Crete - travel to Sitia

Nicola drove me to the airport and that went without a hitch. There were plenty of hitches to follow. I had checked in on line but just before I got to security my travel agent called to say there was a strike in Frankfurt (my first stop) and to go to the Lufthansa check-in desk. I was assured that the passengers traveling through Frankfurt were not effected but there was some consternation about the following 2 flights. We decided to send my bags on to Athens and hope for the best.

The flight to Frankfurt was fine, maybe 3 or 4 messy hours of sleep. On arriving in Frankfurt my next flight was cancelled. Fun finding a service desk to help but they booked me on my next 2 flights and rerouted my luggage (that made me a little nervous!). quick run through the Frankfurt airport and I was on the way to Athens.

My first coffee of the day (at about 2pm Athens time). I had decided to try and sketch more on this trip. As I was sitting there, Rick came down the escalator. He said it was "the luck of the Sweeton" at play, as we couldn't believe our plans to connect there had come to fruition.

Flight to Heraklion, my baggage made it too, taxi to the hotel, sigh of relief.

Fortress at Heraklion harbour.

 The hotel was in the old part of town with narrow, windy streets and we were able to walk down to the harbour and ate dinner with a view of the fortress. Bed by 8:30 and slept erratically for about 12 hours. The hotel had a fabulous breakfast, taxi back to the airport and picked up the rental car. 

It was an easy drive out to the main coastal road which diminished from a 4 lane straight highway to a twisty, turny 2 lane as we drove east. Of note- in Crete the shoulder is considered a passing lane!

Periodically there was a place to pull off and take in the scenery. A brief break from driving stick shift for the first time in a few years. Here we stood enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sound of goat bells in the valley.

 

We were to meet someone in Sitia who would guide us to the Airbnb but that didn't happen. When we finally connected with the owner they sent a GPS link. Well that got us thoroughly lost in narrow farm lanes. In the end we went back to Sitia and someone else showed up to guide us out.

Our home for the next week

We took a walk through the olive groves with a view down to the sea and the sound of birds (according to Rick's Merlin App, European Robin and Great Tit)

Sunset from the patio. I just checked the weather and there is an "orange warning for extreme low temperature" because its going down to 12 tonight (thats centigrade)