Today's section of the E4 was particularly beautiful, and many people were walking along it.
From Camping Grameno I followed the road into the town of Paleochora, a road made particularly dusty by some pipe laying works beside it. I was somewhat apprehensive as I was having problems with my Debit card when I tried to use it at the last three guesthouses. The card readers were indicating a connection error and the bank suggested the card may be damaged but to try again. I had another card with me but shortly after I began this trip its issuer decided to cancel my existing card and send out a more secure replacement, sent of course to my home address. I was therefore very relieved when my card worked in one of the town's ATMs and I withdrew as much cash as possible. To celebrate I had a breakfast of "yoghurt with fruit" and a cappuccino, the bowl of yoghurt was large as was the variety of fruit, and it came with a free bit of cake! (I have noticed in Crete you often get free extras, like some raki). Suitably pleased, I climbed up to the ruins of the Venetian castle at the point of the peninsula. Not much is left but the tower is a great viewpoint.
Heading out of town (initially on the wrong road as my thoughts were distracted by the places I was walking past), I followed a small road and then a gravel road by the sea. There were people walking ahead of me, a couple with matching red shorts and white tee shirts, I imagined them on a romantic holiday. I found myself trying to keep up with them, which was very silly, it is not a competition, so I stopped and put some purchases I had made at Paleochora in the correct places in my rucksack.
The gravel road led to Gyaliskari, which is a sandy beach with a cafe and beach umbrellas. In planning this trip I had imagined myself stopping at some beach I passed and having a swim. As I had plenty of time today there seemed no excuse not to, and the sea did look inviting, being very clear and blue. So I struggled to put on my swimming trunks under my miniscule camping towel (I later discovered at the far end of the beach they had dispensed with swimming costumes so I could have saved myself the trouble). I did manage to swim for a bit longer than yesterday and then used the beach's shower to wash off the salt water. One "wild forest" smoothie and avacodo toastie later I was back on my way, behind a party of German ladies. I overtook them when they stopped for some selfies. After the beach the path was over rocks and rocky landscape, all very scenic. I passed a group of men who had tee shirts saying "20 x E4". As I understood them, one of their number was walking this part of the E4 for the twentieth time, impressive!
The path went into a steep climb as it crossed a headland, before dropping down to Lissos on the other side. Lissos is a place with a secluded beach and some ancient ruins. Bits of an amphitheatre and the walls of a building with a mosaic floor were the most obvious remains, and a small Orthodox church from some more recent period with some old wall paintings. According to the sign the place used to be very important in ancient times, issuing its own coins.
There was then another climb as the path scrambled over rocks, above some steep slopes, followed inevitably by another descent. The descent took me into a gorge of unexpected beauty, a great slab of rock curving above it, shrubs with red flowers decorating the dry gorge bed.
A harbour was at the end of the gorge, and a short road took me to Sougia and the lines of restaurants behind the pebbly beach. One of them offered zucchini flowers, a favourite if mine, but after I had settled at a table I was told they had run out. I am now in the Lissos rooms, one of many places offering rooms for rent.
20.6 kilometres walked today with a 600 metre ascent on a fairly slow path.
From Camping Grameno I followed the road into the town of Paleochora, a road made particularly dusty by some pipe laying works beside it. I was somewhat apprehensive as I was having problems with my Debit card when I tried to use it at the last three guesthouses. The card readers were indicating a connection error and the bank suggested the card may be damaged but to try again. I had another card with me but shortly after I began this trip its issuer decided to cancel my existing card and send out a more secure replacement, sent of course to my home address. I was therefore very relieved when my card worked in one of the town's ATMs and I withdrew as much cash as possible. To celebrate I had a breakfast of "yoghurt with fruit" and a cappuccino, the bowl of yoghurt was large as was the variety of fruit, and it came with a free bit of cake! (I have noticed in Crete you often get free extras, like some raki). Suitably pleased, I climbed up to the ruins of the Venetian castle at the point of the peninsula. Not much is left but the tower is a great viewpoint.
Heading out of town (initially on the wrong road as my thoughts were distracted by the places I was walking past), I followed a small road and then a gravel road by the sea. There were people walking ahead of me, a couple with matching red shorts and white tee shirts, I imagined them on a romantic holiday. I found myself trying to keep up with them, which was very silly, it is not a competition, so I stopped and put some purchases I had made at Paleochora in the correct places in my rucksack.
The gravel road led to Gyaliskari, which is a sandy beach with a cafe and beach umbrellas. In planning this trip I had imagined myself stopping at some beach I passed and having a swim. As I had plenty of time today there seemed no excuse not to, and the sea did look inviting, being very clear and blue. So I struggled to put on my swimming trunks under my miniscule camping towel (I later discovered at the far end of the beach they had dispensed with swimming costumes so I could have saved myself the trouble). I did manage to swim for a bit longer than yesterday and then used the beach's shower to wash off the salt water. One "wild forest" smoothie and avacodo toastie later I was back on my way, behind a party of German ladies. I overtook them when they stopped for some selfies. After the beach the path was over rocks and rocky landscape, all very scenic. I passed a group of men who had tee shirts saying "20 x E4". As I understood them, one of their number was walking this part of the E4 for the twentieth time, impressive!
The path went into a steep climb as it crossed a headland, before dropping down to Lissos on the other side. Lissos is a place with a secluded beach and some ancient ruins. Bits of an amphitheatre and the walls of a building with a mosaic floor were the most obvious remains, and a small Orthodox church from some more recent period with some old wall paintings. According to the sign the place used to be very important in ancient times, issuing its own coins.
There was then another climb as the path scrambled over rocks, above some steep slopes, followed inevitably by another descent. The descent took me into a gorge of unexpected beauty, a great slab of rock curving above it, shrubs with red flowers decorating the dry gorge bed.
A harbour was at the end of the gorge, and a short road took me to Sougia and the lines of restaurants behind the pebbly beach. One of them offered zucchini flowers, a favourite if mine, but after I had settled at a table I was told they had run out. I am now in the Lissos rooms, one of many places offering rooms for rent.
20.6 kilometres walked today with a 600 metre ascent on a fairly slow path.
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| View from Paleochora castle looking east over part of the town and the coastline the E4 follows |
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| Ancient ruins at Lissos |
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| The short but impressive Sougia gorge |
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