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Night location: Elounda, Greece
Driving in Crete is an experience in and of itself! The shoulder of the road becomes a slow lane so that other vehicles can overtake at any time. Oncoming traffic anticipate other drivers will be utilising this other 'lane' so feel comfortable travelling at speed in the wrong direction, crossing the double lines. Gareth has adapted to this new technique brilliantly but it does make driving more taxing as you have to be on your game at all times. The most startling moment of our journey was when a coach coming towards us attempted to overtake a truck around a blind corner.
Fortunately, the view of the north coast made this transit absolutely worthwhile. We travelled from west to east today and the main road followed the coast for most of the way. At other times we drove over some ranges that wound into valleys filled entirely with olive groves.
Our only stop was at Rethymno, which has a smaller 16th century Venetian harbour to Chania but has a large working port that is operational today. The major attraction, aside from the delightful laneways shaded by arbored bougainvillea and lined with shops and restaurants, is the Venetian Fortezza that towers over the city. It was built after a devastating attack by an Ottoman pirate and completed in 1580. We had not fully comprehended how huge the complex was as we only learned later that the original plan was for the entire city to be moved permanently into the fortress! The view across the city and out over the Mediterranean Sea was spectacular, but the sun was fierce so after circumnavigating the walls, we returned to a beautifully shaded laneway for some lunch.
For the next four nights we are staying at a luxe resort in a two bedroom villa. We were greeted and offered a welcome drink overlooking the coast and then were driven in a golf buggy to our accommodation. Gemma got the giggles as she nearly went flying out the back with Edith as we rose over a sharp pinch, but both she and the baby arrived unscathed.
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Bev Sounds great. Have a wonderful time together.