A good day's walk during which my feet much appreciated walking on dirt tracks and roads rather than rough, stony paths, it also meant I could enjoy the scenery rather than looking where I put each foot.
The breakfast served at Villa Mala was sufficiently large and enjoyable (cheese pie, omelette, bread and jam) that I did not feel hungry for the rest of the day. Suitably fortified I climbed the 500 metres out of Males, over 5 kilometres, to join the direct path from Selakano in 1 hour and 15 minutes; pretty good I thought! The track was so steep in places that the rear wheels of a pick up were spinning as they tried to get a grip. After the stony paths of recent days, searching for the route, the dirt tracks and tarmac roads of today felt like a real pleasure. My feet and ankles certainly enjoyed something flatter, with stones less likely to trip me up, roll over or slide as I trod on them, so I was able to look around me.
After climbing passed olives I was walking among pine trees too widely spaced to be called a forest. They gave a clean, fresh smell and pleasant aspect. Unfortunately one area of pines had been burnt. I hope the fire was accidental and not some farmer trying to improve the grazing. A red pick up passed me earlier with a red light, straining up the hill. I assume the local fire service. Looked like they only supplied a pump and you had to find a source of water...
In one area a farmer was using his dogs as gates, attached to chains they guarded the track each side of his fenced enclosure. The chain was just short enough that I could inch past between the barking dog, leaping against his chain, and the fence post.
This morning I could look down from the mountainside on the Libyan sea to the south of Crete, later I could see the Cretan sea to the North of Crete. During the day I walked through pines and olive groves, across the side of the mountains with its low scrubby and thorny vegetation (and in place covered with bright yellow gorse), passed hillside vineyards and rocky outcrops, by a few isolated churches and through two villages, Prina and Meseleri. I stopped for a coffee (and to fill up my water bottle) at a place in Prini, after searching among the alleyways for it. The only customer, the owner was playing games on his phone. Later it was a Coke in Meseleri, while the family chatted to each other.
After the climb out of Males, it was more or less downhill to Prina out of the Dikti mountain range, then uphill to Meseleri and beyond into the next group of mountains and to the Panagia monastery (locked). I am camped on some flat ground near some aerials on the top of Mount Stavros. For some reason it is not only flat but clear of thistles and larger stones, so an unusually good camping spot, except for the flies, which are being a nuisance. It is too hot to hide in my tent from them, I just drip with sweat, so I am eagerly waiting for the sun to drop lower in the sky and the day to cool down, but being June this is taking some time. Around me the goats are snuffling and making discordant tunes with the bells around their necks, some have small high pitched bells and some carry big, oversized, bells sounding bass notes. Standing up I can see the pastel greys of the hills and headlands of the north coast of Crete. I head to bed and sleep long before any stars appear..
31.9 kilometres walked today with a total ascent of 1050 metres.
The breakfast served at Villa Mala was sufficiently large and enjoyable (cheese pie, omelette, bread and jam) that I did not feel hungry for the rest of the day. Suitably fortified I climbed the 500 metres out of Males, over 5 kilometres, to join the direct path from Selakano in 1 hour and 15 minutes; pretty good I thought! The track was so steep in places that the rear wheels of a pick up were spinning as they tried to get a grip. After the stony paths of recent days, searching for the route, the dirt tracks and tarmac roads of today felt like a real pleasure. My feet and ankles certainly enjoyed something flatter, with stones less likely to trip me up, roll over or slide as I trod on them, so I was able to look around me.
After climbing passed olives I was walking among pine trees too widely spaced to be called a forest. They gave a clean, fresh smell and pleasant aspect. Unfortunately one area of pines had been burnt. I hope the fire was accidental and not some farmer trying to improve the grazing. A red pick up passed me earlier with a red light, straining up the hill. I assume the local fire service. Looked like they only supplied a pump and you had to find a source of water...
In one area a farmer was using his dogs as gates, attached to chains they guarded the track each side of his fenced enclosure. The chain was just short enough that I could inch past between the barking dog, leaping against his chain, and the fence post.
This morning I could look down from the mountainside on the Libyan sea to the south of Crete, later I could see the Cretan sea to the North of Crete. During the day I walked through pines and olive groves, across the side of the mountains with its low scrubby and thorny vegetation (and in place covered with bright yellow gorse), passed hillside vineyards and rocky outcrops, by a few isolated churches and through two villages, Prina and Meseleri. I stopped for a coffee (and to fill up my water bottle) at a place in Prini, after searching among the alleyways for it. The only customer, the owner was playing games on his phone. Later it was a Coke in Meseleri, while the family chatted to each other.
After the climb out of Males, it was more or less downhill to Prina out of the Dikti mountain range, then uphill to Meseleri and beyond into the next group of mountains and to the Panagia monastery (locked). I am camped on some flat ground near some aerials on the top of Mount Stavros. For some reason it is not only flat but clear of thistles and larger stones, so an unusually good camping spot, except for the flies, which are being a nuisance. It is too hot to hide in my tent from them, I just drip with sweat, so I am eagerly waiting for the sun to drop lower in the sky and the day to cool down, but being June this is taking some time. Around me the goats are snuffling and making discordant tunes with the bells around their necks, some have small high pitched bells and some carry big, oversized, bells sounding bass notes. Standing up I can see the pastel greys of the hills and headlands of the north coast of Crete. I head to bed and sleep long before any stars appear..
31.9 kilometres walked today with a total ascent of 1050 metres.
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