Dear David, a series of letters to an old friend in July 2008

Hersonissos,

Crete

Greece

July 2008

Dear David,

About Briki, happy birthday to Villa Ralf, a place to eat Koutouloufari, Australian tour, the American capricious, and a monastery nuns.

Yes, it's four years since Villa Ralf outside the fence and Crete became the first housing and housing for gays and lesbians! It was an interesting time in many ways, as when we opened, Google results for gay + Crete was completely meaningless, and everything that happened some results have been very bad! When the website it entered service in June 2004 (and boy, Naff – some say it is much better now!), it was the only thing on the web who joined the two terms together and had the contents of web pages to match! And three weeks later we have our first booking our surprise, were Australians. In a way, it seems appropriate that, four years later, Australians stay again. But not the same friends from the days of Perth.

Now things are a little different and no other gay hotel and what is "Tilly" in Malia, Crete is the name only gay bar, now called Eros Bar

And yes, you're right, as is the anniversary motion is time to also make wine nectarine tree in the garden. This year he did well and broke another branch! I will never forget this day where the old owners were stripped and left the tree fruit, even if they were ripe, but at a stage where you remember, we were going to scratch the paint on the walls! Even recently had the gall to turn to see what was left! Surprisingly he did not want to take the dog!

At first I wondered if I have time to write anything This month, since the house was full and there seemed to be time, but as always, thank heavens for friends who contributed and helped whenever and wherever they can!

But first address the question of "what is Briki one?

Just then, a Briki is the Greek coffee pot, in general, brass or copper with a coating of tin and wood interior with brass and long term. You can also buy stainless steel with plastic handle, but are far from such romantic! Interestingly versions of bronze and copper are very difficult to buy the stores that tourists never seem to sell, perhaps because they are really expensive! There are some shops in town that specialize in bronze and brass, and typically have one or two of them in the closet for sale to guests who pay to save his entry into the city. Also, maintaining supplies of Greek coffee at home because it is not the first time I had emails from visitors asking me if I can send some! Page Web this month has some pictures in it,

The pub is OK if, and much – to tell you about the Australians.

Now, Ann and I have known Phil for a long period and was a pleasant surprise to hear from them saying they came to stay for a week. Like many Australians and New Zealanders who are visiting Crete and the Greek islands (not all stay with me), were responsible for a family reunion, and to get the most from their airline tickets, traveling through Europe and Greece, at the same time. It's a very sensible idea for anyone coming to Europe in a long-haul flight to Europe, once you have this book, it is relatively easy and inexpensive "internal" flights in Europe. Ann and Phil flew from Gatwick on a direct flight to Heraklion, but of course that only run during the summer months. During the winter, you should come through Athens, but even that Britain is fairly easy, Aegean has flights from Stansted in London and can travel in Crete, without having to collect your luggage in Athens. There are also Easyjet, but then you must collect your luggage in Athens, so you have to let a couple of hours to save room again!

Now, Ann and Phil not poor, but typically Australian, we like to keep an eye on the money so she chose not to rent a car for reasons of cost, (and I suspect that because do not like driving in the "wrong" side of the road!), so we have tried our excellent bus service! From these points I have mentioned before I think? In any case, have managed to do all the usual travel as Spinalonga and were impressed by the service and price, after all, means less than Heraklion 3 € one can not be bad for a trip into a pleasant, comfortable air-conditioned coach. Buses run along the main road nearby, and also pass through the airport to all customers who arrive during the day, at least, can take a bus and save a taxi, the driver will help you keep your luggage below! And, of course, is only 300 meters from the bus stop home.

Having discovered that almost everyone speaks English, which made the trip in bus to Knossos, which requires a change of buses at the bus station near the port, which is more than can be said of an American from Seattle, which began at Knossos and was found in Ierapetra on the south-east of the island, a very pleasant trip, if that's where it intends to go but I think that when he returned to Hersonissos where started, you might realize that something was wrong?

Personally, I think the problem arises because of how Americans never can seem to pronounce correctly Knossos, who always wants to do 'or sound like "o" in "no", as in K-not-so-s, instead of "o" sound "or" batch. In their search for the bus, I think that the staff had misheard him and thought he said Hersonissos, which also has many 's' and O in it too!

Back to the Australians, who, naturally, how to complain Australian dollar is today, but I note that this does not prevent them two meals per day. Interestingly, Anne says they were really impressed that every time he came to pay the bill was exactly what I expected, which is always an advantage when you are abroad and have to deal with the menu in a foreign language and a foreign currency. And that led me to one of my favorite subjects food and eating, which means you pay someone to do the dishes, I like the little kitchen, but I hate washing dishes!

In case of the Australians something to eat? Well Tavern in Koutouloufari Emmanuel, of course, because the food is good, and also runs hands, lived Melbourne, so they are able to understand others!

Now Emmanuel Tavern, located on the site Koutouloufari, since time is short and I like going there because he made all kinds of specialty fire wood, and there's something about food that was cooked in a wood oven, if only the pizza! But in this case, usually the meat of any kind, either pork or lamb and fish often and in my opinion, the baked fish is one of the most fun to cook. I guess that makes food taste smoky forests and if they keep at a distance from the fire, then slowly cook often a great advantage with some meat.

Like many places, has its own things who as recently as the rolls are still warm when I get it, make their own gyros (which is not the first once saw someone for the gyros at a restaurant and were seated in the right place to get to see the back of a motorcycle to take the port!) and cook the chicken over the coals too!

In this Once I had the most delicious lamb cooked with cane wine and herbs with the meat so tender it fell off the bones and flesh enough for me to eat (the dog had the rest and bone!) and served with vegetables and potatoes from the oven. The Australians are a bit less adventurous and swordfish was grilled meat and chicken on the grill, which is half of a decent size chicken! So by the time they had a decent sized rolls and Greek salad as we waited for the "industry", everyone was well fed. Two large beers and a bottle of house red very decent on the effect of all for only € 66 which is just enough for tablecloths real, comfortable chairs, and the friendly staff!

As usual, when you were sitting back relaxing, and trying to stay awake, we were presented with "something in the house." I predicted that this could be and was not disappointed because this is a hot pancakes (crepes, they insist on calling here), full of ice cream and chocolate spray. Despite the proclamation of ourselves and full, we managed to finish it!

Having friends to stay is always a bonus as happen to participate in household chores, especially if they take a ride in the car industry, not because I am one to hold the carrot before the donkey, but a way to cut the grass and, although Ann and Phil successfully on the bus up the hill is another problem, since only two buses and two output buses, and a lot to walk between the two, I offered to take them in exchange for food. Well there is a surprise, then!

The route chosen is the one I mentioned earlier, south of the Potamias home Avdou and Kera Lassithi Plateau, except this time had planned a stop to look around the Monastery of Kera.

The climb is a bit old hat for me now, but it was interesting to see how they stand with the Potamias new dam, which still resembles the "worm people Mordor" has been, but she begins to take shape, and there are rocks and the earth moves in all directions, what the Greeks knew very well that it is virtually impossible to find a level ground to build on the rocks and move somewhere!

Anyway to get to Kera through Krass was uneventful apart from a few sharp intake of breath passengers before the road is quite narrow in places and are relatively few trucks around that day!

Now, I always thought monks in a monastery set does not work. Logically that contains religious, because it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which is highly unlikely that serviced by the monks, but to the minds of simple people like me who would be useful to call a monastery. Not tested and later found that may contain a monastery of nuns, but in general it is monks …. If you know what I mean.

Now, how much I love churches, and stuff like that so it was a pleasure enter and look around. Without giving too much away, the church is delicious, and the small screen in the church of metal "and the clothes are" developed "as the very short history and legends surrounding the monastery. Above all I think is the feeling of calm you feel when you go, almost as soon as you walk through the door and visit worthwhile just to see the scenery! Like many places here to get paid, but at € 2 each, it is not exorbitant and if you take your time looking at paintings and prints an hour to get your money. Without doubt, it's worth just for the "spirit of place" that always seems to surround you in these places. (Remember that the tingling sensation in the back when we went to the standing stones at Callanish?)

Stop the restaurant after the land available first in the monastery by "Ilias" in the village (off road parking to the left just before arriving at the tavern). It seems a very pleasant place to me, as you can sit on the edge the road (above the road level though) or you can sit the back and admire the view, similar to the view of the monastery. It is interesting to some of the plants around it are slightly different from those coming from the coast, for example, is quite large, hydrangea and fuchsia in the hills, one can assume that they prefer the air a little cooler here, because neither pushed down where I am, or maybe water!

The menu is limited but very Greek I would say that everything is done at home and as expected, not always do, which is always a good sign. Everything you see on the menu seems to be around € 4, or 50 cents in both directions, so it's certainly not expensive. Just for a change I asked for "steak" with fries, burgers and fries were homemade and Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, thicker than I've ever seen! (For some reason I do not understand, when they made chili, salt, oil and towels, also presented ketchup mayonnaise, but no, I did not). The dolmades were definitely homemade too, and Saganaki is in the oven, because I think it came out sizzling and the Network Hot melt in a pan.

At this point, I will leave with a mild case of indigestion after two meals in a short space of time, a drop of brandy before kind that was! You'll be pleased to know that I put all these places I mentioned in the Google map, now that the problems with the allocation of Crete have been resolved, so soon be able to draw the map and see the distance, with guides and some comments from my usual subtle humor.

As August is next month, and therefore one of the busiest months of the year, Do not wait for my monthly newsletter either in time or scope! I put some photos for you, as usual, then look for the href = "http://www.villaralfa.com/kera.html"> http://www.villaralfa.com/kera.html

Yours, as always,

Tim

About the Author

Born in England (in spite of the name!), in the last half of the last century when Sussex was Miss Marple country and you could leave yours door unlocked for days, the author is unashamedly gay and everyone seems to know in spite of the fact that he never ‘came out’. He moved to Crete in February 2004 and opened Villa Ralfa as Crete’s first gay accommodation and lodgings in June 2004. You can find his web site at http://www.villaralfa.com

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