posted on the blog of "Three Men in a Boat" on 8 September under the title "North Coast":
and we did: we conclude the circumnavigation of Crete in 30 days exactly!
We have always paddled with all possible sea conditions, from flat calm to storm the coast and we arrived safely at your destination: enter the port of Heraklion on August 31 and arrived on the same slide from which we started 30 days before!
It 's a great feeling to finish the turn around an island, a journey which starts and finishes in the same place, a little 'how to square the circle ...
We had a couple of days of strong wind, always opposed, with waves that sometimes hid' s horizon and the islands (because Crete is an archipelago, with a score of islands, islets and reefs surrounding the island mother), so one day we looked in a while and we decided to cross the Bay of Sitia and to focus directly on the opposite end to earn some 'sea, jumping up and down the waves and expecting the worse under his head, waves flying over a week against the high, rocky coast when they return to shore create what we call in the jargon "washing machine" and that perhaps makes it a good idea of \u200b\u200bwhere we are stuck ... not last long, however, a couple of hours and then only headwind.
short, the worst seems to finally passed and we are preparing to conclude the last two or three days at sea with the forecasts that give "only" a rough sea!
The north coast of Crete, however, is not suited to a kayak trip, when it is wild is just too much and does not allow landings in rocky coves and when it is occupied it is always too much and can not get off of chairs and umbrellas perfectly aligned on beaches.
Luckily you can still find fishing villages off the beaten, as Mochlos or Mironikitas, where life still seems to run slower pace according to the Cretans, we reach the first as an oasis, as we sail with no wind and no waves at last after so many days of rough seas, and the second as a mirage, because the tavern we had drawn on the ground is rather miserably closed and the hike in the hills soon proved vain.
But not all: in fact know the old Kostas and spend another unforgettable evening in the company of this Cretan so hospitable, open and lively desire to restart to make us come round the island in the opposite direction!
also the day when we paddled out more (some 47 km, less than 17 more than the mileage daily average of 30 km!) to find a secluded spot for our tent among the forest of beaches and resorts and clubs, water parks and cruise ships anchored in the port of Agios Nikolaos, we take refuge in a secluded cove on the beautiful peninsula Spinalonga, just beyond the city but far enough away to cancel its noise and other things we understand about the Cretans.
They are able to get some beautiful treks to go fishing in the most secluded, know and appreciate the most beautiful places of their beautiful island and if they can walk to venture into the boat, oars or engine, on the whole, we seems that the Greeks and Cretans in particular, are able to appreciate much of the Italian sea the sun and beaches.
know how to bathe the Greeks and Cretans? Are placed on a hat, straw women and men of cloth, like baseball players, and then immersed in water, so far nothing unusual, but they are able to stay to soak for hours, so much so that sometimes we said goodbye to swimmers who were at sea when we were awakened and were left to soak for as long as we had down the camp, had breakfast and prepared the kayaks, usually two or three hours ... and while paddling off the beach, leaving them looked like they had no intention of leaving the water! One long lasting bathroom the whole day! They sit there chatting and float over normal, with the head neck and chest out of the water will be that some have fins and children are often colored with arms, but mostly swim wholesale walk and talk, talk and talk ... It reminded us of the pasta Mafalda, with all those little heads sticking out of the sea like the pasta, of course!
Sometimes, towards the coast, we have found it hard to understand if it was boe or wetting agents, often because if they remain motionless in the water as if they were asleep ... but then you wake up and when we pass their hats always greet us with a cheery "Yassas," which is the greeting of Crete.
Paddling, paddling we have now completed the circumnavigation of the island!
Posted the 8th of September on the "Three men on the boat" blog:
And we did it: let's conclude the Crete's periplus exactly in 30 days!
We paddle every day, in every sea conditions, from calm to storm, and we arrived to destination: let's enter into the Iraklion's harbour on 31th of August to land in the place from where we started 30 days before! This is a beautiful feeling: conclude the periplus of an island, a trip borned and ended in the same place, something like to square the circle.
We still had a couple of days of strong wind, with tall waves to close the horizon and the islands of the archipelago (Crete is a really archipelago, with about twenty islands and islets around the largest island); one day we decided to paddle offshore the Sitia bay to aim directly the opposite head, jumping up and down the waves and waiting for a "washing machine" under the rocky cliffs: a couple of hours to cross and after that just a contrary wind.
We're preparing now to conclude the last two-three days of navigation with the weather forecasts saying "only" rough sea...
The northern coast of Crete is however not so good for a sea kayak trip: where it is wild, it is too much wild indeed, and it is impossibile to land along the rocky coast; where it is inhabited, it is too much inhabited, and it impossible to land among beach umbrellas and deck chairs.
But there still are some fishermen villages out of the tourist routs, as well as Mochlos or Mironikitas, where life seems to flow according to the slow greek rhythms; we reach the first one as an oasis, because we finally paddle without wind after so many windy days, and the second as a mirage, because the tavern that attracted us was miserably closed and the walk up to the hill reveals soon completely vain.
But not entirely: there we met the old Kostas and spent another unforgettable evening together with that man, so hospitable that we thought to restart the periplus of the island in the opposite wise!
Besides, there was a day when we paddled for 25 miles, 10 more than the daily legs: we wanted a place apart form the resort and discos and aquatic parks and cruise ships anchored in the Agios Nikolaos harbour, so we found a sheltered beach on the beautiful peninsula of Spinalonga, distant enough from the city to annul its noises.
Do you know how the Greek go for a swim? They put on a hat, straw for women and cloth for men, like baseball players, and they dipped in water; they are able to remain there for hours, a long solo swim! They chat more and more while they float, with the head the neck and part of the breast out of the water; they suggest us the sea soup of Mafalda, with all those little heads that sprout from the sea...
Paddling and paddling we completed the periplus of the island!
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