wednesday, 26th June, 2024
I am sitting under the shade of a magnificent tree. There are four trees of the same species. The trunks are painted in white. I guess it is to keep insects or other tree-unfriendly bugs away. Twenty years ago, I would have assumed that this was for decoration purposes.
Yes, it’s 2024. I remember that I kept a diary too when I came here with Sweetie just a few years after our wedding. I don’t remember much about our first trip but coming here seems to bring back those fond memories.
Talking about memories, we came across a man and his family at the restaurant overlooking the pebble beach. He came to our table thrice and asked us so many questions about our trip in Crete. He seemed really curious and also didn’t forget to tell us that he was asking all those unusual questions out of curiosity.
We learnt that he’d done the same trip we were doing ten years ago. He walked with his daughters too and we seemed to have stirred up some emotions dating to that period. He was vividly moved.
(…)
We met very few hikers and many or most of them were French. However there were a lot of beachgoers who wanted to enjoy the beautiful sights. My God, the beaches were stunning! The water was crystal-clear and its shade was turquoise. It was almost unbelievable. A couple of times, we wanted to enter into the water and just relax there but we had to get going.
Many people, surprisingly trekked to the remote parts of the beach that could only be reached on foot or by boat. A beautiful reward awaited them there so it was worth the effort.
Elafonisi Beach is known for its pink sands and delightful waters. Actually, many tourists left Chania with us on the bus for a day’s visit. This is why they bought return-tickets. It’s a popular beach that should be seen at least once in one’s lifetime.
Even the coastal road from Chania to the beach offered its share of excitement with its twists and turns. There was even a moment when the bus had to pass through a very narrow part of the road. Luckily enough, everything went well and we arrived safe and sound.
We also managed to have a beautiful, hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon before our trek which would take us at least eight and a half hours to complete. When we reached the last leg of the trip, tired but hopeful, we met a friendly French couple with their teenage daughter. We asked them if there was a possibility of getting a car once we left the E4 trail. They offered to take us to our destination. We couldn’t believe our luck for a second!
Even up to now, I can’t imagine what we would have done if we hadn’t met this gracious couple.
(…)
🌺🌺🌺
All in all the 25th of June was an eventful day never to be forgotten! It equalled our trip to Omalos more than twenty years ago and brought back many memories.
During this trip, I see so many old couples and imagine Sweetie and I when we are retired.
This morning, we spent a good chunk of our time at the beach. The good thing is that our breakfast gave us free access to the well-guarded and maintained beaches.
Yesterday’s trip in Crete had its fair share of scares: the heat, the sharp cliffs and the wind. Sometimes, one could imagine what an unfortunate slip of the foot could result into unimaginable tragedy. I actually fell at the beginning of the trail and scratched my calves. My youngest daughter fell too and hurt her knees. I thank God that we made it safely to Paleochora.
This hike tested our resilience and stamina. When the path became steeper, I could feel my heart beating fast. My breath also got shorter and I just waited to get it over and done with.
I coped by taking my time, listening to language podcasts and day-dreaming.
To sum everything up, I will never forget this trip. It was stunning and breathtaking. I greatly enjoyed the sights and never stopped filming or taking photos. I think I will create a great video of Crete with the footage I took!
Further Exploration: Stepping Back into Time: Revisiting the Stunning Island of Crete after More than 20 Years, Level B1-B2
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Blog Article: Stepping Back into Time: Revisiting the Stunning Island of Crete after More than 20 Years, Level B1-B2 © Learn English With Africa, September 2024
