Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!

Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää 98-vuotiaalle Suomelle <3,

Happy Independence Day for 98 years old Finland!

Pukujen loisto jää (tänäkin vuonna) meiltä väliin, mutta juhlistamme päivää täällä saaressa hyvällä aterialla parhaassa seurassa <3. Nauttikaa päivästänne Ystävät! Terveisin Nomadish ja sen koira

Learning new!

The best thing in travelling is meeting people and learning new things! This time my camper friend, Paula, was teaching me macrame- work and by this she surely gave me a new addiction!

As I do make jewerlies already quite some years, its even more fascinating to learn new techniques! We spent two days in my camper by doing works and talks and drinking coffee, how welcome was that!

So this is what I made as my first work, feeling proud :)

Trekking day through Hohlakies (Chochlakies) Gorge

I wanted to walk through this gorge after Kato Zakros, but no way that I could have manage to pass the village of Chochlakies with my camper, so narrow it got. Didn´t like the idea to park either next to the road, so I thought I must skip the idea of walking this one. BUT...After spending few days in Kouremenos with my Swedish friend, he suggested why not to borrow his scooter and get there? I was thrilled! It was 11 km drive, so why not :)

Kouremenos - Port and beach life with a friend

Kouremenos is a small place with a beach and port just beside to Palekastro / Palaiokastro in eastern Crete, south of the known Vai- beach.Vai is known for its palm forest and Kouremenos is known for its surfing. It is a well known spot for surfers, so you can understand that there is quite nice amount of wind in there! We stayed at the port some days, had nice time again with my Swedish camper friend whom I met frist time three years ago in Peloponnesos.

Back in Kato Zakros

Kato Zakros is always a nice stop for me, due the nice walkings and due Christina and Jorgos from Taverna Glaros. Many people come there to do hiking, mainly to walk through the Dead´s Gorge which I have already walked quite a few times. Another nice walk I did earlier this year was Pelekita Cave , so I needed to look for something new. Meeting new people, enjoying time by the sea, that is enough to do in Kato Zakros beside the walks.

Discover Crete with a sea kayak!

I love this photo, it deserves to be bigger, but then again it wouldn´t fit on my page :P

 
I did write already earlier that why not discover Crete without a fixed place? Well I have something new to add on this one, see Crete from the seaside with a sea kayak! Sounds great for me!

I met this nice German guy in Kato Zakros, one afternoon he came to ask if there are many mosquitos around (hahaha, this question can ONLY mean that he has been in *Xerokambos!) and I told him that it´s okay in Kato Zakros, why, was you just in Xerokambos? And you can guess what the answer was. This poor guy spent entire night (sunset comes much earlier now than in summer) in his tent due the mosquitos and I think he didn´t wish to have another night like that (well, I wish that to him too). So welcome to Kato Zakros, you will manage it over here! He built his tent up and the next days we had some nice conversations.     *I passed in 2013 in Xerokambos during the day and got bitten by many mosquitos in a sunny afternoon and surely did not want to camp there, so that time I continued my route to Kato Zakros which is only 10 km away and mosquito free!

One day stop at Asprolithos Beach

Plan was to continue the road from the Kapsa monastery to Kato Zakros, but already five km later I could suddenly see this beautiful beach in this rocky area. Ah, Kato Zakros can wait one more day :) 

Asprolithos means in Greek, "white stones" and yes it was kinda contrast between the darker rocks. Just close your eyes from all the greenhouses which are behind your back, take your shoes off and wonder around this sandy beach. That day was no wind, water was turquoise and sun was shining!

Perfect stop for a swim, there was even a beach shower to use and a large parking to have an overnight stop with camper.

Hiking through Pervolakia Gorge

Pervolakia Gorge is located east from Ierapetra, before Gouduras, right beside the monastery Kapsa.

I had a beautiful day when I hiked through Pervolakia Gorge, not too hot, little wind and time to time some clouds, the next day was full sun and no wind = more hot!. Roundtrip took all and all about six hours for me, five hours walking and one hour in a tavern. Totally 13 km.

In this walk you will meet some challenge, little climbing is necessary time to time but all worth it! Sometimes you walk on the river bed, but then the trail is bringing you back up and back down again. Beautiful smell from herbs were coming to my nosetrills over and over during this hike.

Kapsa Monastery

The day I visited this monastery in October, my father died at the age of 64, rest in peace Isi.

Orino Gorge, butterfly gorge

Hiking has started :). So our first hike was this autumn in Orino Gorge, known also as butterfly gorge, since it used to be known for its red butterflies. Some people called it also Koutsouras Park Gorge or Dasaki Gorge, but I believe the Orino Gorge is the most used one. It is located 20 kilometers east of Ierapetra, before Makrigialos. It is about 2.5 hours hike roundtrip (depending naturally for your pauses) and about 5 km. GPS coordinates for the parking  are N 35°02'06" E 25°55'59" .

Santorini mix

Santorini part 8/8 mixed photos

Days in romantic Santorini are now behind and it is time for a little summary. It is very picturesque island, that is very clear, full of romantic corners. But it is very expensive if you compare it to other Greek islands. If you like to have a glass of wine with a nice sea view in Fira, normal price for an ordinary wine is 7-8 euro per glass, small beer mythos 0.33 l starting from five euro a bottle. Somewhere I saw moussaka at 18 euros! But you pay for the view. If you stay in Kamari or Perissa, it will be lighter for your wallet, more standard level like in all other Greek islands. So do not let the prices scare you, you can also visit Santorini with normal budget. My personal choice would be Kamari or Perissa, if I would come for one week holiday. They are both beach holiday destinations, but there good connections with public transport to make visits to Oia, Pyrgos, Fira or you can rent a vehicle.

Once again P-I-C-T-U-R-E-S-Q-U-E, Firostefani

Santorini part 7/8, Firostefani

Firostefani is its own village, even it is a continuation of Fira and it is perched on the cliffs of the Caldera. It was calm, some tourists wondering around like we, but we didn´t see this village at night. When we walked the small alleys, stairs up and down, it was clear we hold our breath in front of its beauty!

Time for the beach life in Kamari

Santorini part 6/8, Kamari

It was time for my friend to get herself swimming to the mediterranean sea, so we drew to Kamari.
Kamari is a cosmopolitan beach resort on the south east of Santorini, which has been awarded the Blue Flag. The long stretch of beach lies under the impressive mountain of Mesa Vouno. The water is deep and blue, the sand is black (just imagine how hot it is to walk in summer!)

Oia by sunset

Santorini part 5/8, Oia

Oia, the most famous village in Santorini and maybe the most photographed village in Greece. Don´t forget to fill your wallet when you get here! We were the only at the evening/night time, so maybe it would be worth to see it in day time too. Obviesly it is beautiful, but we felt that so many areas were strictly private, so no view for us. Exclusive shopping, private terraces, long boulevard 150 meters above sea level.

In Oia there are two types of dwellings, the cave houses dug into the volcanic rock on the Caldera cliffs, and the Captains houses. The cave houses used to be the homes of ship crews, whereas the Captains houses belonged to the affluent class of ship owners. Many of the churches in Oia were dedicated to sailors.

On the way to Akrotiri Lighthouse

Santorini Part 4/8, Akrotiri Lighthouse

The Faros (lighthouse in Greek) was manufactured in 1892 from the French company of Lighthouses. The square tower stands 10m high above the lighthouse keepers house. It first worked, on 1892 with petroleum and its luminosity was 23 n.m. During the 2nd World War, the light stayed dead, until 1945 when Hellinic Navy decided to reconstruct the lighthouse network. On 1983 the Light supplied with electric power and operated as warded until 1988 when it completely automated. It is now flashing a white light every 10 seconds and luminosity 24 n.m. The junction just before Akrotiri leads to where Faros is. The sunset viewed from the stone wall around its countryard is one of the most beautiful on the island. We did not see the sunset over there, but can just imagine it!

On the mountains, Picturesque Pyrgos

Santorini part 3/8, Pyrgos

Pyrgos can found at the highest point of Santorini, with panoramic views of the whole island all the way to the village of Oia. This hillside village was declared a protected settlement in 1995.
Pyrgos is a typical Fortress Settlement of the Cyclades. On the hilltop you can find ruins of Kasteli Castle, one of the five 'kastelia' on the island. It became the capital of Santorini after the abandonment of Skaros Castle in the mid 18th century, and before Fira, which is the capital of Santorini today. There is a memorial plaque near the entrance to the castle, commemorating those who died in the Second World War.

Visiting Exo Gialos beach

Santorini part 2/8, Exo Gialos Beach

On our way to Exo Gialos Beach We made a drive to Oia, but didn´t have a stop yet, since we wanted to go there back one evening.

Baubos in Santorini

Santorini part 1/8, Fira

I felt like going on holiday, which is kinda odd thing to say, but that is how I felt. My dear friend came from Finland to Santorini and I took a ferry from Heraklion, Crete to get there as well. How exciting! We have this thing called "Baubo" - which is a Greek Goddess of Laughter and this is how we feel always when we meet. Laugh! So I made her a little souvenir, Baubos in Santorini :)

Ready for hiking soon

 
Finally I found few hiking books in Crete! Or maybe I have just been too lazy to look for them before. Actully I went to a bookshop to find a guide to Santorini, but none of them pleased me and then my eyes catched these books instead! As I like to hike with my doggy now I have some new interesting hikes to do in near future - good for her and good for me. But before we start our longer walks again, I will head to Santorini next week for five days to meet my dear friend who comes there from Finland. Can´t wait! So next update will be I guess about picturesque Santorini, after sorting the photos.

No more dumping!

Do you remember the unofficial dump on the beach parking I wrote about in June?

Click here to see the article and see the photos what we created from the carbage.

I was curious to return there and see the situation and while I got at the parking I was happy to see that there was no more garbage!!! Locals told me that usually in September the parking would be half full and the dump would be as high as a man. But not this year and there has come this little sign which is telling that it is forbidden to dump garbage. So this was excellent news and nature says thank you :)

Red!

 
I did already publish a serie with Blue- color My Blue Greece and Yellow & Green I was amusing this time to shoot photos "things in red". Most photos are from Crete and some from the continent of Greece.

Red is the color of extremes. It’s the color of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Our prehistoric ancestors saw red as the color of fire and blood – energy and primal life forces – and most of red’s symbolism today arises from its powerful associations in the past.
Red is also a magical and religious color. It symbolized super-human heroism to the Greeks and is the color of the Christian crucifixion. Red was almost as rare and as expensive as purple in ancient days – a fact that may explain its magic and power. * source : color matters

For me red belongs to Autumn colors as well and since it is September equinox, here are some of my photos with red!

Cretan herbs

Crete offers many herbs and the flora in Crete is on its best in spring after the rain from winter and spring. This is the time when Crete looks actually very green and plenty of wild flowers are in blossom.

Many of the herbs are used widely in Greek kitchen such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano and thyme. All these you can buy in shops, but my favorite shop is the one in Sivas, near Matala, called Botano.

You might have come accross to the mountain tea, many times old ladies are selling them in villages. This herb you can only find above 1000 meters, on the white mountains of Crete. This like many other herbs are known as healing herbs of folklore. Together with honey it is a good natural medicine against the cold, well you might want to have a little glass of raki too:).

Reindeer horns for the Greek boys

 
I wanted to make something different for the Greek boys (well two of them were already men), something they surely would not find in Greece. What could that be? Of course leather jewels with reindeer horn pendants! Each closure was different, one made of some nut, one from a piece of a bone and one from floated wood, so a tiny difference between them. As you can see, I have plenty of useful things in my little van :P

Laughter of the day

Here the sand do not have time to burn your toes before getting to the sea :)

Back again in Tsoutsouros for some days, I always like to have a stop in here. Tavernas and cafes are of course all still open, but not too many people around anymore since it is the last week of August and most Greeks have ended their holidays last weekend.

I just had a good big laugh yesterday, when a waiter from one taverna asked me with his limited English
- Is there a dog inside your dog?
- Excuse me?
- Yes, maybe dog inside your dog?
- ???
Then he starts pushing her stomach and saying maybe babys?
- hahahah, noooooooo, I agree she is having some extra weight now, since we were staying long time in Frangokastello and the taverna there took a good care that there was no food missing from my dog.
- ok, no dog in your dog, just food
- yes

Im happy he didnt ask if I had a person in my person :P.

We really need to start the good walks again, both of us. Welcome autumn!!!!!

Plaka and its view to Spinalonga

Sunrise in Plaka, Spinalonga Island on the left.

Plaka is the village from the book of Victoria Hislop - The Island. It is telling the story of Spinalonga island, where was a leper colony from 1903 until 1957. In 2009 the Greek Mega Channel started to film television series in Plaka and Elounda area called "To Nisi", which is based on a novel from Victoria Hislop. It is one of the most expensive Greek television productions ever with a budget of €4 million. It came also in Finnish television last summer with the name - Saari.

Time for something new

 

 
Im am not a person who could imagine writing articles from fashion or follow the fashion, I don´t generally even like shopping (yes, it is true!). I use many things until to the end and feel so sad when my favorite t-shirt, bag, shoes etc will eventually meet their end. There are persons who would laugh that I still wear that awful t-shirt that I got adviced years ago to throw away. Now it was really time to say goodbye for few things. My ultimate favorite backpack bought maybe 15 years ago from Holland and my beach/swimming- shoes, they were really getting useluss to have, too many holes that even the bigger stones found their way in..

Motoristin näkökulma

Kotikaupungissani Helsingissä sattui keskiviikkona tapahtuma, jossa silminnäkijöiden mukaan autoilija tahallisesti aiheutti pyöräilijän kaatumisen ja joka johti torstaina pyöräilijan kuolemaan sairaalassa saamiinsa vammoihin...

Kolokytha Island, Peninsula of Spinalonga

This island is connected by a bridge to Crete, so I am not always just in Crete, right?

If you are staying in Agios Nikolaos or Elounda, you can easily visit this beautiful island. I have walked there already before, but this time I had time to explore it better and I still want to return there after the season for nice walkings.  When you climb up the hills, the colors of the sea shows even better, love it!

Erään kirjan herättämiä ajatuksia

Vielä löytyi asuntoautoni kätköistä yksi suomenkielinen kirja, mukava yllätys, sillä kaikki paperiset kirjat taitaa olla nyt luettuna. Viime kesänä ostin Suomessa ollessani elektronisen lukulaitteen, mutta en tohdi sitä rannalle asti kiikuttaa, paperiset olkoon sitä varten! Viime aikoina olen lukenut erityisen paljon englanninkielisiä kirjoja, Agios Nikolaoksen satamasta löysin vaihtopisteen, josta pystyn lainailemaan kirjoja ja palauttelen niitä sitten aina sinne palatessani, kätevää. Löytyi sieltä jopa muutama suomenkielelellä...

We love water!

 

 
Last weeks have been more or less hot, so we spend plenty of time in and under water, equally. We have never been so long in one spot, this place will beat all my records, but it is a great place to be with the doggy and having nice people around. We will continue touring somewhere in August again and now we live on the moment :)

What to give for a Greek man?

 
The family I have started to know so well is having a taverna. They run their taverna six months a year, so you could think how nice, that could mean that after they have six months holiday? Not quite. They have their own sheeps and goats to look after. They have chickens. They make their own honey. They have their own wine and since you have your own grapes, naturally you make your own raki too. They have their own garden - with herbs, salads and vegetables. In December they start to collect their olives and will get their own oil. After the olives are collected, you need to look after the trees and do the cutting. Few nights ago the father left 3 am with his two sons to collect herbs from the mountain. Not forgetting that they collect their own sea salt and I am sure I don´t even know everything they do. The kids are helping in all this, though now they have summer holiday from school, well, not a holiday as the kids in back home, these kids are working the whole summer with the family. Feels almost that the easiest thing is having the taverna...

Looks like an ordinary day

Yes, I am still in Greece and hoping that the situation here will not grow that bad, that I would be "forced" to leave this beautiful island. I am now in a peaceful village in Southern Crete, nothing much happens anyway in here. When you look at the beach, it looks as an ordinary summer day, though with less people..

Elämää kriisin keskellä

Kreikka on päättänyt kansanäänestyksestä 5.7.2015, tosin mistä äänestetään on vielä epävarmaa kun viimeisin maksu erääntyy 30.6.2015 lyhennettäväksi. Politiikka on tähän asti ollut itselleni matkaajana vähäpätöinen asia, matka on edennyt, tankin on saanut täyteen ja ruokaa on riittänyt sekä omassa kaapissa että tavernoissa.

Nyt on käteinen monin paikoin loppu automaateilta, vaikka nostorajoituksia on tullut. Kreikkalaisten nostoja on rajoitettu 60 euroon per päivä, muiden maiden korteilla ei tulisi rajoituksia olla. Tosin rajoitus koskee kieltämättä meitä kaikkia, kun automaatit ovat tyhjiä, ihan sama onko kortti suomalainen tai kreikkalainen...

Recycling – unknown word to some!

Unfortunately this word appears to be discovered in Greece still too often. Found this beautiful spot in Northern Crete, calm, sandy and rocky beach, let´s enjoy the sea and sun! But… As soon as you get to the parking, you can see all the garbage around, which really does not come from the sea either from the people who visit the beach just for a day. This garbage comes directly from peoples home. Instead of bringing the stuff to the dump or proper containers, some people bring it to the beach parking, how easy and fast!

Skouros and Listis beach

Skouros Beach

If you are seeking a silent beach, I bet these two are pretty silent even in August. Just beside Kastri, Southern coast of Crete, around 70 km from Heraklion...

Little chapel

 
Ive been passing Amiras Memorial monument several times, spent even a night next to the monument, but first time I saw the door open to the little chapel next to it. It is an emotional place with its 461 candle holders, one for each victim who was executed by the Germans.

The monument is made to not forget the Holocaust of Viannos in 14-16 September 1943 when the Nazi forces attacked the Cretan civilian residents east of Ierapetra. Totally in 20 villages they were executed 500 people, burning most of the villages and destroying their harvest. The massive loss of live made this place one of the deadliest massacres during the occupation of Greece. Müller, the German general who was behind this attack earned his nickname "the Butcher of Crete". After the war he got executed for his part in this and other massacres.

Curry & Mango, Agios Nikolaos goes Indian!

I was talking with an English gentleman (thank you Steve!) at the marina of Agios Nikolaos and somehow we started to talk about food and ended up to talk about Indian cuisine and its flavors. Then he told me that actually that same night (yesterday) was an opening of an Indian restaurant in Agios Nikolaos, next to Kitroplateia Beach. So you can guess where we had a dinner yesterday :).

I love Indian cuisine also because it has a large selection of tasty vegetarian choices and I think that back home in Finland, I have been in all of them and I mean ALL. Most northern one has been in Kemi, more than 700 km from Helsinki. But now we are not in Kemi, we are in Agios Nikolaos, just
4500 km south from Kemi, restaurant called L´Indien. It is written in the French way since the owners, Marie-Line and Jaimour, has had 20 years Indian restaurant in Paris and now they have opened this new one in Crete.

Touring with mom 2015

Pervot Pervolassa

This update I wrote in Finnish, it is about the 10 days I just spent with my mom <3 from the beginning of  May.

Blogissa on ollut hiljaista reilut kaksi viikkoa, mutta se ei johdu siitä että olisi ollut hiljaista, päinvastoin, sain äitini kylään Kreetalle!
Yllä oleva kuva on kevään 2014 satoa, viime vuoden turneeltamme, ja taas nautittiin mukavat kymmenen päivää yhdessä toukokuun alusta. Naurua, jutustelua, retkeilyä riitti, kiitos Äiti <3!

Vegetarian “souvlaki”

Instead of pork or chicken, I make these veggie souvlakis, very tasty dish, even for meat eaters:)

You can put whatever vegetables you have or like, this time I made them from onions, zucchini and peppers. I slice all the vegetables and add them in these souvlaki sticks. I prepare olive oil and “gyros- spice mix” in a bowl and pour it over the vegetables. Time to time I turn the souvlakis in a pan and I let them getting good marinated, some hours before baking them. More time, more taste!

Bake in a pan until all the vegetables are soft, they get a great taste like in a grill!

 

Yellow and Green!

 
This time I publish photos from yellow and green, suites perfect for spring! I blogged earlier the color Blue- My Blue Greece  so I amused my self by continuing shooting photos from colors, another time some more :)

Discover Crete without a fixed place

As the spring has arrived I´ve start to see the backpackers again. I do see them in winter too, but obviously the weather is much nicer now for the backpackers or cyclist.

Why to take always just a fixed hotel room? I agree hotel offers certain comfort, but if you have little bit of an adventurous mind why not try camping instead? I noticed the flights have come a lot cheaper, now it can make sense to book just flights and leave the hotel open. If you like to rent rooms, you will always find rooms with reasonable prices certainly in the south coast of Crete (often 25 e a night) out of the top season (July and August)...

Cretan Easter

Greek Orthodox Easter is not the same time as the easter back home, this year it was one week later and it is very important and celebrated. Many people still do fasting in Greece which starts 40 days before easter on Clean Monday and ends at midnight on Easter Sunday. People go to church in Saturday late evening and get back home to have a traditional night dinner, with lamb of course!

So, this was the first time for me to have an Easter experince in Greece. We spent Easter in Kastri, went to Easter church and had a great time eating with the family in Jimmy´s Taverna on Sunday afternoon. Children are having holiday two weeks around the Easter, one week before and one week after (!), back home in Finland kids have only two extra free days, friday and monday.

Happy Easter - Hyvää pääsiäistä!

Kreikassa ei pääsiäinen osukaan tänä vuonna samaan aikaan kuin teillä siellä Suomessa, vaan ortodoksi pääsiäinen on viikkoa myöhemmin. Suomalaisten pääsiästunnelma välittyy tänne teidän ihanilla pajunkissakuvilla ja koristeilla!

Lidlistä ostin kolmisen viikkoa sitten suklaisen pupujussipussin  (onko tää yhdyssana??) ja se on kyllä auttamattomasti syöty jo aikaa sitten, taisi olla heti siinä kassojen jälkeen, eli silläkään ei autoon tunnelmaa loihdita.

Iloista pääsiäistä teille kaikille ja ensi viikolla meidän olisi tarkoitus olla viettämässä kreikkalaista pääsiäistä jossakin mukavassa pienessä paikassa :)

Terveisin, Nomadish ja sen koira

Season has started!

Season 2015 is now officially started in Crete ( and no, this is not a joke of 1 of April)! Since the Easter is rather early this year, means that the season starts earlier. Many tavernas opens this week, gives me more choice :). It is almost hard to believe that suddenly there will be more people!

I am still in Frangokastello, the little village on the south of Crete, 75 km from Chania and enjoying the Libyan sea and its view from my camper. Some amounts of tourists, has arrived for the easter holiday and kids are joyfully screaming around. One remarkable thing is that all those little rental cars are slowly arriving which means less smooth driving on Crete. But actually after this windy, rainy, cloudy, snowy winter it is also nice to come across to some more people, so welcome in Crete!

And for my mom:

Ja äiti, pian säkin olet täällä :), siitä onkin tasan yhdeksän kuukautta kun ollaan viimeksi nähty!

Beach life

Water is never too cold for kids!

Most mountains has still some snow

Bullet holes

Already since I bought my van, I took some Adria stickers away and added some of my own ones. I needed some street attitude, hahaha! One of the stickers are like bullet holes, how girly!

I was a small player when I found this truck in Italy where the whole cabin was decorated (!) and a really small player when I reached Crete, see the photos!

These are my bullet holes, impressive don´t you think?

The truck beside me in Italy, wowowowow!

Hahaha and in Crete they are real cowboys!