Anniversary Waltz

Tuesday 16^th July, we both went for a run and collapsed on the way back outside Panagiotis’ (Mochlos Mare) for a rest. Dud says he has always liked the sight of Mochlos Mare but never more so when he sees it on the way back from a run as he knows it’s nearly all over! Anyway, we were greeted by Panagiotis’ wife, Sterie, who came out with fruit and veg she had just picked from her garden for our breakfast and lunch.

Fruit and Veg from Mochlos Mare

Wednesday, we went to Heraklion airport to pick up Warner and Barbara (W&B). Took them to Manoli’s cafe at Knossos for lunch. We have known Manoli from our days staying in Knossos at Sir Arthur Evans’ Villa Ariadne/taverna a few years back (when Dud was student!) – he (Manoli not Sir Arthur Evans!) came to our wedding supper two years ago which was nice as Knossos is some way from Mochlos and he is very busy this time of year.

Peacock 'guarding' the West Porch at Knossos

We then dragged W&B around the Minoan palace of Knossos.  We got back to Mochlos around 7pm and whilst W&B had rest (well, they had been up since around 4.00am!) we went up to church ‘on the hill’ to light a candle for Dad's birthday. 

Lighting a candle in the church 'on-the-hill' for Dad's birthday

Walking up to the 'church-on-the-hill'
(see the dots of houses in the background, that is where we started from!)

We then all went for supper at Bogazi's listening to the music, where Warner had a lesson on the Cretan Lyre!

Warner learning about the Cretan Lyre

Thursday, I went for a run but Dud didn't (well, he had done quite a bit of driving yesterday – that was his excuse anyway!). All quiet on the email front today so we went off for lunch in the Kafeneo at Kokylia with W&B, but not before Barbara & I had to go and collect Dud & Warner who had got raki'd with Panagiotis – and this was in the morning!  How did it happen? - well, W&B had been shopping and walked back via our apartment. Dud offered to drive Warner down the road with the shopping to Mochlos Mare where W&B are staying.  Well, that was fatal - D&W met Panagiotis, raki was brought out....….need I say more!

When we eventually got down to Kokylia we had nice meze lunch.  We then came back for a rest ready for the evening, and arranged to meet in Mochlos Mare garden where we had a couple of glasses of wine in the garden and a chat with Panagiotis (who gave us wine and raki to 'take-away'), then down for supper in Kokylia - where we also bought some cheese from the back of van from Rethymno (and very nice it was too!).  Trying to get home we were ‘forced’ to have a drink in Dimitris' bar - this made the long hill home even more of an uphill struggle!

Friday, Dud drove us all up into the mountains for a real rural experience. Then back to Pixidia (on the main road above Mochlos) for a beer and a seafood salad ‘to die for’

W&B in the hills above the village of Anatoli

Seafood salad to 'die for' !!

In the evening we met W&B in Mochlos Mare garden for glass of Panagiotis' wine and then down to Dimitris for supper, where we met Nicole & Dominik (N&D), a young couple from Austria. Nicole had a beautiful voice (she had trained at the Vienna Academy of Music ) and she sang with Dominik playing the guitar-  Warner had his violin with him and joined in. It was great! Left very late after having drinks with N&D after the impromptu playing had finished.

Saturday - W& B were due to come to us for supper... However, in the early evening, I got a text from Warner to say that N&D had arrived at Mochlos Mare for some music practice - so supper went on hold and we invited N&D to join us for food after their practice.  Managed to get 6 round the downstairs balcony table and had good evening with a mini concert from W, N&D on our downstairs balcony after supper!

Nicole, Dominik and Warner 'in action' on our balcony

Sunday - we took W&B over to the Minoan site of Gournia which is always a fascinating visit. The Minoan town is in such a good state of repair (well, its basement walls are) that you can just feel the Minoan townsfolk walking the streets and going about their daily lives 3,000 years ago.  When we dropped W&B off at Mochlos Mare, Sterie came out with galaktekoboureka (a delicious cake/dessert) for our anniversary the next day which was very nice.

Gournia - from a distance to show the extent of the site

actually, I'm 'testing' whether the stone slab could have been
a preparation area in a workshop or kitchen!

'Tour Guides'

In the evening, we went down to Mochlos Mare garden for pre-dinner drinks and then to Bogazi's taverna for the music night.  Warner, with his violin, joined in with the 'band' and lots of jamming went on, more and more people 'joined' the band and we all had great time!  The Cretan band members were very impressed with Warner and asked him back next year (they weren't playing again at the taverna before he was to leave Crete).

Warner playing with the band

The band is getting larger..............

.............and larger!!

click to hear Warner playing 'live' 

- the tune is called Irinaki

here he is again, at the end of a 'jamming' session

Monday 22^nd July – 2^nd Wedding Anniversary Day! W&B came round at 1230 with a gift of cotton (very traditional and lovely) and we had a celebratory drink of 'fizz' with a piece each of the galaktekoboureka from Sterie.  We went into the village to see if the boat was there to take us over to the island but it wasn't as it was too windy and there were too many waves - oh well another time!  Come the evening, we all met down in Mochlos Mare garden for early evening drinks and Panagiotis gave me a single flower that had been growing in his garden which may be similar to the famous Minoan Lilies (see below on Wednesday for more on Minoan Lillies).

Perhaps a descendant of the Minoan Lily

Then it was time for the celebration supper at Kokylia for 12 of us.  We had lovely starters (chicken pie, rolled, stuffed aubergine, sausages with bacon and mushroom, tszatziki) then lamb for main course!  Absolutely fabulous food – Yiorgo at Kokylia always does us proud. Lots of wine and raki were not far away and Warner played his violin for Dud and I to dance to  the 'Anniversary Waltz', then we sang 'Those were the days' after which Dud serenaded me. It was also a full moon that night - all in all, a lovely evening.

Dud and I in the light of the full moon

the 'group' - sadly Barbara is missing as she is taking the photo!

Yiorgo (who owns Kokylia) serving the fabulous food that he had arranged
(slightly blurred as he's always on the move - but the only one we have of him
......at the moment!)

Warner in action

Dud and I dancing whilst Warner plays the 'Anniversary Waltz'
(Willie with his hand over his mouth trying to stifle a laugh at our dancing!)

Warner wrote a poem for us for the occasion and with lyrical zest read it out at the dinner table. We thank him sincerely for this as it was a lovely surprise. He has allowed us to reproduce it here:

                A CRETAN ODE

                Dudley and Sarah are the nicest couple you could wish to meet

                And each year they return to the Isle of Crete.

                They have settled in this little port of Mochlos:

                For without its friendly people,

                They would be at a loss.

                The couple share an interest in all things archaeological;

                Sarah particularly in bones: that’s matters osteological.

                Their quest for the secrets of the lost Minoans

                Has taken them to many a site of excavations.

                By day Dudley writes his book on the early archaeologists travels;

                In the evening however,

                After the wine and the raki,

                Productive activity unravels.

                Sarah meanwhile organizes a college timetable,

                And Dudley as well; if she is able.

                Together they make an excellent team

                Whether it is on a dig with a trowel

                Or a talk with a screen.

                Today we celebrate their return

                To the wedding location.

                Please raise your glasses

                And drink to this occasion.

                                                WFT, Mochlos, 22^nd July 2013

Tuesday, and surprisingly we didn't feel too bad after last night's festivities.  Went down to Mochlos Mare to collect W&B and take a trip to the Richtis waterfall.  There was some difficult terrain at times but I hope W&B are looking back on it as worth a visit.  On our return we felt we had deserved our visit to Kokylia for a reviving cold beer and ice cream.  Early evening found us meeting up at Mochlos Mare for a raki and a chat with Panagiotis, where W&B learnt about some of Panagiotis' gardening techniques.  Eventually we went down to Dimitris for W&B's last supper.

Richtis waterfall

Wednesday, sadly W&B’s last day – but they had a late flight so still time to ‘do’ things. W&B wanted to see the church ‘on the hill’ and the fantastic views so we gently strolled up to it (see pic in previuos 'Wednesday' above). W&B then came round for a late lunch - I cooked up the leftover 'take-away' lamb from Monday with onions and tomatoes (from Mochlos Mare of course!) As we set off for the airport, W&B said goodbye to all at Mochlos Mare and promised to return! 

We stopped off at Malia at around 6.00pm to see the Minoan site but it was closed. Its website said it did not close until 7.30pm but I think its early closure may be something to do with the recent general expense cuts in Greece.  So, a good excuse for W&B to come back again to see Malia! However, not daunted, we went instead to Amnisos to see the Minoan 'house of the lilies' (so-called simply because of the lilies’ fresco (wall-painting) found there). This is normally closed to the public and you can only see it from the fence, but this time the gate was only ‘secured’ with a small piece of rope so we assumed this was an invitation to go in and look around. We hadn't been able before and wouldn't have if Malia had been open - so a result!

Dud 'explaining' that this is not just a pile of old stones!

it might look like 'just' a wall to you.............

and these are Minoan Lillies....
this fresco was found in one of the rooms
(and is now in the Heraklion Museum)

Having dropped W&B at the airport we set off back to Mochlos for much needed glass of wine on our balcony. We hoped W&B enjoyed their trip as much as we have enjoyed their company. It’s was a fairly busy week for them courtesy of ‘Bramber Tours’!

Thursday, we both went for a run in the early morning (yes, we have been running at least a couple of times each week!!) followed by quiet day catching up on work and an evening in for home-cooked food.  Friday, again catching up on work but Dud remembered he hadn’t paid Yiorgo for Monday night (can you imagine paying the bill a few days after an event in the UK!), so an excuse to go to Kokylia’s for the evening (not that we needed an excuse – perhaps ‘justifying a visit’ would be more appropriate!)...............