Holbox Island - Day Four and Five (The Clouds) and Departure

Our last full day on Holbox Island was Monday and it was a bit of a letdown relative to the weekend as the clouds rolled in obscuring the sun. Still, even with a cloudy sky the weather was much preferable to the snow and freezing cold of Toronto! Monday was spent reading, wandering into town (window shopping; we ended up buying nothing on the trip). Dinner was at El Chapulim in Holbox (the same place we had dinner on Saturday night) and was excellent. Lisa had a surprisingly good seak and Christos had the seafood medley (Fish, Shrimp and Mussels); the fish was superb, the mussels and shrimp good. After a walk along the beach at night, we settled back into our bed and fell asleep watching "Suits" on Lisa's Ipad. Tuesday we awoke with to another cloudy day but with no power on the island! This was a bit problematic as we had no water for showers and were leaving in a few hours. So our day of return to Toronto was off to a bad, stinky start and got worse with a three hour delay once we reached the Cancun airport. Ah well, all told it was not so bad (we have had far worse travel experiences) and the trip to Isla Holbox was well worth it; hopefully we have recharged our sun batteries enough to make it through winter.

Holbox Island - Days Two and Three (The Sun!)

Our second day in Holbox started with a beautiful blue sky and warm weather. After a quick breakfast, we embarked on a three hour boat tour (shades of Gilligan's Island). The start of the your was funny as a guy showed up at the hotel in a golf cart and told us it was time to go ... So we started walking towards the golf cart thinking he would take us to the pier or some such but he just waived us towards a boat that was offshore from the hotel that we had to wade out to! The tour took us to a few different spots. First was Mosquito Point which seemed to be lacking in Mosquitos but was rich in birds of all sorts including flamingoes. Then it was off to Isla Pajaros for more bird watching before heading to Yalahao lagoon for a swim in a cenote. The visit to Isla Pajaros (Bird Island; which is a protected island for bird nesting) was great! Quite cool to see the Pelicans, Ospreys, Herons and other aquatic birds close up. A platform just off the island has been built where one can moor a small boat and then observe the birds from only a few metres away.

On the way to Yalahao we had the most amazing experience .... A pod of around six to ten dolphins came up to our boat and started swimming and arcing around the water's surface for us. After about ten minutes it was time for them to go so they treated us to two leaps in to the air before swimming off! Truly amazing!!!

The crazy thing was that we ran into the same pod of dolphins on the way back from Yalahao and they once again entertained us for about ten minutes, albeit without the leaping out of the water this time. We got back to our hotel in the mid afternoon and spent the rest of the day lazing around, walking on the beach and pestering the local iguanas (we kept ofefring them fruit which they were happy to eat but if we approached to closely they would scuttle off).

Speaking of iguanas, our hotel grounds were thick with them to the degree that we would often find one blocking the door to our room!

After the boat ride it was into town for dinner at an excellent little restaurant called El Chapulim where we both had fresh fish on a bed of mushrooms with a side of rice. The fish was excellent, tender and flavourful.

After dinner we walked back along the beach and stopped at a local bar on the beach to enjoy a cold beer.

Extra Long Weekend on Holbox Island! The arrival

We woke up in Toronto on Thursday morning and with the TV telling us it was minus 11 (minus 21 with the wind chill), we were happy to be heading south for four days (five nights) in Mexico! Air Canada flew us to Cancun where (after a transfer to the FBO airport) we boarded a tiny plane for the flight to Holbox island. We had to laugh when we noticed the instrument panel informing anyone who would notice that the pilot data needed an update, and had so since 2007! Clearly our pilot was not too concerned and seemed to know where he was flying. The twenty minute flight was fun as it was the first time Lisa and Christos had been in a tiny plane together. After a muddy taxi ride in a golf cart through town (cars are not common on Holbox but golf carts are), we finally arrived at our hotel in the late afternoon, had a few beers and a snack and just relaxed until dinner a few hours later. We were slightly apprehensive about the weather as it had been raining since we arrived in Mexico (hence the muddy ride) but it soon cleared up and we had no rain on our first night.

Friday was our first full day on Holbox and it was wonderful. Blue skies with a few clouds but no rain, nice and hot! The first half of the day was spent lounging hammocks by the beach and reading before we rented bikes for a ride into town. The ride was quite an adventure as the mud roads were still filled with small ponds from Thursday's rain so we had to swerve to avoid puddles or plot through them hoping we would not get too wet. After the tour through town, we returned to the hotel for a little rest and then went down to the beach to watch the sunset while having a beer. Finally  it was off to town at night for dinner at Rosa Mexicana where Christos had the octopus and Lisa had the steak. Both were quite yummy. After dinner, we strolled along the beach gazing at the stars and enjoying another beer. We tried to watch "Despicable Me Two" but only managed to get about fifteen minutes in before sleep took us.

Oyster Party VIII

Once more as summer turns to fall (which then creeps towards winter), it is the time of the bivalves! Our annual Oyster Party was a blast with three types of oysters (Rodney's, Colville Bays and Pemaquids),  yummy nibbly sandwiches and enough booze to satisfy the Irish.

The festivities began at 4pm, the oyster bar closed at 7pm and of course the party went till the wee hours, ending at 2am! After the oyster bar closed, DJ Tweed made a rare appearance spinning old favourites and new tunes. Much mirth was made, a few drinks were spilled, some beer crimes were committed and all told the evening was a smashing success. It was lovely to have our good friend Aare the Esto visit from Newfoundland although his usual quarters were occupied by a new couple of attendees; Neil (Lisa's brother) and Jenn, Neil's girlfriend, who made the trip from BC. It was an east coast meets west coast houseguest situation. 

In the end, we worked our way through some 550 oysters. Thankfully the master shucker Lawrence was on hand to deftly deliver the bivalves to the plate at an estimated rate of five or more per minute, although he was often fighting a losing battle as even at his speed the oysters were snapped up faster than he could plate them!

It was great to see many of our friends but also wonderful to welcome a new crowd to our annual event. 

London ... Finding your Local

With summer turning into fall and the market doldrums of August coming to a close, it was time for Lisa to head off to London for a round of marketing her company to investors across the pond. The trip involved in a weekend in London so we decided to (once more) make it a working holiday and Christos accompanied Lisa to the foggy city. We flew overnight on Thursday, arriving late in the morning on Friday, and both Lisa and Christos had meetings until the late afternoon. After meeting up back at the hotel around 5pm we walked up Mount Street to our favourite pub, The Audley. The evening was spent quaffing cold Guinness; we were joined by a Scotia trader (Kal) and our plan for a "couple" pints quickly turned into an evening of many pints! We were also informed that the Audley is our "Local" in London (a fact I think we already knew although had not crystallized into such a simple phrase).

The next morning we awoke to a wet and rainy London and we didn't really get up to too much. We had lunch at "The PunchBowl", a pub that Guy Ritchie and Madonna bought together (he got it in the divorce) and wandered a bit before settling in to our room for a night of movies (we liked "The Internship" but not "Str Trek: Into Darkness") and room service.

Sunday was another rainy day in London and other than a trip to Fortnum & Mason in the afternoon was pretty low key. for dinner we hopped in a taxi and went off to "The Albion" in Islington for an excellent traditional Roast Beef dinner with all the fixings before returning to our hood for a pint at the Audley and then a good night's rest.

Monday was a work day for Lisa so Christos headed off to Leighton House in the early afternoon via a walk through Hyde Park. It was a bit of a hike (just over an hour each way) but well worth it as Leighton House was a nice small museum in the home of the Victorian painter, Frederic Leighton (his most famous piece being "Flaming June"), who was a bit eccentric having done much of the house in an Arab/Middle Eastern style. Definitely worth the visit and Christos purchased a small pottery bowl while there (we seem to be addicted to pottery).

Tuesday was a work free day for both so we headed over to the Victoria and Albert museum for a visit which was thoroughly enjoyed. The Ardabil Carpet was a highlight but the rest of the museum was also worthy of a visit (although Lisa did claim that the statuary paled beside the works of Bernini) including the option of dressing up in a replica tunic from the Middle Ages! We were done at the V&A after about two hours and hopped in a cab back to the hotel as it was once again raining.

Our plans to leave on Tuesday were dashed by mechanical problems which resulted in an extra night in London and a quick meeting for Christos on Wednesday morning. We finally managed to get back to Toronto on Wednesday evening and were happy to sleep in our own bed after our wonderful London escape.

Partyin' Like Rednecks and The Rich Pageantry of Buck Lake

For the weekends of the 10th and 17th of August, we had road-trips out of Toronto; first up to Orillia for the 50th birthday celebration for Lisa's cousin Mike and then subsequently up to Buck Lake (north of Kingston on the way to Westport) to enjoy what James (a university buddy of Christos') calls the "Rich Pageantry of Buck Lake". Both trips were awesome!

For Mike's 50th, the evening started a bit slow with dinner and festivities at a local golf club but the evening got crazy when Jason and Jeff  (more of Lisa's cousins) took us to a local house-party in the woods (the redneck party) after the first party! We left Mike's birthday party a little before midnight, arriving at the redneck party shortly after midnight. There was a live band playing, a bonfire and free flowing beer!

We danced, drank and enjoyed the party till the wee hours ... not getting back to our hotel until just before 4am ... dang those rednecks can party!
The next day was rough as breakfast was at 10am. We enjoyed the pancakes and bacon before limping back to Toronto in the early afternoon.

The next weekend, it was off to Buck Lake on Friday night with James (he had arrived the night before and stayed at our place). After a long four hour drive, we arrived as the sun was setting and enjoyed some frosty beers (thank the gods for mini-coolers) while the fridge revved up. James' brother Ian arrived shortly after we did and the four of us quaffed many a beer on the deck until midnight at which point Lisa and Christos retired, although not before a trip to the deck where James and Ian indulged in some late night skinny dipping! The next morning we awoke to discover that Ian had already left for another social engagement (at 7am!) after he and James had been up till 4am catching up over cold beers (it was a veritable forest of empties on the kitchen counter the next morning).

Saturday at Buck Lake was a full day. After a hearty breakfast it was off to Westport to re-provision (beers!) and visit the town. Serendipity was on our side as it happened to be the Westport Music Fest! We wandered around Westport for about an hour, visiting the local museum, shopping at a "Life Is Good" store on the main drag, re-stocking booze and food and just meandering through the crowds listening to the music. All in all quite a fun afternoon!

We made it back to Buck Lake in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day enjoying cottage life. We played a game of Carcasonne in the sun, listened to much music (Balearic according to James), did some turtle watching, had a wonderful steak dinner, enjoyed a floating sunset "booze cruise" of the three of us on a paddle boat in the lake and then just relaxed in the evening. A plan to light a fire was shelved as by the time it was dark we were already tired. Instead, we lit some fireworks that we had purchased in Westport (over the objections of Lisa) and then watched a little BBC TV on Christos' Ipad.


Sunday morning incorporated a hearty breakfast and a last goodbye to the turtles that seem to have taken to sunning themselves on the log of the deck at Buck Lake.

Rome - An Art Attack

We arrived in Rome on Thursday afternoon and after checking in at our hotel, Gigli D'Oro, we discovered a cute hole in the wall restaurant right around the corner filled with locals (ie no tourists) where we enjoyed an excellent lunch of pasta, roast beef and salad. Then it was off for a long ground pound with stops at Piazza Del Popolo, Piazza Navona and several churches. After a brief respite back at the hotel, it was time for dinner and we decided to play it safe and eat at the same place we had lunch. We were not disappointed as the pasta and veal we had was excellent! Finally we retired to bed and drifted off to sleep after watching the season finale of season three of The Wire.

The next day we had a quick breakfast before heading off to the Borghese Gallery which was simply amazing. The Bernini statues (The Rape Of Proserpina and Apollo & Daphne) were the highlights of the gallery and Lisa has now declared she wants to learn more about Bernini. The Caravaggio paintings, particularly David with the head of Goliath, were also stunners. After the Borghese Gallery, we wandered through the Borghese Gardens for a bit, bought some local art and then something we had never experienced before happened; a summer storm in Rome! We huddled under a doorway just outside the gardens for 45 minutes while thunder, lighting and sheets of rain came down. A very cool (and cooling) experience. Then it was off to the Church (and museum) of the Capuchin Friars nearby which was another interesting experience as not only did it contain a host of artifacts and information relating to the order but also housed a series of small underground chapels decorated in thousands of bones (effectively a large ossuary). Then it was off to the Barberini Palazzo nearby for more art which was once again amazing and we highly recommend it to those who visit Rome. Not only is it filled with art and beautiful as a building in its own regard, but it was practically empty. We stood gazing at Caravaggio's "Judith and Holofernes" by ourselves for minutes!

With three museums under our belt we were basically arted out for the day (and hungry!) so it was back to our neighbourhood for lunch at a local spot (yummy rucola salad!) and then some rest. After the rest, we went to a local bar and wrote out some postcards before another wee wander until it was dinner time. Dinner was good but too expensive and we were a little put off when at the end of the evening we ordered two more glasses of wine and instead received an (opened) full bottle. We suspect the proprietors were looking for ways to charge too much and also noticed a 10pct service charge on the bill that was not mentioned in the menu.  Ah well, at least dinner was good, as bad food is a bigger turn off than overpriced. Finally it was back to our hotel around midnight where Christos watched a BBC show on the Colosseum while Lisa drifted into dreamland.

The next day it was off to the Vatican Museum (and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel) which although full of art are even more full of tourists. While seeing the Sistine should be undertaken by any who can, fighting through the throngs of tourists can be a bit overwhelming. We walked to the Vatican, arriving around noon, and bypassed the massive line for the museum as we had booked our tickets online. We tried to get in on a guided tour as supposedly they also allow you to skip the line for St. Peter's but were unable so instead we shuffled through the corridors of the Vatican surrounded by tourists on all sides. Finally after 45 minutes we arrived to at the Sistine Chapel and spent some time viewing it ... once more surrounded by tourists! Interestingly, after one exits the Sistine, the crowd thins out and many seem to skip  the exhibits that are post-Sistine, including some lovely 1st-4th century AD frescoes and mosaics and other beautiful objects.

When we exited the museum, we passed by St. Peter's and the line was astounding ... so we skipped it (having both been before). Overall, we much preferred our Friday museum tour (Borghese, Capuchin and Barberini) over our Saturday tour (Vatican), all due to the crowds or lack thereof. We wandered around Rome for a bit longer and then had dinner at an amazing restuarant (Al Duello) just around the corner from us. Dinner included a lovely bottle of Tignanello (one of Lisa's favourite wines), mussel soup. fennel salad and beef with a green tomatoe sauce. It was definitely one of the best meals we had on the trip and ended up being less expensive than the previous evening's meal! Then it was time for one more wander through Rome and we spent some time in Piazza Navona viewing the Bernini fountains. It was a bit funny as we had passed through the Piazza many times (it being close to our hotel) but never really spent much time looking at the fountains as we always passed through when it was during the heat of the day and we were usually on our way somewhere. Finally we had one more glass of wine just aroudn the corner from our hotel before retiring for the night.

Crete - The End

We finished the Fiano on the terrace at WRC and proceeded to open another bottle of white, an award winning Greek white. While it may have won an award, we still thought the Fiano was superior. After polishing off the second bottle, we relaxed until early evening with a light snack and then walked halfway down to Makriogialos (a local gave us a lift the rest of the way) to have a final drink at a local beach bar, the Green Bar. We watched the sun set and the waves of the Libyan Sea wash the shore for some time, chatting with the bartender (trying to learn new Greek words) and then went down to the shore where we each tossed a rock into the water before heading back the 1km to WRC. Being somewhat inebriated, Lisa opted for a skinny dip in the pool! Finally we were back on the terrace and Christos prepared our last Horyatiki (Greek Salad) while we recounted the wonderful time we had spent in Crete. The next morning we said goodbye to the local cats (particularly our favourite, Queenie), checked out and drove the two hours to Knossos. Knossos, while interesting was a bit of a let down. Too many tourists and so much roped off. Places where Christos had been as a kid 30 years ago you could now just peer at from behind ropes or plastic. To see the throne room you had to get in a line and shuffle past two windows with only a few seconds to peer in whereas 30 years ago you could loiter in the room itself. Still, if you go to Crete it probably is worth a quick visit as it is so rich in historical significance.

We made it into Heraklion shortly thereafter in the early afternoon and after dropping of our rental car and checking in it was time for a stroll through the busy streets. Christos was not feeling 100 percent and so after the stroll he had a quick nap while Lisa watched an episode of the Wire (that she had slept through the previous night). Christos awoke around 7ish and realizing that the museum closed at 8pm we quickly hustled over to it to see the Minoan Frescoes and other objects from the ancient civilization. The highlight was the serpentine bull head and a lovely bull fresco, of which there were oddly no postcards available.  I guess sometimes you just have to see make the effort to visit the museum to see one's personal favourites! We wandered a bit more, visiting the old Venetian Loggia and basilica of St Mark (a stunning building) before it was back to the hotel for a yummy dinner on the rooftop patio. Finally we watched one more episode of the Wire (Stringer Bell finally gets killed by Omar and brother Mouzain!) before drifting off to sleep sometime after midnight.

Crete - The East Pt.2

After a day of recovery, we were in good enough spirits to head into the local village of Makrigialis for dinner at the local fish taverna. While not on par with the fish dinner from Chania, it was still a good dinner of fresh fish, gigantes beans, salad, meatballs and potatoes washed down with a cold Heineken! The owner explained that because of the rough seas of late that he only had one type of fish that was fresh today but did have others. We went back to the kitchen and inspected the fish and we both agreed that the today fish was the only one for us as the eyes of the others were noticeably more cloudy. So it was not the white, flakey, sea breem of Chania but rather a darker, heavier fish somewhat like tuna. Still, the fish was fresher than most we see back home! We were able to eat about 3/4 of the fish and took the rest back with us ... to feed the cats of WRC, one of whom (we call her "Queenie") we have taken a real shine to as she seems as intent on sneaking into our cottage and sleeping with us as she does on eating our food!

After dinner, we dipped our toes in the Libyan sea and then made our way back to WRC for a little of "The Wire" and bedtime.

The next day we awoke refreshed, had some egg in a cup and then off it was to hike the Pefki Gorge! The gorge runs to the village of Pefki from WRC and is about 4km in length with perhaps 1 km on back country roads and the rest on footpaths.

What a wonderful hike it was! While Lisa was a bit worried about a sore foot early on, she was the trooper she always is and by the time we reached Pefki village she was back in fine form. We grabbed a quick coffee and more water at a local cafenio (where the proprietress was once more excited to hear a tourist speak broken Greek) before re-tracing the path back to WRC. Of course, the return journey was much easier being downhill rather than uphill!

We made it back to WRC in the early afternoon, enjoyed a lunch of salami,cheese and tomatoes sandwiches and then spent an hour by the pool reading and relaxing. We have now retired back to our cottage and are sitting on the terrace, having just finished the last of the Italian whites (a lovely Fiano) and enjoying the early evening.

Crete - The East Pt 1

Sunday had us hop in the car for a three hour drive from Kapsaliana to our final rural destination in Crete, the White River Cottages. Similar to Kapsaliana, the WRC is a restored village that now houses 15 units, each with its own kitchen and terrace. It is much less fancy than Kapsaliana (no restaurant or bar) and geared towards those who want to be relatively self sufficient while holidaying in Crete. WRC is located in the SE of Crete about 1km inland from the village of Makrigialis. The place is thick with the Dutch it seems.

We arrived in the mid afternoon and relaxed for a few hours as reception is only open in the morning and after 6pm. Lunch was self-made Greek Salad and the welcome white wine (in a 1.5 litre plastic bottle no less) from our fridge. We discovered that the local cats are friendly (well some anyway) and very intriguing in that one family of them all have blue eyes. Some beautiful felines here!

After meeting with the hostess at 6:30 we opted to visit the local taverna for dinner which offered Cretan music and dancing on Sunday nights. The taverna is in a village (Pefki) about 4km up the Pefki Gorge from where we are staying and our hostess offered us a ride up there at 8pm which we gladly accepted. Dinner got off to a bit of a rocky start, we ordered some food and it as cold and it seems we did not realize there was a prix fixe menu associated with the evening's festivities. Fortunately, a quick chat in Greek with the owner smoothed out all the problems and we were on the prix fixe menu with no charge for the cold food. The evening was a blast from then on. The terrace was full of tourists but also some Greeks and the music and dancing was a hoot. Lisa ended up dancing a couple times and enjoyed it while Christos chatted with a gentleman at another table whose parents were originally from the village but now live in South Africa.

The wine flowed freely .... In fact too freely as by the time we got back to our lodgings we somehow thought it was a good idea to get into the Lemon Raki! While it seemed a good idea at the time, the next morning's hangovers were not fun. The next morning we rose late, drank much water and headed out for a short walk to investigate an artist's studio nearby. On the walk we encountered a hedgehog! The artist's studio was a bit of a let down; although she had some interesting pieces all made from found wood, the price point was ridiculous! So we passed on local art and headed back to our cottage for more rest and hopefully an end to the hangovers.

Crete - The Center

We left Kindelis on Thursday morning and reached our next stop, Kapsaliana Village Hotel, in the early afternoon. On the way we stopped off at a ruined roman town for about 45 minutes. The town was being excavated and catalogued, we saw a team of three archeologists with a pile of broken pottery shards, but still had sections open to visit such as the cisterns we scrambled down into.

Kapsaliana is an abandoned village that a local architect has restored and turned into a resort with 17 suites located about 20 km inland from Rethymnon. It has amazing views, a really good restaurant and very friendly staff. Our first afternoon was spent relaxing on our lovely terrace reading and enjoying music on Christos' new toy (the FoxL platinum Bluetooth speaker). We had dinner around 9pm .... It was a tasting menu with four different wines (white, rose, red and dessert) and while we are still not sold on Greek wine (fine for drinking but not good enough to warrant space in our bags on the way home), the food was excellent, in particular a feta cheese paste that was delicious! Then it was back to our terrace where we polished off a small bottle of Raki while watching "The Wire".

Friday it was off to see the Arkadi monastery and nearby village of Margarites, famous for its pottery.  The Arkadi monastery is famous in Greece as the scene of resistance in the 1866 Cretan revolt against the Ottomans. The locals, including hundreds of women and children, had taken refuge inside its walls and when a large Turkish army arrived and stormed the monastery, one of the defenders blew up the gunpowder storage magazine killing those inside, Turk and Greek alike. Given the viciousness of the conflict, the Greeks thought it better to die than to be subject to the Sultan's wrath. While the Turks initially regarded it as a victory, the incident brought the conflict to the attention of the larger European community who sided with the Greeks over the Ottomans. While the place was thick with tourists during our visit, it was still very moving to walk in the old gunpowder magazine and to imagine the final moments of those who would rather die than surrender to what they regarded as a vicious enemy.

After Arkadi it was a short drive to the lovely village of Margarites where we visited more than half a dozen pottery workshops and of course bought way too much pottery (pottery seems to be a fascination of ours). The prices were unbelievably low, we suspect as a result of the ongoing financial calamities of Europe and decline in tourism in Greece, so we loaded up with eight bowls, two plates and a platter! Christos wanted to buy more but Lisa wisely forbade it as we somehow have to get all this stuff home!

We arrived back at Kapsaliana around 4pm and spent the afternoon relaxing until dinner at 9pm which included one of Christos' favourites, Okra (bamyas in Greek) as well as pork and chicken dishes that were quite yummy! Finally it was back to our suite for a little TV on the terrace and some white wine.

Our last day in the Center of Crete involved a trip into Rethymnon for the day. We spent the day wandering the old town doing a little tourist shopping (dishcloths embroidered with Crete, olive oil soap and a bottle of Raki for later consumption), visiting the archeological museum and roasting in the heat. We also enjoyed our first pints of Guinness in some time at a local bar where two of the other patrons turned our to be Scots and we ended up chatting for a good while on history, politics etc. while enjoying the dark cold goodness of Guinness. The two Scots started talking to us by opening that Lisa must be Irish (red hair) but were even more excited when Lisa told them of her Scottish heritage.

One of the things Christos has noticed is the seeming amnesia the locals have regarding the Turks ... The old mosques still stand and have generally not been re-used but rather are boarded up and virtually ignored by the locals. Usually the main mosque door is locked and flowers or other obstacles are placed on the door steps, transforming the entry into just a part of the wall.

Crete - The West Pt2

We awoke the day after the Samaria Gorge hike in good spirits but a little weak of flesh. While Lisa was just a bit sore in the legs, Christos was quite sore! After a quick breakfast of coffee, egg in a cup and toast, it was off to visit a local monastery "Agia Triada" or "Holy Trinity". The drive was not difficult and made even easier by a local taxi driver who overheard Christos buying water and asking directions in Greek at a local service station; as we left the station, he followed and gave us hand directions on the roads until we reached the final one to the monastery! Agia Triada was founded in the 1600s and is still an active monestary. The chapel was lovely (albeit no Caravaggios  adorned its walls) and the museum had some beautiful religious items as well as coins (one of Christos' interests) from as far back as the Arabic occupation (850 AD). We bought some monk made olive oil and decided to make a lazy day of the rest of it, getting back to Kindelis around 3pm and spending the rest of the day by the pool watching the swallows drink and clean themselves in it! Christos finished his book on the Spartacus War and left it for a future guest. Finally it was off to the local taverna again where this time we had chicken grilled over charcoal and lamb stewed in wine. We made it back to Kindelis again around midnight and watched a little more of "The Wire" before sleep took us.

Our last day in the west of Crete began with scrambled eggs, fresh OJ and some yoghurt with honey and fruit. With our room having a washing machine and there being plenty of sun, we had the luxury of  doing laundry before hopping in the car and heading off to the Nostos winery some 20 minutes away.  The winery was built by a local Greek made good. He was born in the place when it was just a farm, went to the US with his three sisters as a kid in the 50s, made a big enough pile to retire and then returned to the village to buy the ruined family farmhouse and over a 20 year period converted it into one of Crete's top wineries! We had the white, the rose and two reds. All in all decent wine but the French and Italian wines still come out on top for us. We enjoyed a lunch of local Cretan mezes (snack like food; think Greek tapas) and then it was back to Kindelis for some relaxation before dinner. Before we left, Christos noted the small art gallery including some lovely local purses for sale. Lisa liked the look of them and the guide told us that the maker, Georgina Skalidi, had a store in Old Town Chania.

One of the things we have come to love at Kindelis is what we call "The Swallow Dance" which occurs in the mid-afternoon and involves the local swallows cleaning themselves and drinking from the pool in our garden. Quite fun to watch!

That evening we decided to head into Chania as we really had not been since Sunday. We found Georgina's shop and of course, Lisa could not resist a new purse! A lovely blue leather clutch was quickly acquired. Then it was off to a restaurant called "The Well of the Turk" near an abandoned minaret tower in old Chania that still had a crescent on top. Dinner was yummy (although nothing like the fish from Monday) and we enjoyed a stroll through Old Chania which was so different from Sunday in that it was thick with people, tourists and Greeks alike. Finally it as back to Kindelis for a little TV, this time some of Season 2 of "Homeland" before bed. The next day our Central Crete trip would begin!

Crete - The West

We arrived in Heraklion Crete late on Saturday night and after dropping our bags at the hotel it was off to find dinner. We found a local place that was quite busy and gave it a shot; it was OK but nothing wonderful. The thing we noticed most was that although signs said "no smoking", everyone seemed to be smoking up a storm! The next morning we hopped in the car and headed west to Chania, arriving in the early afternoon. Our lodging was the lovely "Metohi Kindelis" located just off the highway and about 3km from Chania old town. When Christos booked the place he had thought it a bit expensive for a farmhouse outside of town (it was in the same price point as a hotel in downtown Rome!) but we quickly figured out the reason .... We had our own private pool and garden as well as a huge common area! When we first were shown to our room, we thought the common area was for the entire place but it was actually ours alone! After settling in, we headed into Chania for lunch and a little wander. The old town was very quiet but of course it was a Sunday so this was not really a surprise. We enjoyed a Greek salad with the local Cretan Feta (softer and less salty than Feta one gets elsewhere) and window shopped a bit before heading back to Kindelis in the early evening.

After relaxing by the pool for a couple hours, our trip to a highly recommended local Taverna failed as it was closed on Sundays so we made our own Greek salad back at Kindelis and polished off some lovely Fiano we had brought from Rome before settling into bed and watching some of "The Wire".

The next day started early with a 7:30am pick-up for a minibus trip to the Samaria Gorge. We arrived around 9am with our guide and two other hikers and set off for the day. The Gorge is about 15km in length and basically downhill all the way as one follows a river to the sea on the southern coast of Crete. It starts with a very steep hike downhill through a pine forest for about 2km and then levels out somewhat for the next 5km before reaching the abandoned village of Samaria. The views are gorgeous and the hiking is not too difficult as it is downhill. After the abandoned village one basically follows the riverbed through the gorge and it is flat but rocky. The walls of the gorge tower up on either side, at one point it narrows to only 3.5m wide! Eventually one comes to the sea where a plethora of local eateries await. The only exit from here is back up the gorge or by boat to another village.

The boat only leaves once a day at 5:30pm so the local tavernas have a captive audience. We enjoyed good lunch as our guide recommended what she said was the best taverna of the bunch (she having hiked the gorge for some 19 years and not actually being a local but a Frenchwoman transplanted to Greece) and then chilled for an hour waiting for the ferry to depart.

The ferry ride took about an hour to a port with a road back to the north coast of the island and then an hour and a half minibus ride had as back at 8pm ... With just enough time to shower and change before heading out for dinner. We went to the local family taverna (the one closed the previous night) in the new city recommended by the owners of Kindelis and it was amazing! We had fish for two and it was quite simply the best we can both recall in ages!! Finally we made it back to Kindelis around midnight for a little more "The Wire" before drifting off to sleep in the wee hours.

Rome and Crete Part I - Rome Day One

We arrived in Rome on a hot and sunny Friday morning from Toronto and were whisked to our hotel (Gigli D'Oro) near Piazza Novano, arriving before noon. After a brief orientation chat it was off to the local Osteria for a salad and other yummies. Our lunch was good, the place being a local haunt as opposed to a tourist joint, and with full bellies and jet lag catching up on us we opted for an afternoon nap. After the nap it was the for a long walk around downtown Rome with stops at the hotspots of the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, a church with a Caravaggio, the column of Marcus Aurelius and the Pantheon.

With night falling we found a place for dinner that Sally recommended called Alfredo's. Dinner was classic Italian; carpaccio for Lisa and Bresaola for Christos followed by a shared fettuccine Alfredo. The Alfredo was amazing and of course it turns out that it was invented at Alfredo's some hundred years ago! After dinner it was time for an evening walk over the bridge and past Castle Sant Angelo before retiring to our room around midnight.

The next day we enjoyed a brief visit to a Church to see some more Caravaggio and a yummy salad lunch before it was off to the airport and our flight to Heraklion. We enjoyed our day in Rome but our hearts were set on the wilds of Crete ....

TINDGA 2013

In a sense, TINDGA really is in a place far far away (spiritually) from Toronto .... the Toronto Islands!

After a long hiatus, Christos decided that with June 21st falling on a Friday this year, it was time to resurrect an ancient club, the Toronto Island Night Disc Golf Association!

We caught the 7pm ferry to Ward's, meeting Chris and Crispin on the ferry, and made it to the DG grounds just before 7:30 to find the rest of the crew for the evening's adventure already there.

It was a glorious evening to be on the course and although the first round did not start until almost 8pm we had more than a full hour of light to play in. Some sweet shots were made including a beautiful 15 metre shot into the basket by Lisa and more than a sweet toss or two from Jster and Adam. We played a half round, enjoying some fine beverages on the way, before breaking for dinner and bootstrap glow disc manufacture. We use LEDs, packing tape, and small 3v batteries to light up transparent discs, providing both a fun thing to watch when playing and a surefire way to track any errant discs. 

Four Days In London!

Lisa's schedule is always hectic, with business often taking her across the pond for a few days. This particular time, she was attending a conference based out of the famous Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair, London on a Monday-Tuesday. Never one to miss an opportunity to stay at a swank hotel, Ctos came along for the trip and we decided to make a weekend out of it, taking the Friday night flight to arrive in London first thing (7am) Saturday morning. We arrived safe and sound and were ensconced at the hotel well before 10am. Not wanting to let the jetlag get the best of us, it was a quick shower then off for a quick walk around Mayfair and some coffee! On our walk we stopped at a gallery full of works by Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones which and had a tour from the gallery saleswoman (Lucy). It was early Saturday so the place was basically deserted. In addition to Ronnie's work, there were also several pieces from Bob Dylan. The building itself was a gorgeous old english residence with a huge staircase, lots of light and high ceilings on its three floors. Of course, with the pictures priced in the thousands of punds we certainly were not buying but we had a great time with Lucy the who exuded the Art of Salesmanship ... we left after perhaps an hour and it now being afternoon we had our first pints of cold and lovely Guinness before heading back to the hotel for a wee nap!

Our second walk later in the afternoon found us in the Dunhill Shop on Davies Street where Ctos booked a massage for Lisa on Tuesday afternoon, post conference. The store was a lovely three floors showcasing the luxury of Dunhill leather products and cigars. Before we made it back to the hotel we found this lovely bench-statue ("Allies") and of course had to indulge in just two more pints ... followed by a late dinner at a fish restaurant in Mayfair.

Our second day, Sunday, started late with breakfast at the Audley Pub and then a long walk through Hyde Park, including a visit to the Prince Albert memorial, in the afternoon before getting back to the hotel at 5ish on Sunday. We watched an old four part serial of Dr. Who from the BBC ("Resurrection of the Daleks"), which Lisa admitted to not being "too bad" before heading down to the "Snuggery", a tiny little bar space, for drinks and snacks with some of the other conference attendees. Finally it was time to relax in the room and order room service before bed as Lisa had to work early the next morning.

Monday was a work day for Lisa but Ctos had the day to explore the city and headed up to the RAF museum at Colindale Station, arriving as it opened at 10am. The museum consists of two main hangars containing fighters and bombers from early aviation to the present and a side hangar with an exhibit on the Battle of Britain. Aircraft included the revolutionary ME-262 jet fighter, the massive Liberator bomber and a salvaged lancaster bomber.

As a history buff, Ctos spent some three hours at the place and did not get back to downtown London until 2pm, exiting the tube at Charing Cross Station on Trafalgar Square. Ctos then wandered back to the hotel, seeing the Horse Guards and the spot where Constable Yvonne Fletcher was shot from the Libyan Embassy in 1984 before getting back to the hotel at 5pm.

At 6ish, Lisa and Ctos boarded a bus and with a group of conference attendees went down to the London Eye where after being whisked to the front of the line our Party boarded two of the ferris wheel bubble contraptions. We enjoyed two rotations of the Eye complete with champagne and hors d'oeuvres lasting just under an hour. Finally it was time for dinner at Bellamy's which Scotia had booked for the night. The food and wine were excellent and free flowing, as was the conversation. Eventually, it was time for the ten minute stumble back to the hotel and bed as another day of conferencing awaited Lisa.



Our final day involved Lisa working in the morning, a quick trip to the National gallery in the afternoon, a 2pm massage for Lisa at Dunhill's Spa some shopping for socks on Jermyn street and of course the obligatory Guinness at the Coach and Horses (note the post massage appearance)! Dinner was at the Audley and then back to the hotel to prepare for the 515am wake-up on Wednesday. We arrived back in Toronto before noon local time on Wednesday to discover that the peonie on the deck had blossomed!