Crete

 I went to Crete on holiday not too long ago. I tend to just talk about holidays through flickr but some things do get lost in the cracks. 

I never mentioned why I went to Crete. And why I nearly didn't.

I have some friends from the SF Bay Area (down on the peninsula where I used to live) who have been kind enough to regularly invite me to join them on holiday. The first time was to Norway, the second to Italy and the third to Oregon (US). This year they invited me to Crete.

I didn't have any particular desire to go to Crete but Athens was high on my list as I wanted to see the Acropoliswheretheparthenonis. Yes, my urge to visit was just due to a giggle fit centred around Stephen Fry.

My Californian friend likes to plan trips. She is meticulous and has an itinerary with everything booked including restaurants months in advance. I leave her to it. Though I knew that the itinerary was not how I would do it, it's always solid.

I booked my flights to add on a couple of days in Athens before Crete and arranged my acropolis tour. A few days before I was due to fly, my friend emailed to say she was sick and wasn't sure if she could make it. She asked if we could reschedule.

I was very stressed at work at the time. I was seriously physically ill from it with all sorts of issues with my digestion and energy levels not to mention the emotional turmoil (seriously don't mention it). I was not in a position where I could not go away.

I was at the airport in the US when she confirmed that nope, she couldn't travel. She had become so bad that she went to the emergency room. She was so ill, her husband couldn't leave her and come either.

I looked at all my flight bookings and investigated my options... perhaps I would just go to Athens and come back? But I needed a proper break... Perhaps I could go to the UK and stay with my parents? But flights couldn't be transferred to that route... 

I called another friend and talked it through with him. He has an ability to talk me down and give me confidence. He convinced me that I could travel by myself and I was going to be fine.

So I went through with it. 

I had to deal with a flight cancellation and a missed connection and got routed through Amsterdam unexpectedly. The journey was really hard on me and I was feeling terrible when I was in Athens (as well as arriving about 12 hours late). I somehow slept so late I nearly missed the acropolis tour and so had to do it without breakfast. But... it worked. I saw the Parthenon, felt suitably guilty for Lord Elgin, and settled down for lunch at an Italian restaurant and was overwhelmed with how good the food was.

The next day, I went to Crete and had Cretan food for each meal and I learnt that I love it. Every dish was sublime (well, one wasn't... I got stuck in a town that was pretty dire when it came to food). I think that the highlight of my trip was a course I took (not on the itinerary! I deviated) on cheese making and Greek cookery. The first thing to do to make cheese? Milk a goat of course. It really was fantastic. (Weirdly, I met a man and his son at the cookery class that were from the village next to my home-town which is the village that I was born in and is listed on my passport as my place of birth). 

Anyway. I think I have filled in the gaps on my flickr tale. I am sorry that I didn't have the company of my friends but honestly, I didn't have a moment to miss them. I was enjoying myself the full time.