The cave of Zeus

Psychro Cave - Diktatean Cave - according to the myth, Zeus was born in here. Cave is located in Lassithi, Psychro and it is 1025 meters above sea level. The cave is impressive to visit, rich of stalagmites and stalactites. Its the most famous cave of the 3000 caves in Crete! Since of its myth of Zeus, this is why the Dikteon Cave was already famous in antiquity, dedicated to the worship of the greatest of the gods, as the many offerings found there indicate...

BBQ at Zorbas Island

BBQ chef Eric

 Passed many good moments at Zorbas and every Saturday evening they make barbeque, how nice! For me it was almost like beeing in some pub in Holland and after not using Dutch since last summer was so nice to speak it again (zo gezellig avondje :P)!

Hiking with team Zorbas Island

Zorbas Island is runned by a Dutch family, Eric with his family has been doing the business with renting apartments, having a bar/taverna next to rental houses with swimmingpool and excursions of hiking on Crete last 15 years, so by now they are really experienced. Many customers comes back to Zorbas Island year after year and that doesnt suprise me. They are having a great team working at Zorbas and the food is real home made food from fresh products (!), an extra thanks to Helen for filling up our stomachs, we enjoyed every bite :)!. Every saturday they do a BBQ, all year around!

Greek Dance in the Castle

I was lucky to see Greek Dance session while staying in Frangokastello, the idea was to leave that very same day, but the mind was changed since I was hearing live music from the castle. And good I did change the mind indeed! Group of dancers and the band were having several hours session on the stage inside the castle and it was filmed and coming out some point in the Greek TV, so I was told...

Pictures really doesnt tell it all, the sound of the music was amazing in this castle and when the guys were stepping their foot to the stage floor, the noise of it was wow!!! Im glad I did not miss this!

One nightmare story

Emilie, Sophie, Antoine, Edgar and Leon

Today I got unfortunaly bad news from the French family I met here on Crete. Family Leloup left from France last summer as an idea to make one year off and travel around the Europe, which they did until 1.4! What happened on 1.4, is not a joke for them! I wrote earlier about them in HERE (the end of the update) and you can visit their blog in HERE

Before first of April they had seen already many countries, including Scandinavia, Eastern-Europe, Turkey and Greece. From Crete they left towards Italy and they arrived to Rome. They found a good parking place in a more quiet area and thought the camper would be safe there...but...NO...

Days in Frangokastello

As I did visite Frangokastello already earlier in November, see the old update by clicking HERE , but the weather was not so good, so I had now an excellent weather to camp here for several days. Was also a stop to do the Imbros gorge from here. I was everyday stunned about the colors of the sea in here, such a nice beach to stay! The next update will be also from here since I was lucky to see a Greek Dance session done in the castle, which was filmed and coming out from Greek TV on some point, so I was told..

Hiking in impressive Imbros

After hiking the Preveli Gorge with my Austrian friends, Harald and Renate, some days later we hiked again together, this time Imbros Gorge. This gorge was familiar for me from the past, but since last time I walked it from down towards up, I never managed to see the whole gorge since I got "stucked" in the half way. You need to pay on the half way an entrance fee (only in season), but the man who was charging the fees was more interested to have (raki)-company. So I remember passing good moments with him, drinking little raki-shots from the old bullet parts which are found in Imbros, since during the second world war the gorge witnessed an evacuation of several thousands of British soldiers before heading to Egypt. I still remembered how he looked and I could straight reconize him from a photo which was in the middle point in his little hut. We had also now our pause in this hut and it was just like I remember it was ;). Some things never change!

Herbalist, spirit of nature

Giannis, the herbalist of Kouses is having his little shop in Kouses, not far from Mires (Moires) and I was many times planning to give a stop there and this time I thought, now I will not miss it! Giannis has a nice shop "full of things" and huge knowledge about the herbs with years of experience. He is supplying teas, spices, organic cosmetics, drops etc. You can stop there for a tea and wonder around all his pots. His shop has a nice spirit! You can visit his website from HERE ...

Hiking in gorgeous Preveli gorge

Once getting in the end of the Preveli gorge, this paradise lagoon is waiting for you <3

I was hiking the Preveli gorge with my Austrian friends from camping Koutsounari, they talked already earlier to go to do this walk and once they were there nearby, I got a sms If I would like to come with them and of course I said a BIG YES! We spent few days parked next to the venecian bridge of Preveli which was built by the monks of Preveli. Harald has a good GPS map for walking so we were ready to go around the gorge. We had plenty of sun, but the day was VERY windy, but it didnt stop our happy hiking team. Thank you Renate and Harald to asking me with you, was wonderful walk and delicious vegetarian lasagne, not forgetting the "tiger-cake"!  Renate you are amazing magic woman! So here I have put many many photos and since I normally walk alone now there are also pictures from myself since Renate and Harald took many photos too...

Stormy day in Ierapetra

I wanted to see the Carneval of Ierapetra in March, but unfortunaly the parking turned out to be a little sea, so road needed to go on! When I arrived to the parking, I could see that sea is showing his little wilder side, but was still okay. So having a beer in the bar, coming later back to the car and it was clear that the water has raised more! Well, one night in the parking and the next day car was totally in seasalt - needed to find a place to wash the biggest salt away! But my car sure didnt get that much hits as the car below (normally when visiting Ierapetra, I would park where this car was...). So watch out where you park, it can turned a suprise!

view from my car, yes it is a parking, not a lake.

Random Crete

We have turned already at the good side of March and as we got some heavy rains, nature is loving it! Many flowers coming up and the island is turning more green, like this it would not be seen in summer. Last days been little here and there, so I just publish now some random photos that I could not make them just in one section. Now doing hiking with the doggy and observing the nature, not getting bored of this island, how could you!

Island opposite of Elouda, nice walks!

Happy Women´s Day!

Happy women´s day you all beautiful ladies, hyvää naistenpäivää teille kaikille kaunokaisille ;)

This photo is taken two years ago when I was in a campsite in Portugal. There was this amazing German lady who has bought a big bunch of red roses and bringing one rose to each woman who was there at the campsite! She knocked at my door and started to sing a German song (no idea what!) and when she was finished with the song she gave me a rose, she made my day! Notice: I do not have vases in my van, so I needed to make one out of a bottle, not so beautiful but it was doing the duty and the rose could continue it´s blossom ;)

Little Carneval in Elounda

In a beautiful sunny day in February 23th I was enjoying the little children´s carneval in Elounda. There were so many princesses and cowboys, I had a good laugh when watching these little kids singing and dancing in latin rythmn. Each kid could also sing on their turn to the microphone, was good entertain! See the colors of these little kings and queens ;)

Trekking in the Dead´s Valley, Kato Zakros

I was camping five days in Kato Zakros, the village I said I want to get back, since last time there were way too many mosquitos (even for a Finn like me!). You can read the earlier visit here (click the link). Soooo, finally I had chance to hike the Dead´s Gorge and I was walking trough it three days in a row with the doggy. Each time it showed me a new side, I felt like the Alice in the Wonderland, It was such a paradise! You could hear almost all the way getting down the beautiful sound of water, time to time the bells of the goats and then pure silence. Each time it looked different. First day I had more eyes in the big "scenes", second day I already made more attention for the beauty of the mother earth and third day just enjoying fully from all of its beauty. In winter there is water in the river and I needed to cross the river about 4-5 times, but it was no problem since there were big rocks to step, no wet feets! For the doggy it was perfect, she could dive in to the water almost all the way, she enjoyed it so much!

Happy days in Koutsounari

Back in the camping Koutsounari for four days was like coming home! Old friends Renate and Harald was still there and also one new couple from Austria Stepanie and Leo, didnt I learn more Austrian German again ;)! I learned Pancake is in Austrian "palatschinken" and I teached that pancake is in Finnish "lettu", so with this we could make a happy palatschinken-lettu party! And that was not our only party, It started already the arrival day by Renate´s deli welcoming party, then we had spagetti party a la vegetarian bolognese and as a last day Renate made a super delicious Valentine´s day cake - oh my - I will miss all these goodies and I think the doggy too ;). We had once again good laughter in a good company!

Dutys before the party - laundry time!

Amiras memorial

Many memorial monuments or places makes me silent, when you are aware of the cruelty that has happen in that place. Biggest silence in my life I experienced in Normandy France, when visiting the American Cemetary. Of course to follow the path of World War II in Normandy was in every way impressive, but thats again another story..

Previosly happened 5 - Odottamatta kääntäjäksi

Talvella 2011 kun olin opiskelemassa hopeasepän töitä Amsterdamissa, jouduin yllättäen kääntäjän hommiin ja en mihin tahansa sanastoon (!). Opettajani ja hänen miehensä remontoivat taloaan Amsterdamissa, samoissa tiloissa on myös tämä koulu ja olinkin siten helposti käytettävissä tuntien jälkeen...

My van - my home, my way of travelling and living

Beautiful spot in Barragem Idanha-A-Nova, Portugal

I present my van, my home, pictures from inside/outside, some technical information and what I think about "all you need in your camper/motorhome" no matter about the model or size. I do basicly ONLY free camping, it can be in the city or village, beach or mountains, lakes or by the rivers, you name it, "all" is possible. Campsites I use to do my laundry and sometimes just for a comfort of having long hot showers (yeah, I know, not so ecological of waisting so much water!). Fees of the sites are very different depending what you are looking for and some countries prices are way too high if thinking what you get back for your money. In Portugal you can find sites as low as 6-7 e / night including one person, camper and even electricity and in Croatia you may pay just for a car and tent 28 e / night (and I do not talk about five star campsites!)...

Amazing Aradena

*Notice bullet holes in the sign, so much seen in here!

Aradena (Aradaina) is as beautiful place as its history is definetely not the usual one! It was a settlement in the Roman and Venetian period, but it got totally destroyed by the Ottoman Turks. Later on it was getting reinhabited, but in the 40s it got abandoned due the vendetta. The two large families who lived there, exterminated eachother member by member, until it got a village with destroyed ruins. Aradena is in a region that they say that people still live by unwritten moral and ethical laws. Most of the impressive houses are now destroyed and evidence of the battle between the two families are the two seperate cemeteries, one cemetery to each family...

Epiphany, the celebration of 6 January

I was spending this day in Matala and could participate of this Greek celebration,Festival of Epiphany, or 'The Blessing of the Waters', is held every year on January 6 throughout all of Greece. It is the day of Jesus got babtized and this is the special occasion when many daring young Greek men brave the chilly waters to dive for a cross after it has been blessed by a priest and thrown into the water. They say the first man who recovers the cross is going to have good luck throughout the coming year. Priest throws the cross three times, but the first one who gets it gets the glory. The day long festival also features the blessing of small boats and ships, and later on affords entertainment, music, dancing and food to all those who are present. I was tasting first time Metaxa in my life (!!).

Was nice to see this village full of life, when the streets are usually empty this time of year. I was also told that last five previous years it has always been rainy, but this year we had luck, bathing in full sun, great!

Ceremony is held on these rocks, getting ready to start soon