Adventures in Crete – Part 3

From the south coast we headed to the 3rd largest city on Crete, Rethymno. It reminded us a little bit of Hania (Venetian influence and harbor) but it didn’t capture our interest in the same way. I think we were a little tired from the bus travel over the course of the day.

We stayed at a cozy little place in the center of town called Pension Olga. It had some pretty funky décor that gave it an interesting ambiance. Stella and her husband George run the pension and the adjoining café that served up our breakfast the next morning. It was a great meal and we were so thankful for free refills on coffee!

We were only in Rethymno for one night and part of the next day. Stella directed us to the open air market adjacent to the beach by the harbor. It was a bustling Thursday morning and we were surprised to see a variety of fresh fruit, seafood and rabbits for sale. We took advantage of getting some apricots and mandarins (which were so good) but passed on the live animals.

On a whim, we decided to take a bus up into the mountains to visit a traditional Cretan village called Anogia. Our bus left around 2 pm and we were definitely the only tourist types on it. We weren’t sure what we were getting in for but felt confident the bus ride would at least be an adventure. At one point the driver apparently almost left some one behind, but fortunately the elderly lady on the side of the road could yell loud enough to stop a herd of goats. She and the driver got into a verbal shouting match for a bit and the other passengers seemed to be voicing their own opinions as well. Another moment when we would like to have known more Greek.

We arrived at Anogia without further incident, enjoyed the view of the surrounding area, had a quick lunch/dinner and then caught a bus for Iraklio, the largest city in Crete. That evening we enjoyed walking down the sea wall as the sun set over the busy city. Just another day in Crete.

Tomorrow, Santorini!