Views of Crete

Chania's Old Harbour taken from the Venetian bastion on the sea wall










The Old Harbour at night under a full moon and taken through my apartment window











The Old Harbour Lighthouse.

View of Chania Old City from atop one of the Venetian battlements








View from my villa in Almyrida as a storm moves in across the mountains.














The White Mountains as seen from the east balcony of my villa.There are balconies on all sides as the summers are so hot one moves with the sun seeking the shady side. Most of the year the villas are open and people live mostly outdoors.

The beech at Almyrida- about a 5 minute walk from my villa











I took this picture from the village of Plaka above Almyrida, which is in the bay to the left but hidden by the ridge. The village of Kalyves is at the top of the bay.





I came upon this scene walking in Kalyves. I have no idea what they were made up for but they sure were pretty.

These cisterns are part of the Aptera site- a Roman fortified town that existed here for about 500 years to help guard the entrance to Souda Bay which is the harbour that brought all empires here. The Americans  maintain a large naval and air force base here that is just across the bay from where I am. It was from here that Canadian pilots flew in the recent NATO military effort to support the Libyan rebels.








This is a view from Aptera looking down in the olive orchards of Kalyves

Souda Bay from Aptera













The mountains are barren places swarming with goats and sheep. This is a view toward a mountain village in western Crete on the Rodopos Peninsula









A view of the Cretan Sea east of Kolimbari. I look at the map and see it is only 20 kilometers to such and such a place. However it may take 40 minutes do those 20k as most roads here mean it is 2nd gear travel, and if I get into 3rd, it won't be for long. This is not the place of a nervous driver or passenger.







The orchards are incredible.

This view is of the Meleme area where the German paratrooper attack came in during 1941.

About 4000 German soldiers died in these fields during that opening attack that began the Battle of Crete.






These fields are high up on one of the mountain plateaus. The farms on Crete are lush and planting goes on all year round. Right now the olive harvest in concluding and the oranges are coming ripe.










This is the view of the Libyan Sea.


The Commonwealth soldiers, during the Battle of Crete, retreated through this pass, down these slopes are were then recovered by the British Navy.

12,000 were taken prisoner during this retreat and almost 2000 were killed.

Another mountain village. Note the deep canyons that the mountain road twists its way through.

A portion of road 37 kilometers long took me over an hour to cover.






It is a great privilege to be in such a beautiful place full of history, great people, fabulous views and more.

This was my furthest point on today's road trip.

This is Plakias below me with its wonderful beach.