Georgioupoli

So our class had big plans to go to Elafonisi this past weekend which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete. However, the people who were gonna drive backed out and nobody wanted to get up early for the bus so those plans fell through. I'm definitely still making it a point to get there sometime while I'm here. Anyways, I still wanted to get out of Hania for a day-trip so I proceeded to scan my trusty guidebook like a good tourist and found an interesting little fishing village east of Hania called Georgioupoli. So I convinced two of my classmates to join me and we caught the bus there Sunday afternoon. First of all, the countryside in Crete is absolutely stunning. Valleys covered in olive groves are surrounded by rocky mountains. It's just beautiful. And then you turn a corner and there is the sea, various shades of blue in the sunlight. I love being in the mountains and I love being by the ocean and this island has both so it really is like paradise for me. But I digress. After a 40 minute bus ride we made it to Georgioupoli, a small fishing village where the Almiros River flows into the sea. We made our way through the town square to the sea where we found a small chapel on a rocky outcropping in the bay that was connected to land by a narrow rock walkway. So of course we had to make our way out there. Sunday was quite windy so the waves crashed onto us as we clambered over the rocks. So we were soaked by the time we made it to the chapel but it was well worth the journey. After taking in the scenery we saw a hill to the west that needed to be climbed, we were in an adventurous mood. We made our way to the hill and followed a little path above the sea. We found what looked to be an old bunker and a cave that were quite interesting. But the highlight of the trip for me was when we reached the end of the path. It was very rocky but it looked like we could climb around the point and get an awesome view of the rocky cliff beyond this point. So we started climbing over these rocks which were fairly precipitous and there were some scketchy moments. I couldn't help but think that my mother would be terrified to see what I was doing and I must admit, that made me smile. But Mom, you would be happy, there were some rocks that looked like I could jump off but I wasn't positive about the depth of the water so I didn't do it. Anyways, we made our way over these rocks and the view around the point was definitely worth it. Unfortunately my camera was giving me issues so I didn't get in pictures but its probably just as good because a photo would not do it justice. For probably 2-3 miles the coastline was massive mountains of jagged rock that plunged directly into the sea. You couldn't build on it if you wanted to so there was literally no sign of human existence other than some towers on top of the distant mountains. Truly spectacular. After soaking in the sights for some time, we made our way back into town and had a wonderful meal at a taverna right on the river. Olives, grilled octupus, pork souvlaki, and spaghetti carbonara, an eclectic meal indeed. And of course, the house wine which was rather strong and unfiletered, you could see the particles floating in every glass, but it was very good. And then a beautiful drive back to Hania. It was a marvelous day. My memory card wouldn't let me take any pictures, i'm still trying to figure that out, but my buddy Dave took some so they're on my facebook page now, check 'em out. So now its back to school and teaching, but I am loving every day. I wrote someone earlier that the smile has not left my face since I came her so life is good indeed. And then there is the nightlife but that will be for another entry. Until then, Yasas!