I couldn’t check into my studio in Paleochora until 4, so I stopped for a coffee at the cute little village of Kandanos, half way along the steep and winding one-and-a-half hour drive from north to south coast.
Paleochora is just about the southern outpost of Europe. Only the island of Gavdos is more southerly. Its shores are bathed by the Libyan Sea.
Haris studios and Meltemi café
I’d stayed at Haris Studios twice before in 2004 and 2009. The east-facing studios, where you see the sunrise, are fairly basic, but I was glad to see they hadn’t changed a bit.
Although Haris Studios (and the newer rooms named after his son – Yiorgos Studios) are listed on the main rental platforms, Haris seems to get all his custom from returning visitors like me.
Haris has one arm and one eye – due to a fishing accident I think. As he gets older, he needs more help to get around.
Last time I visited, Haris was still with Flora from Scotland, but now Katrina from Hungary is steering him around and helping to run the business.
While I waited to check in, I went to celebrate my arrival with a spritz and bought Lottie a set of dog booties as the ground was too hot for her to walk on. She tried to shake them off at first but soon realised it was worth keeping them on.
Then I moved into my home for the next couple of weeks.
Breakfast at the adjoining café is included in the room price: an egg, orange juice, coffee, two slices of local bread and home-made jam. If you hang around long enough, you usually get a plate of water melon and fruit raki too – though I passed on the latter.
Around town
Paleochora is packed with holiday-makers but there are no package tours, international brands or drunken teenagers.
The visitors are a mix of Greek families, Greek youngsters and an array of other nationalities, mostly Europeans. There a fair few Brits of my vintage who probably originally came to Crete as students and have come back year after year, first alone and then with their families.
Having to make the trek over the island to get there is a great leveller and the place has a lively, easy-going frontier feel. The meltemi wind adds a touch of wildness.
Beaches
Paleochora has two largish beaches within walking distance of the town centre, one stony and one sandy. Provided you have water shoes, the stones are no obstacle.
There are more beaches just out of town along a bone-shaking rough track that was much longer than I remembered, probably because I was driving a rental car last time. I went once this time but decided to spare my Volvo a return trip.
The beach next to my studio was my favourite as the snorkelling was so good. It’s run by the local restaurant and they’ll serve you with drinks on the beach and only charge 4 eur for a sunbed – when they remember to charge at all.
Dogs are allowed on all beaches in Greece, but I usually left Lottie at home as the sand was too hot and she didn’t particularly enjoy it.
Day-to-day life
We settled into a rhythm of walks before 10 am and after 6 pm, when Lottie had a dip in a handy rock pool. The rest of the time she stayed indoors and kept cool.
I often kept her company doing a few hours’ work before going for a swim.
I’d fully intended doing a few boat trips and more exploring, but it was too hot and much more relaxing just to hang out around Paleochora.
Food and drink
All the food and drink was delicious. I loved the Greek salads with feta or myzithra cheese
I often stopped off to sample the Cretan wines at a new wine bar – slowly making my way through their wine list.
A couple of Norwegian wine importers I met informed me that there are more good Greek and Cretan wines around now, but not many bottles are produced so they’re difficult to find abroad.
I certainly enjoyed the ones I sampled.
All food and drinks were served with big glasses of ice water – sometimes even a whole bottle. It’s almost as though the Greeks have got the memo about holidaymakers expiring from heat exhaustion and are determined not to let it happen on their watch.
People
Though I was on my own in Paleochora, there were plenty of people to chat to – usually interesting maverick types.
The Greeks love dogs and everyone stopped to pet Lottie and ask questions about her. How old, what breed, what’s her name, can I pet her? And, just once, can I buy her?
One meeting that sticks out in my mind was with an Israeli couple of art teachers and their teenage son. They were spending the summer holidays travelling round Greece and putting off the evil hour when they’ll have to go back home to the war and bombings. They’re hoping to find a way to settle somewhere in Europe.
My last night coincided with the Greek national holidays when everyone was in party mood. I met a gently swaying Irishman who’d been in the British army special forces and his equally drunk partner. The ex-soldier was cagey about his past but ended up showing off his scars gained in Bosnia, among other places.
I couldn’t believe I’d be there within a few days.
Getting ready for Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Lottie
I had to do a few things to get ready for my road trip through Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as they’re not in the EU.
I wasn’t sure whether Lottie would need extra paperwork, so I visited the local vet, Georgia. We agreed that she’d worm Lottie just before I left and fill in her pet passport.
I enjoyed the visits to the vets as it was a slice of local life. Lottie didn’t enjoy it quite so much, as Georgia gave her ears a good clear out to go along with her worm treatment. Lagottos have hairy ears inside and out, which makes them prone to fungal ear infections.
Offline navigation
My phone provider charges £1.50 per MB for roaming outside the EU, so I knew I’d have to download offline maps for navigation.
The Rough Guide to the Western Balkans said Google Maps wasn’t accurate anyway and recommended maps.me, but this turned out to be very keen to make you take out a subscription.
After a bit of research, I downloaded Organic Maps, a free open-source offline map app.
I also downloaded offline Google maps for the areas I’d be driving through.
Departure
My ferry didn’t leave until 9 pm from Heraklion, so I had breakfast, packed up and then went back to the café for coffee and a last look at the sparkling blue waters.
Haris and Katarina told me that they rent their studios out for 550 eur a month in the offseason. It’s very tempting.
I had an uneventful drive to Heraklion, apart from coming across a horrific motorcycle crash. I think a truck was involved.
Having an hour or so to kill, I stopped at a garage with attached car wash to hose the dust off the Volvo, check the tyre pressures and fill up with petrol.
I embarked without any problems and tried to get a bit of sleep before the long drive to Albania the following day…
