About Clunegapyears

Travelling around Europe with James in our motorhome

1397-1505: A New Decade and Acts of Kindness

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Clunegapyears

Not wanting to sound soppy …. Both James and I are struck with how kind and helpful people are generally, but this last week has particularly humbled us.

1397: New Year’s Eve Festivities

Tuesday 31st December 2019

Walked on Sandy beach and then coffee and pastries. We left the street parking outside what may have been a council building; lots of folk going in and out, but sideways places at us – so with thanks to Paleochora…..

In convoy back to Kalives to load with water and then up to friend of a friend parking (again!). Act of Kindness No. 1: parking for us arranged by Julia. Self showered and off to Eleanore’s eatery at Drapanos. Act of Kindness No. 2: Thank you to June, Karl and Lars for inviting us. Conversation flowed, and the wine flowed faster! A little Greek dancing to the live band, but not much room for a dance floor as the place was rammed with diners. A testament to how relaxed andchilled the Greeks are … the kitchen couldn’t cope with the numbers … 90 covers for a small family restaurant, and hot food was still coming out at 1.00a.m. Important to the Greeks is that it is freshly cooked. A lot of tourists complain that starters arrive often with the main course and that it is not piping hot. It comes out of the kitchen when it is ready and most plates are for sharing.

We left at 2:00 am – the party was still in full swing – including 10 police officers and wives – drink driving??? “Chonia palla” to all – Happy New Year (sort of) – in Greek!!!

The sun out again for our walk on Sandy Beach …

… there was a cold wind so no-one was taking advantage of this being the nudist area.

At Eleanore’s … actually trying to capture the family with fine identical moustaches behind us!

1398: Enforced Easy Day

Wednesday 1st January 2020

Slow start and slow day. Can’s think why!!! Back down the hill to Kalives.

Dogs just got walked along the beach … more snow on them there hills.

1399: Doctor and Soup Making

Thursday 2nd January

Weather was really grim. Visited the good doctor to arrange hearing test for moi – pardon? Pm – coffee / wine with Ann and K making batch soup amounted to our sole activity! A continuing good start to 2020 – shall K ask me to marry her – again – leap year – I would leap at the answer…

1400: Chania Activity

Friday 3rd January

After two days of inertia and lack of activity. A trip to Chania for laundry and late lunch at an amazing restaurant – “Tamam” – which in Arabic means ‘excellent’ – how apposite?

N.B. I know laundry is usually undertaken in the twin tub, but the inclemency of the weather and not wishing to turn Jez into a 5 day long Chinese steam laundry, meant a paid for self service facility was required.

K met Ann for coffee and received post that had arrived at Ann’s Act of Kindness No. 3: this is the second time Ann has acted as post receiver for us … Valarian for Oscar. Not vallium … but similar!! The hope is that it will calm his anxiety and over excitement … fingers crossed.

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Tamam Restaurant, recommence by about 3 people. In old town Chania, so prices a little higher but excellent quality. A plate of mixed starters, then from the left … J’s veal, pork and cheese pie, Brian’s beef and aubergine puree, and K’s seabass with fennel sauce. All really yummy.

1401: A Lars Led Walk

Saturday 4th January

Blazing sunshine and warm – what a change…….Lars was tour guide for our river walk from Kalyves – as Brian was unwell, we took Zoa – who seemed to adopt me … Longest walk (11km) I have done for a year? Wonderful views of the snowy hills and then a glimpse of the sea. Through lots of orange groves … a man slowed his car and thrust his arm out of the window proffering a bag of oranges. We do like the Greeks. Not only did Lars guide the walk, he had baked a Swedish apple pie which we had with coffee. And we left with a chunky slab, a Swedish cheesecake and some lingonberry jam. Act of Kindness No. 4: Lars!

Act of Kindness No. 5: One of our recent friends from New Years Eve (Karl) arrived with a smokeless Bbq – he and K had been discussing kitchen gadgets at New Year – how kind is that – amazing! We just need some fuel and decent weather to test it!

The snow is definitely a little heavier, but so pretty with the sun on it.

A real contrast with the snow and the shirt sleeves only temperature amongst the olive groves.

Oscar and Zoa had a few stand offs and stick pinching moments … very entertaining!

Can’t wait to give this a go … batteries power an underneath fan so it is ready to cook in 5-10 mins and uses much less charcoal.

1402-1404: Wet and Windy

Sunday 5th January

Another day for battening down the hatches….supper with Lars at Icarus…. the menu was a bit limited and white wine ran out so red was a good substitute! Michelle showed a mug she bought Michaelis – the inscription was “I can’t keep calm … I’m a Greek man!”

As the wind speeds increased, we moved Jez – We’re getting good at this – “CluneVanRemovals”???

Monday 6th January

K had developed a cold – so a bit of a duvet day for her – poor lamb – not even a ‘girlyflu’… I manfully stepped up the plate and plated (nice pun, J) a sort of meal……’great balls of fire’ – well, great balls of meat with a sweet potato and a few leaves of cabbage. I’m now awaiting the call from ‘DastardlyChef’…….. Act of Kindness No. 6: Brian kept us topped up with coffees and chocolate!

Tuesday 7th January

“Revicanusenlome” (anagram) moved Jez back to our beach wild camping place. K and Brian had a wet and windy walk with dogs around the head at Plaka. Supper with Brian … K’s take on a Greek classic … pork with celery.

Juicing session with the oranges … Act of Kindness No. 7: Lars had hunted us out to deliver them.

Massive swell and crashing waves off Plaka.

1405: What was that? Pardon!

Wednesday 8th January

Early start – 0700hrs – blimey! Blood test results for moi – all positive…..off to Chania – pronounced “hhanya”! Brian came – we laundrified at ‘Easywash’ – coffee’d across the road where I was persuaded to eat most of our cakes – no great problem – Cretan cakes are scrummy.

Then – to a hearing specialist – for my ‘earring test. The ‘eerie’ result was what we expected – 2 massive ear trumpets to stick in my channels! Who remembers ‘HMV’ – ‘His Masters Voice’ – visualise the poor dog…. well, perhaps a little smaller. We won’t mention the Euroresult…….

Splendid lunch again at Tamam – noshtimmo…. Back next Monday for fitting of trumpets and more Tamam foodies – life is a breeze – if you can ‘ear it. Oh dear, this ‘ere lobe theme may run and run…..

‘ere we go … not Shrek wax but being measured for the hearing aids.

Tamam: chickpea soup, rice and chicken and bacon rolls … yummy.

The Venetian Harbour in Chania has suffered with the strong winds … marble paving slabs ripped up …

… Sand and rubbish thrown up quite a long way into restaurants …

And this is relatively calm now.

Dog walk round the back of Kalives … we are parked up towards the far end.

1393-1396: Nothing Paleo in Paleochora

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Clunegapyears

1393: South to Paleohora

Friday 27th December 2019

After the ritual of a coffee at Fresh and Cool cafe, we set forth for Paleochora / Paleohora. Again a stunning drive across the mountains. Although we could see mountain snow from our Kalives parking, we did not pass through any. Why do I have a yen to head up into the hills and find some? Guess it will find us soon enough!!

We really felt the benefit of the AndyPandyCar as we did a recce of the dirt track to a parking I’d identified to the the east of Paleochora …at the first soft sand we turned the AndyPandycar around and headed into the town to check out other spots. Bingo, a super spot between the town and the new (concrete and charmless) marina. No-one else here and great views.

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View en route.

Lunch and whilst J nanny napped, I walked CO2 to the west and ‘sandy beach’. Late afternoon we headed up to what was left of the Venetian fort, ransacked by Barbarossa and not rebuilt. On the descent we stopped for a glass of vino and were entertained by the adjacent table. Not that I was eves dropping, much! Evidenty, a British and Dutch lady had teamed up and were renting a room in Chania and were now looking for accommodation in Paleochora. They had spent the afternoon with a colourful ageing hippy, with an upper crust accent and a Ukranian boat owner who was largely silent… and they all had consumed a LOT of wine. The hippy acted as broker and offered them a room on the boat … we didn’t quite establish if there was running water, a toilet, let alone a hot shower, for all of EUR7 / night. The ‘girls’ had to leave to catch their bus back to Chania … we also left, so we will never know if they missed the last one!

Fab parking with amazing views.

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Taken from the Venetian castle ruins. The boat goes along the coast and then to Gavdos Island. Quite fancied this as a day trip, but 4 hours each way from here and no time on the island.

1394: Boulder walk

Saturday 28th December

Drove the track that we’d decided against on arrival with Jez and were very pleased that we had aborted … lots of soft sand areas and loose stones.

Gorge walk – we had to haul CO2 up big rocks in their harnesses and leads – then faced with what looked like an impenetrable set of rocks, we wisely aborted…and the rain had just started. A young family we met also turned around. Lunch in PandyAndy charabanc on the beach – local pastries – yummy!

Later in Paleochora, we met Jane another camping car English lady – supplying her with some clear gaffa tape for an incident with a tree. Evening saw us supping in Haris’ bar with Jane – really nice noshtimo – and some local wine – with Raki…… Jane navigates her van but not with coordinates! Could see her eyes glaze over when K was explains about Park4Night etc … did later manage to get her on Maps.Me.

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Anidhri Gorge.

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Lots of boulders to negotiate …

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… and to slide down!

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Anidri Beach, where we sat in the car and ate our spinach and cheese and Christmas pastries.

1395: Pelekaniotikos Potamos – River Walk

Sunday 29th December

Today an easier river walk – with Corrie mostly on the lead as we didn’t fancy goat’s meat for dinner! But a lovely riparian roaming…. (K: I hd to ask the meaning of riparian .. J advises associated with a river bank!)

The rain was now relentless and a rising wind with forecast of 33knots during the night – time to move…..to the local harbour with shelter from the sea wall – hunkering down for the evening as the lightning flashed around us – a couple of weeks ago, we were wearing shorts!

Not as stunning as yesterday up the gorge, but MUCH easier walking.

The river back erosion looked like wood.

Hands up all of you who have worn paper knickers? Jane came to the van in the afternoon bearing gifts – including paper knickers for Katherine! Very fetching biggusknickers indeed….

1396: Magical Mountain Mystery Tour

Monday 30th December

Our harbour camping soon showed gusts of 70-80 kph! Rock and roll – but not the dancing kind, although Jez was doing a kind of jive! At 5:00 am, K in pjs did a recce in our pandydandycar – finding a sheltered spot – on the high street! We decamped both vehicles to outside what looked like the town council offices…..

Instead of a gale force walk, we drove on a magic mystery tour – with us, Jane and her 2 whippets. Churches, villages – some roads almost impassable – lots of 5-point turns – and lunch in a lovely cosy family taverna – with a fire! We helped advise Jane with a gas issue and a hose nozzle that fell into the pipe of her water tank. We could set ourselves up as gas consultants. Amazing how much you learn when something goes wrong!

To ride out the storm, we stayed in town with all blinds closed to not draw attention to ourselves – stealth camping – but nobody complained, luckily.

View back down to Paleohora … we were originally parked to the left of the harbour, then in the harbour and then on the street going out of the town.

Both ends of the rainbow … lucky.

One of the many small churches on our vague itinerary … we didn’t see them all!

1388-1392 : Avoiding the Wind

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1388: Back at Balos

Sunday 22nd December 2019

Nothing open for coffee en route … straight onto Falassarna, where I got hail and sand blasted on the beach last time we stayed. A beach walk this morning in the sun and lunch. After J’s nanny nap we drove back up to the start of the 8km track to the car park for Balos Beach. We stopped and picked up Brian and Zoa … we wondered how the the AndyPandyCar would cope with the track and the equivalent of 4 adults on board. We managed not to knacker the suspension! With the sun and some wind we descended to the lagoon. Brian and Zoa battled back against the wind along the track to his motorhome.

After fetching Jez from Falassarna we decamped back to Kissamos along the sea front. It was windy, and I didn’t sleep well … I was also dreaming about the lovely meal we’d had. We had been to the restaurant with Maddy and had amazing Pork with celery, greens and lemon. Tonight’s special was cuttlefish with a dill sauce … only one portion left so Brian and I shared. Also chickpea, lemon and olive soup … I’ve just tried to make this in Jez and it is no where as good as the restaurant’s. I complimented the waitress / daughter and she has given me her mobile number and said to ring before we come again … her Mum will cook boiled chicken with rice and butter … sounds horrid, but she assures me it is very good … so we will have to go back!

Kite flying at Falassarna – Brian trying to stay with feet on sand and Zoa trying to catch the kite!

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Track to Balos Beach.

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You’d have thought this chap would have offered to move out of the way!

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James waited and waited, but no donkey taxi!

1389: Hunkering Down in Kissamos

Monday 23rd December 2019

We contemplated a drive up into the hills, but rain threatened and then arrived, so we stayed put. A coffee and cake stop with Brian in town. I did a little Christmas shopping … a lazy day followed by supper chez nous and a game of cribb with Brian.

We followed Brian to shelter from the wind the other side of the sports centre … so much calmer over night.

View from the front of the van, before the latest round of wind and rain.

Zoa also thinks he is a lap dog!

1390: Christmas Eve in Kalyves

Tuesday 24th December

Having had a half decent night’s sleep, I awoke with energy! As I opened the side window i spotted a tap and hose …. so the morning became a laundry session. Twin tub carried around the wall, one of our hoses hanging out of the kitchen window for hot water and the sports centre hose for cold! Then hot showers for both of us. Gotta seize the moment!

We returned to Kalyves and joined the lovely Ann and another couple at Simon’s Italian for a set meal and a rock band. Food was good, wine mostly included and the first set of the band excellent … I recognised most of the tunes. The second set was essentially just LOUD … a bit to heavy rock for our tastes. But a great way to start Christmas.

1391: Christmas Meal

Wednesday 25th December 2019

A leisurely start … presents and my stocking brought from home. The Aged P’s buy gifts for Clare and I on their travels this year’s stocking came from Serbia, South Africa, Sardinia, Sicily, Thailand, France …. a lot of dodgy bottles … the green walnut liqueur from the Serbian monastery was very good.

A short walk (blow!) along a coastal path set us up for the next stage of Christmas. We then drove in convoy with Brian to Drapanos and parked on the driveway of an absent neighbour of Julia and Anthony (who’d helped us with our gas). A short walk up to Eleanore’s and lunch. Fava, a mayo dip and smoked sausage to start. Brian had pork knuckle, which looked better than J and my choice … pork with chestnuts and prunes … tasty but just a little too fatty. Our left overs, the next night were actually better.

A really relaxed meal, followed by cards … Newmarket, Sevens and Pontoon. And the wine kept flowing. As we were leaving, we established that they are also open New Year’s Eve and there is a Greek band playing. That’s New Year’s Eve sorted then!

Christmas morning walk.

Looking out to the Akrotiri peninsula.

1392: Boxing Day Recovery

Thursday 26th December

Another slow start then! Popped into say thank you to Julia for organising the parking … we can also park there for New Year.

Back to Kalyves … no energy to move far today. We did manage the walk we’d done yesterday … easy option as we now knew the route! Also easy option on food as recycled the left overs!

Forgotten we had this … bought some weeks ago at charity bazaar … tasty, but not as good as my mother’s!

1382-1387: ‘Ela of a Place

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1382: A Birthday and Open Mic Night

Monday 16th December

Katherine’s birthday…..

Nice walk with CO2 amongst olive groves and cypress woods. K opened her gifts – from family and moi. Michelle from Icarus restaurant (and Michaelis) brought a surprise gift – a lovely Cretan necklace!

Late afternoon – we moved Jez to Almyrida for the open mic night. Lots of good music – including “Happy Birthday” for K – and a birthday candle from Capt Jacks!

An Ottoman water fountain on our walk.

Dodgy alcofrolic shot and candle from Captain Jacks.

1383: Castration and Dinner Guests

Tuesday 17th December.

Well, Oscar didn’t realise what was happening (just as well) – he sort of lost his ‘thingies’ – had to wear the ‘cone’ lightshade worst! But the vet was great in Kalyves. Later in the afternoon, he was real pain in spite of getting painkillers in the morning. I drove him straight to the vets again – another painkiller – and this settled him – we muzzled him instead of the cone…..

Evening saw us entertaining Julia and Anthony – motor homing friends from Drapanos – lively chats and some vino… for James, K was dry after the excesses of yesterday!

Wrinkly scrotum.

1384: Chores

Wednesday 18th December.

Kalyves again – our most visited spot in Crete – K got the twin tub out – for laudrificationing! I washed the HandyPandyCar and cleaned the inside – oh and morning coffee at Ari’s “Fresh and Cool” cafe – chats with the regulars….. K recce’d our nightly parking for Christmas Day in Drapanos – kindly provided by friends of Julia and Anthony! We will eat in “Eleanoras” restaurant – our favourite in the area…booked by K.

A couple of older ladies stopped to admire the twin tub … nostalgia on their part?

And a conveniently closed cafe as the drying deck.

1385-1386: Elafonisi

Thursday 19th – Friday 20th December

Beautiful scenic drive down through the mountains – to Elafonisi…… Little did we know what awaited us! Normally, we would recce a dodgy road – alas not this time – oh no! The access road was a “Strada Horribilissimo”!!! Craters, fissures – oh and some road surface as well. K bounced down in Jez – I followed in Pandacar and watched as she wobbled and straddled the obstacles – we have never seen such a road in all our travels! We later lay awake dreading the uphill journey – watched the forecast avidly as rain would effectively imprison us there for days… Stunning place though – one of the very best – we’ve said in about most of Crete…

Brian obligingly cooked supper – caulifloweriness and cheesely – noshtimo!

Next morning saw us joining the road gang – repairing the ‘volcanic’ craters – or so they seemed to us – Michael from Germany had started patching already – we rolled boulders – big on top and small to fill in – in 2 different places. Not exactly Dept of Transport Chapter 8 and BD68 (I’m giving away my work background) – but it looked good!

This is a panorama shot zoomed in to where Oscar was moving … could replicate this effect!

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Places have a light dusting of fine pink sand, from coral and shells.

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The Lagoon.

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Soft fine sand … and dunes.

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1387: Getting Out and On to Sfinari

Monday 16th December

K had a rather early morning walk – we needed to get up the hill asap! Brian went first and had one place where he had to roll back and have a second go – K took 3 attempts int he same place … and I andycarred uphill…. K started up – traction control on – and raised rear suspension – raised nerves and adrenaline – and buttclenchingness….. but guided by Brian and moi – it all worked ‘straddlingly’. K: I was shaking by the time I got to the top!

Hugely welcome coffee – and then the most amazing drive to Sfinari – now parked up along stony beach in Cretan sunshine – not a pothole in sight. We never want to see such crazy craters again. Oscar and Corrie were completely unfazed by the whole experience….

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Elafonisi in early (for me!) morning light.

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View back from the island … sand causeway.

Straddled!

A little of the road repair.

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Part of the route up to Sfinari, looking back down to Elafonisi – the hazy bit in the distance.

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Corrie on the beach at Sfinari.

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Brian believes Zoa is looking for fish, I think he’s checking out his reflection!

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Nor see this one before … looks like cabbage leaves.

1377-1381: Munchkin’s Visit

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1377: Munchkin Arrives and Christmas Begins

Wednesday 11th December 2019

We coffee’d with Brian and kept in touch with Maddy … she had 1hr and 10 mins from when her plane was due to land at Athens to catch her flight to Chania; bear in mind the gate shut 30 mins before the flight departure. And her incoming fight was a bit late. But she made it! Lots of benefits of hand luggage only and a small airport.

We drove in convoy to Kissamos and parked along the beach. Maddy and I had a short beach walk with CO2 and then she and J napped … she had been awake since 3.30 am! Supper in a family beach side restaurant … yummy pork with celery and greens.

Beach front pitch. The puddle grew with lots of heavy rain.

Kissamos Bay is 3 sides of a square.

Maddy (reluctantly) brought medicines, green card, keys, phone case, hooks etc… no room for toiletries and few clothes …

… so she worked her way through my tops and jumpers.

But she did bring us matching festive pyjamas … 🙂

And for the third (out of four) Christmases that we’ve been away, she and I put up the decorations.

1378: Polyrrhenia

Thursday 12th December

We bought coffees from the shack next door to us … Greek coffee or Nescafe? And headed off in the AndyPandyCar into the hills to Polyrrhina. The road stops and you walk up through the ‘new’ village to the site of the old. Great views, but Lin (who is my All Things Crete Guru) told me had we gone all the way to the top, we would have seen both N and S coasts. However, my fellows were not keen (point blank refusal on the part of one!) to climb further.

Back at Jez, Maddy worked on a Uni assignment … her approach started with a message to one of the other students … what are we supposed to cover???? Why investigate yourself, if you can get someone to tell you!?

A wander around the centre of Kissamos and supper on the main square.

Cave dwellings from the Roman era in the newer village.

Another cave Church.

You can just make out the walls of the fortress to the left of the church .. such a long way (!!!) so this is where we stopped.

But still fabulous views.

1379: Falassarna and Balos Beaches

Friday 13th December

Coffee and pastry in town and then we set off for Falassarna Beach, billed as one of the most impressive beaches in Crete. Lunch and then Maddy and J nanny napped whilst I took the AndyPandyCar up to Balos with CO2.

An 8km each way, mostly 1st gear drive up to the Balos Beach carpark. Most of it was firm, but the recent rains had brought down some scree and there were divots from the water run offs, so a little hairy in places. But worth every slow full concentration kilometre. I was very conscious that the last long dirt track we’d driven in the car had resulted in a shredded tyre and I didn’t have James with me to do the change over! The views down to the beaches were just stunning … and the rain held off!

By late afternoon, the winds started and we sure felt them as we were right in the middle of a large flat car park! We moved after supper to shelter behind one of the restaurants.

Looking down to Falassarna Beach.

Balos.

1380: Sideways Hail and Sand and Kalyves

Saturday 14th December

A very slow start … one member of our party … and it wasn’t James or I, had stayed up till 0330hrs tracking the election results. Before we set off I took CO2 for a longer beach walk. Coming back, the wind got really up and then the hail started. The wind driving the hail and sand into Oscar and I. He started off red and white and became a lighter ginger all over from the sand, as he plodded stoically by my side. Corrie, meanwhile, had bolted back to the van. I must teach her how to knock at the door … she was still sat patiently waiting for admittance when we finally caught up with her. Thank goodness for doggy dry bags … the sand fell off the dogs into these as against the floor. And kept them warm as they dried. If in doubt about the efficiency of these bags, their heads were still sodden when released 30 minutes later, but their bodies dry.

Back at Kalyves, Maddy completed her assignment and ate at Eleanore’s in Drapanos with Brian … this has to be our favourite place near here. Yummy starters followed by chicken in raki and feta .. delicious and far too large portions, so doggy bags for all (but no sand in these bags and certainly not to be fed to CO2!). We watched the Strictly final … my fav was crowned champion.

1381: Airport Run and Sunday Lunch

Sunday 25th December

Coffee and then I ran Maddy to Chania airport. I was in trouble as she could have caught later flight, which would have reduced her wait at Athens from 5 to 3 hours … but I’d not checked that any airline other than Agean did this route! And now her flight is running late … she must be loosing the will to live!

Back at Kalyves, Brian kindly treated us to lunch at Icarus restaurant. Full bellies again! And and easy evening.

Clune Gap Years

A journal and reflections of our motorhome travels

Author Archives: Clunegapyears