Met up with my Brazilian classmate, Ali, in
Crete, the largest Greek island. Now, this place has culture! It is known for it's production of fine olive oil, Rika (an equivalent to the Italian "
grappa" spirit), and kind-hearted Cretan people. The first day I arrived (without Ali), I was invited to go "Greek clubbing", was offered (and acquiesced to) 3 FREE shots of "homemade Rika" and was hooked up with a room overloo
king the ocean for a mere 20 euros in one of the fanciest hotels in this charming little beach town, called
Malia. Once Ali arrived, we laid by the pool, ate greek salads and just relaxed. One day we explored the rolling hills of the Cretan inland via rental car. The Sunday afternoon eye candy included rolling hills complete with olive groves, vineyards and wild goats. We stopped in the tiny little town of Gonies and hiked for 3 hours up the Gorge of Rosa, complete with the sounds of wild goat screams and the aromatic smell of springtime blossoms. Awesome! Then, we stopped in a small tavern for an authenic Cretan lunch; greek salads, Domas (rusk of bread topped with
olive oil and chopped tomatos), fava (bean paste) and the local brew, Mythos. A nice Cretan family bought us our drinks and I was like, "What do they want from us?" After much analysis of this kind offer, I finally realized..damn, these Cretan peeps are genuinely magnanimous! I guess I have become a bit of a skeptic when free things are offered to me but this renewed my faith in humankind (or at least Greek people). Our Cretan holiday ended with an overnight ferry to Athens. We were smart (and maybe selfish) and we each took a row of seats and sprawled out for a night of rest. Yes, selfish, but everyone else was doing it too...when in Greek, do like your fellow travelers. Hmmmm, there is something wrong with that statement!
Met up with my Brazilian classmate, Ali, in Crete, the largest Greek island. Now, this place has culture! It is known for it's production of fine olive oil, Rika (an equivalent to the Italian "grappa" spirit), and kind-hearted Cretan people. The first day I arrived (without Ali), I was invited to go "Greek clubbing", was offered (and acquiesced to) 3 FREE shots of "homemade Rika" and was hooked up with a room overloo
king the ocean for a mere 20 euros in one of the fanciest hotels in this charming little beach town, called Malia. Once Ali arrived, we laid by the pool, ate greek salads and just relaxed. One day we explored the rolling hills of the Cretan inland via rental car. The Sunday afternoon eye candy included rolling hills complete with olive groves, vineyards and wild goats. We stopped in the tiny little town of Gonies and hiked for 3 hours up the Gorge of Rosa, complete with the sounds of wild goat screams and the aromatic smell of springtime blossoms. Awesome! Then, we stopped in a small tavern for an authenic Cretan lunch; greek salads, Domas (rusk of bread topped with 
olive oil and chopped tomatos), fava (bean paste) and the local brew, Mythos. A nice Cretan family bought us our drinks and I was like, "What do they want from us?" After much analysis of this kind offer, I finally realized..damn, these Cretan peeps are genuinely magnanimous! I guess I have become a bit of a skeptic when free things are offered to me but this renewed my faith in humankind (or at least Greek people). Our Cretan holiday ended with an overnight ferry to Athens. We were smart (and maybe selfish) and we each took a row of seats and sprawled out for a night of rest. Yes, selfish, but everyone else was doing it too...when in Greek, do like your fellow travelers. Hmmmm, there is something wrong with that statement!
1 comment:
Good to hear there are good people all over the world, some more generous and friendly than others. The bread with tomatoes looked really good. I know you love good bread just as I do. You did get a "spanking deal" on your overnight stay and you got to enjoy the area besides. You do live the life!!!!!
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