18th – 24th April 2024

Well, I’d been looking at doing a bit in Crete but felt that I shouldn’t go. Just put me further into debt and that sort of thing. But, I had a bit of an event on Monday, the ear or neck (don’t f’ing know yet) problem came back, big style, and put me down for the whole day. I had hoped that these attacks were going away, though I did have a mildish one when in France last month. And I couldn’t help wondering if some morning soon I’m going to wake up and get stuck with the damn thing permanently. So last night, that old can’t sleep happened and I got up about two, said to myself. Fuck it! If the seats and hotel are still available I am going to the airport. The hotel I wanted was full but I got something nearby and got lucky with the seats. Front row was available to Stansted and row two to Crete, though a mouthy Yank in front made things painful at times.
Now, because Crete is very mountainous – there is still snow on the peaks – it takes an inordinate amount of time to get to any nice coastal bits. Come in the hire car – a little Toyota Aygo. The plan is to drive over the mountains to various places, walk circuits or get ferry back to starting point and drive over the mountains again to the hotel. But, to make things easy – cos I’ll be driving four hours each time as well as the walk – I’m having rest days in between.
The car had no full beams. Delays meant I had to drive for an hour in the dark but the glasses are back home in my car at the airport carpark. I was in great danger and was a great danger. Google tried to take me up a mountain quarry road that a goat would sniff at and then wanted to take me 20K further on for a U turn. But, I made it. Don’t want to drive in the dark here again. Though, I suppose things have started with a small adventure.
Weather reports are high winds for the next few days so I’ll have to reorganise and push the ferry one to Wednesday.