After packing ourselves back into our little rental car, we set out for the eastern side of Crete. The hills grew into mountains as we carved a winding (but well-paved) way across the island.

A stop in Heraklion tested Nate’s driving skills, as heavy traffic forced us into alleyways and, in one case, a pedestrian path. Heraklion is the largest city on Crete - about three times the population of Chania - and it was a fright thrill to pass through such a beehive after our sleepy week in the west.

Myrsini

After lunch at another cat-ministered cafe, we continued on to our next home base, Myrsini. It’s one of many small villages that dot the mountainside in eastern Crete. And when we say “village”, we mean it; there is one restaurant and one general store. If Anastasia doesn’t feel like opening shop today, you’ll just have to buy your eggs tomorrow.

It was nice to feel “off the grid” and explore the area like a local. When we visited our local restaurant, we chatted with a customer who ran a tavern in the neighboring town. So we visited a few days later and caught up with him. It seemed like everyone knew each other, and that we’d been let in on a little secret that even Rick Steves didn’t know.

Our Airbnb in Myrsini was perched nearly at the top of town, and the view was a sweeping panorama of mountain and sea. Our host welcomed us in with wine, raki and some delicious treats from the local bakery (Shruti’s favorite was the xerotigana!).

The day after we arrived, a fierce rain and thunderstorm pounded the mountainside. Watching this from our stronghold, it was easy to imagine how ancient Greeks would hold the gods responsible for such a display.

As soon as the sun peeked out the next day, we made our way to a mountain-to-beach trail in the next village. Google maps took some creative license with our routing, and sent us down to start at the beach end. This time, Shruti’s driving skills were put to the test, as we braved a steep and rocky cliff-side path down to the bottom. We nearly turned back, but forged ahead and were rewarded with a nice riverside ramble up to a waterfall.

Back home in Myrsini, we cooked with the local produce and ate lots of Greek yogurt (over here, they just call it yogurt).

We took regular walks around the village, where the local feline chauffeurs graciously showed us around. We also met an older German woman who had recently moved to the village to live a simple life “on a big island somewhere”. She, along with Liz and Joe in France, have talked us through the process (both emotional and practical) of finding a new home abroad. It’s advice we’re keeping close to our hearts as we look around.

Our big day trip of the week was a drive out to Vai Beach on the furthest eastern tip of the island. Along the way, the mountains gave way to low desert hills and errant herds of goats. The beach itself felt like a tropical getaway, complete with a hidden nudist beach.

On the way back, we stopped in the port town of Sitia for lunch on a waterfront promenade. The lazy afternoon sun, the drifting boats, and the fried calamari conspired to settle our spirits (if not our stomachs). We felt like we could easily have stayed another week, but it was not to be!

Athens

There was one last dose of excitement to mark the end of our European adventure. After a day of cars, planes, and trains, we made our way through the streets of Athens (our suitcases going tak-tak-tak) to our final abode.

With all the drama of a Greek play, the Acropolis loomed over the city and dominated our view from the apartment. It’s hard for pictures to do justice to the overall effect. It made Nate feel a little less guilty for indulging his lazy tendencies and staying inside during the day.

What is there to say about Athens? If you haven’t been there, you probably have an image in your head. A bustling, metropolitan city where modern life hurries along ancient walls. We zig-zagged our way across the center of town, passing alleyway gyro shops, preserved ruins, and posh boutiques. Tourist season was just beginning, and the throngs thickened as we made our pilgrimage up to the Acropolis.

With only a few days in Athens, we soaked it all in (including the rain) before making our way to the airport. We had originally planned to fly to India together, but Nate headed back to the US to visit his dad after a health scare (all is well now).

We’ll continue our travels in Singapore next month, where we’ll kick off our Southeast Asia adventures.

See you then!

P.S. — In case you’re new here (hi!) and want to catch up with our shenanigans over the last 3 months, all our past blog posts are in one place here.