The monastery of Panagia Chrisoskalitissa, Our Lady of the Golden Step in English, is in the remote southwest of Crete just six Kilometres from the lovely lagoon beach of Elafonisi. And it is glorious. Panagia Chrisoskalitissa Monastery I took this photograph when the sunset happened and thank heavens I had my camera to hand for…
Here in Crete, we have a relatively large collection of incredible jalopies – most still on the road. Some of them go back forty years and consist basically of a rotovator without the blades with a seat and trailer on the back. Later they joined the front engine to the trailer and then we had,…
You may remember me writing about the new dam that is designed to provide water for Rethymnon. Well, now, at least for about a month or two, the new Potamoi Dam is closed, and the water has risen. It has risen slowly so that they can continue rearranging the roads that will soon be flooded. Not just…
I guess that you all know by now that the Island of Crete has a huge number of wildflowers. Many are found only in Crete. It is in the springtime that these flowers mostly burst out into their individual beauty. And that is when I’m on the prowl with my trusty camera. These pictures were…
We decided to visit the Skinakas Observatory. Here is the blurb info: “The Skinakas Observatory is located on the peak of Skinakas at an altitude of 1750 m., a few kilometres after Anoyia and 60 km from Heraklion. The Skinakas Observatory has been built and operates as part of a scientific research collaboration between the…
I was very pleased to get our olive harvest in and pressed when I did because this last Cold Snap just beggar’s belief. This morning the cat’s water that we leave outside was frozen solid. Two inches of ice in a place where we never hardly ever approach zero centigrade never mind get to minus…
Last year we harvested the olives pretty early, the first couple of weeks in November and the oil was great, if a little peppery. This year we waited a little until the day after New Years day, the first week in January for the olive harvest. This time we had an Incredible Olive Harvest much…
To provide further context and respond to a few requests, I will share two photographs of the signs near this impressive new dam. These signs offer valuable information about the dam, its purpose, and other relevant details.These signs of the dam, with their detailed inscriptions, serve as informative guides, offering insights into the dam’s construction,…
At this time of year, the second half of November, all who own olive orchards start to think of the Olive Harvesting to come and the olives to be pressed into beautiful oil. We have thirty two olive trees and last year there were plenty of olives to be harvested. We chose the easy way,…
The Rains Have Come Well, the rains have now come to northern Crete certainly. Although there were some hailstones falling in Iraklion, here in northwest Crete we have had just the Gentle Raindrops that always come every autumn. I love it when the rain comes. The earth that summer baked hard is now soft and…
What is the Crete Messara Plain and Why is it so Special? The Messara Plain is a picturesque landscape on the Greek island of Crete. It is known for its stunning natural beauty and its unique combination of high mountains, rolling hills, and wide open plains. The area is home to a variety of wildlife,…
