On our walk back from breakfast we encountered a rather odd sight for a Londoner, a mule on a truck.
A much shorter drive to the start of today’s walk at Alonia. Our route to Kormokopos Cave Trail provided the coolest conditions of all the walks during our time in Crete. That doesn’t mean it was cool but the shade from the tree cover made walking a lot more comfortable.
A thick layer of pine needles made the underfoot conditions much easier as well. The trip still involved a climb but nothing as dramatic as the last couple of days. On the journey only a couple of places required careful management of footwork.
We arrived at the Cave of Kormokopos where a spring provides cool water. I didn’t drink any but I did pour some over my head for refreshment. The place is used by shepherds to look after their flocks and pen them in. Hornets buzzed in and out of the cave. I wondered whether the place had any spiritual history.
As I looked down 200 m below at the brilliant blue sea Jonathan read one of his thoughts for the day. An excerpt from the story of the last Greek Queen moved him almost to tears. He said her words about love reminded him of his mother.
We walked back to a small taverna in the nearby village Alonia. The cold beer tasted great.
Jonathan suggested we walk down to the nearby Byzantine Chapel. A tiny building half derelict on its own small plateau.
Back up and a return journey in the back of Myriam’s small van with Matt beside me while Maggi and Fiona sat up front. Wash and brush up, small kip and then back down for our last evening at the hotel. As always there was plenty to eat and all very good. I had had enough by the time the rabbit appeared, nothing like the way my mother cooked it. Everyone seemed to think I had become a vegetarian. Perhaps I will be.