Kritsa-bound

We left Koutouloufari just after 10am and headed for the hills of Kritsa.  We stopped on the way at the Monastry of St George. It was St George’s day and so a great celebration was taking place, especially as it was still Easter holidays.  Hundreds of people stopped to light a candle and take part in a special liturgy. We saw Yianni and Maria there – as their grandson is named George so a special day for them.  Outside along the highway, police directed traffic on the mountside, while the gypsies set up market stalls of leather goods, gyros and balloons – not quite what’s expected on a religious holiday but there you go.

We made it to Kritsa in good time and received a very warm welcome from the owner of the apartments we rented last time with Cassie.  She remembered us and Cassie and smothered her with kisses.  Sadly, her mother, a favourite of Cassie’s, passed away only three months ago.  Very sad, as I have a photo of her and her Greek baking on my pinboard at home.  We left the girls with Yia Yia and Bapou and took off in search of our spiti (house), trying to follow absurd directions given by the owner “....go up a narrow road, turn left, go past a shop and over a bridge ...” which is fine except the shop is no longer a shop and the bridge is hidden by giant rubbish bins so you have no hope of finding it.  A 20-point turn around a narrow corner was assisted by two old Greek men who called instructions and waved their hands about – no help at all but nice that they were willing! We finally abandoned the instructions and called the caretaker, and English lady who’d lived in Kritsa for 19 years.  She rescued us and showed us the way (there was no way we would have found it otherwise “... it’s the house on the second laneway with the hyndrandras on the stairs...”).  It’s actually more of a spitaki (small house) than a spiti. I fell instantly in love with the white washed walls, Greek blue decor and charming hillside location amongst the locals and about 10 cats that regularly try their hand at looking adorable in the hope we may throw some food their way. ..Manny was a little less excited and felt reality didn’t quite live up to the photos on the web site.  It IS off the main drag for sure, and we can’t park anywhere near the place because the roads really are old donkey tracks, but it has a charm and simplicity that I love and I couldn’t be happier. 

Sophia is staying in the apartment in town with Yia Yia and Bapou as there is no cot here.  We have borrowed one from the apartment in town, but it’s wooden and unless Manny carries it on his back through narrow laneways we couldn’t get it here.  While we got organised with our spiti, Sophia slept and Yia Yia and Bapou enjoyed a glorious afternoon in the sunshine overlooking the mountain valley, beneath the lime and lemon tress of their apartments, drinking locally made wine and raki from Yianni.  They say it was one of their best days ever – and will no doubt be a special memory from our holiday.  I’ve never seen them so relaxed and at ease (and frisky... J). Afterwards, we took a walk through the town, Bapou stopping every now and then to speak to the locals in his native tongue about his father, had a watered down raki in a tourist cafe and then back to the apartments for a home-cooked dinner at the Argiros Apartments (Yia Yia and Bapou’s place) of peppered chicken and potatoes casserole made with fresh ingredients from the owner’s farm, an icecream in town and then off to bed.

The following day we headed down the mountain into the major port of Aygios Nikolaus – a big bustling city with throngs of tourists even at this time of year.   We had a wander around, a snack at an expensive tourist cafe on the lake and then headed for home so Sophia could sleep. 

It’s lovely in Kritsa and the locals are welcoming, especially to those who stay overnight here. So many tourists come here on a day trip (the one promoted as ‘experience a traditional Cretan village) so if you are staying, it’s something different.  Plus Bapou impresses everyone with his Greek and stories of his family who lived here.  The family down the laneway asked today if he was going to claim his father’s property, and he said yes! I’m sure that story is already around town.  The produce here is so fresh – we’ve been kept in good supply of eggs from the family next door, while we fill out water bottles from the communal mountain spring tap nearby – which are dotted around the town. 

We’re looking forward to taking a drive into the mountains to find the tavern we visited last time with its renowned goat lasagne.  We’ll also go back for shopping in Aygios Nikolaus, a visit to the apartment owner’s farm (he wants to show us), dinner at the Papadouli taverna and a sample of the best meat in town at a cafe down our laneway next to the blacksmiths.

Manny and I are even venturing out with the spiti caretaker on Thursday who is also a real estate agent to check out the local property, which has fallen in price by 50% since the global financial crisis. Nikos tells us there will be more drops in price and next year would be the time to buy.  Nothing big – just a spitaki on the hillside would be all we’d want so we have something for our family to enjoy for years to come.