Leaving Crete

It struck me yesterday, as I arrived at yet another beach (this time Agios Galini in southern Crete, on the Libyan sea), that I have never spent a vacation as I have this past month. The start of this jaunt, the Rome-Amalfi portion and into Paris, was more typical of recent adventures - not exactly rushed, but always with a sense that you don't want to waste any of the precious time away from home. Then there was the Camino, which for its part was wholly "other", and cannot really be compared with anything. And even those 28 days involved lots of thinking about how long to spend walking in order to get to a certain point by a certain time, etc.

So Greece is really the first time I can recall that I have had so much time open to devote to simple relaxation. No detailed or rushed itinerary, always flexible, and so plenty of opportunity to simply enjoy the weather and the setting of the sun - day after day, night after night. Lots of visits to various sites of historical interest and diverse beauty as well, to be sure. But in contrast to previous sight-seeing, they have been more peripheral than the goal of just soaking up the atmosphere of a place, and spending a hell of a lot of quality time books in hand, soaking up some classics. I cannot remember the last time I read 8 books in the span of three weeks or so. Just lovely.

Crete I particularly enjoyed, as it has that wonderful sense of authenticity yet is highly accessible to tourists hopping about. In addition to the time with Nick in Pelopponesia, I will be flying out next week having visited the islands of Zakyntos, Naxos, Delos, Mykonos, Crete, Ios (where I am today), and Santorini. While it is impossible to pick a "favourite" island, as each in turn has its own charms, I have a sense that Crete will probably turn out to be the one I was most reluctant to leave.

There is still Santorini to come though - and while I didn't plan too much of this in advance, in the back of my mind I always figured I would end with it. I am pleased that plans have worked out so I'll be arriving there on June 5th, five years to the day I left the Maritimes for Calgary and the start of the travels leading up to Oxford in the fall of 2004. Should be a good way to celebrate a great day, and the last week or so of this joyous month before hopping up to Iceland for what promises to be activity of a more riotous sort...