Krasi - Chomatistra
Crete 2021
We have breakfast with fruit, cheese, olives, and cookies. We even bought oatmeal, but first of all, you really don’t feel like eating it here, and second, it’s ground very finely. After we finally brewed it, Volchiy said he wouldn’t eat anything like that.
I chose Chomatistra Beach, and we’re heading there. From the main highway, we turn onto a narrow winding road, and then from that onto a dirt road. Crete is surprisingly mountainous. Wherever we go, there are always mountains around us. There are very few trees here, mostly olives and shrubs.
On the way to Chomatistra Beach
At the end of the dirt road there is a small church, not a soul around, and a wind that knocks you off your feet. I have never encountered such a strong wind as here. When the wind blew at my back, it was very easy and pleasant to walk, as if I had become twice as light. But when it blew in my face or from the side (which was much more often :) - I had to make maximum effort to keep my footing.
A little church and windmills
The descent to the bay takes 40 minutes. The sea is rough. The descent to the water is difficult. We spend a long time deciding where exactly we will swim. The entire coast is covered with huge boulders, there is nowhere to sit, let alone lie down. The bay was disappointing; it is one of the least successful wild bays. I think it’s all due to the high expectations, the long descent, and the wind. In the end, Volchiy chose a pretty good spot. Along a large rock, it was possible to enter the sea over the sand. The boulder formed a small pool where there are almost no waves. It’s scary to swim out into the sea, so we just splash around in the water under the rock. Pleasant coolness.
The place where we swam near the rock
Chomatistra Bay, view from above
The wind was utterly exhausting on the ascent. My head was buzzing. But how nice it was to get into the car. After something like that, you begin to appreciate ordinary things very keenly — how wonderful it is just to sit without the wind. While we sat in the car and enjoyed the “calm,” the car was rocking in the wind like a lifeboat at sea.
Wind....
After an unsuccessful attempt to swim in a wild bay, we decided to go to a regular beach in the village of Plaka. There are umbrellas here and lots of people. But we walk along the narrow strip of shoreline farther away from the crowds, and it starts to feel pretty nice. On the plus side, there are no waves here, and you can just swim. How pleasant that is! The last few minutes before the sun rolls behind the mountain.
View of Plaka Beach
Plaka Beach
A Cretan village
On the way home to Krasi
For dinner we go to our host’s tavern. This tavern has very good reviews on Google, many people write that it is the best tavern in Crete. I didn’t really want to go there, but the reviews (and Volchiy :) convinced me after all. Who wouldn’t want to visit the best tavern in Crete :))
We order pork with potatoes, zucchini patties, and half a liter of homemade red wine. The portions are huge, everything looks very beautiful, and the zucchini patties are very tasty. The pork melts in your mouth, and Volchiy keeps wondering how I can eat something like that :) For dessert, we were treated to a plate of warm balls (tasting like doughnuts fried in oil) drizzled with Nutella. I was already so full and kept thinking how unhealthy these balls were. But I couldn’t resist and ate two of them. How stuffed we were! We decided that going to taverns is bad for your health :)
Wolf and zucchini cutlets. Pork with potatoes. Me with dessert :)
