Falassarna | Clune Gap Years

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!

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

Tag Archives: Falassarna

1388-1392 : Avoiding the Wind

1377-1381: Munchkin’s Visit