The unexplored island of Crete, Greece

[Backmarker61]

Wow.... So beautiful, thanks so much for sharing!

[Spinalcracker]

Very nice

Is it always sunny?

[sasho]

Dear markas:
Wonderful photos and story of your homeland, thanks for sharing

[Madv]

Originally Posted by RedRiderofMA

Very nice

Is it always sunny?

Well about 300 days per year

[RedRockRider]

Thanks to you and your wife and riding friends. First class all the way -- photos, maps, text . . .

Nice to see close-up so many details, especially off the beaten path.

[teddy750]

ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΛΕΒΕΝΤΟΠΑΙΔΑ, ΕΙΜΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΧΑΖΕΨΑ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΦΩΤΟΓΡΑΦΙΕΣ ΣΑΣ.ΝΑ ΕΙΣΤΕ ΚΑΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΓΥΡΝΑΤΕ ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΚΑΡΙ ΚΑΙ ΟΛΟ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟ.ΕΓΩ ΕΧΩ ΕΝΑ ΑΦΡΙΚΑ 95 ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ. ΠΑΡΑ ΤΑ ΧΙΛΙΟΜΕΤΡΑ 115000 ΔΕΝ ΕΧΩ ΚΑΝΕΙ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΤΑΞΙΔΙΑ. ΔΟΥΛΕΙΑ ΣΠΙΤΙ ΔΟΥΛΕΙΑ ΣΠΙΤΙ. ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΩ ΒΕΒΑΙΑ ΣΧΕΔΟΝ 300 ΜΕΡΕΣ ΤΟΝ ΧΡΟΝΟ.ΣΤΟ ΘΕΜΑ ΙΝΤΕΡΝΕΤ ΕΙΜΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΔΩ ΚΑΙΝΟΥΡΓΙΟΣ. ΤΟ ΜΟΝΟ ΠΟΥ ΕΧΩ ΚΑΤΑΦΕΡΕΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΝΑ ΒΛΕΠΩ ΤΙΣ ΦΩΤΟ ΑΛΛΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΑΠΑΝΤΩ ΣΕ ΚΑΝΕΝΑ ΜΕΙΛ. ΑΝ ΔΕΝ ΒΑΡΙΕΣΤΕ ΔΩΣΤΕ ΚΑΜΜΙΑ ΟΔΗΓΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΠΩΣ ΑΝΕΒΑΖΟΥΜΕ ΦΩΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΩΣ ΠΟΣΤΑΡΟΥΜΕ ΑΝ ΤΟ ΛΕΩ ΣΩΣΤΑ.

[ggray]

Great ride coverage and the scenery was spectacular!!!!!!! Would love to visit your country one day.

Gary

[Cuttle]

keep it coming!

[markas]

Originally Posted by Mr Pif

Beautiful unexplored Crete,awesome pics Καημό το έχω ρε σύντεκνοι να δώ φωτογραφίες από το χωριό του Ψαρονίκου...αυτή η ρημάδα η θάλασσα με έχει καταδικάσει να ονειρευόμαι μέχρι στιγμής την Κρήτη.αλλά που θα πάει,θα κάνει ξαστεριά κάποια μέρα...!

Thank you friend. We will travel through Anogia village in this thread some times but have in mind that the beauty of this village lies in its people and not so much in its buildings.

Originally Posted by Backmarker61

Wow.... So beautiful, thanks so much for sharing!

Originally Posted by sasho

Dear markas:
Wonderful photos and story of your homeland, thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by RedRockRider

Thanks to you and your wife and riding friends. First class all the way -- photos, maps, text . . .
Nice to see close-up so many details, especially off the beaten path.

Originally Posted by ggray

Great ride coverage and the scenery was spectacular!!!!!!! Would love to visit your country one day.
Gary

Originally Posted by Cuttle

keep it coming!

Thank you all for your kind words. I when i post a ride i like to see it like a travel guide for any one who likes to explore the same region. Knowledge is to be shared!
As you might know, Crete is a sunny island, which is visited by millions of tourists each year. Most of them just stick to the beaches and night clubs (which we have plenty) some explore the countryside and just a handful really dig deep into the soul of Cretan culture, history and people. This takes of course time but we have many tourists who came once and sticked permanently with us
Cretans are generally polite with a great sense of hospitality. Those are of course the traditional Cretans. In the more tourist parts of Crete don't expect to witness any traditional Cretan hospitality .
If you come and visit Crete some time, don't hesitate to send me a PM. Perhaps i might be able to provide some extra info or help or just drink some Raki together

Originally Posted by teddy750

ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΣΑΣ ΛΕΒΕΝΤΟΠΑΙΔΑ, ΕΙΜΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΧΑΖΕΨΑ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΦΩΤΟΓΡΑΦΙΕΣ ΣΑΣ.ΝΑ ΕΙΣΤΕ ΚΑΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΓΥΡΝΑΤΕ ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΚΑΡΙ ΚΑΙ ΟΛΟ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟ.ΕΓΩ ΕΧΩ ΕΝΑ ΑΦΡΙΚΑ 95 ΜΟΝΤΕΛΟ. ΠΑΡΑ ΤΑ ΧΙΛΙΟΜΕΤΡΑ 115000 ΔΕΝ ΕΧΩ ΚΑΝΕΙ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΤΑΞΙΔΙΑ. ΔΟΥΛΕΙΑ ΣΠΙΤΙ ΔΟΥΛΕΙΑ ΣΠΙΤΙ. ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΩ ΒΕΒΑΙΑ ΣΧΕΔΟΝ 300 ΜΕΡΕΣ ΤΟΝ ΧΡΟΝΟ.ΣΤΟ ΘΕΜΑ ΙΝΤΕΡΝΕΤ ΕΙΜΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΔΩ ΚΑΙΝΟΥΡΓΙΟΣ. ΤΟ ΜΟΝΟ ΠΟΥ ΕΧΩ ΚΑΤΑΦΕΡΕΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΝΑ ΒΛΕΠΩ ΤΙΣ ΦΩΤΟ ΑΛΛΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΑΠΑΝΤΩ ΣΕ ΚΑΝΕΝΑ ΜΕΙΛ. ΑΝ ΔΕΝ ΒΑΡΙΕΣΤΕ ΔΩΣΤΕ ΚΑΜΜΙΑ ΟΔΗΓΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΠΩΣ ΑΝΕΒΑΖΟΥΜΕ ΦΩΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΠΩΣ ΠΟΣΤΑΡΟΥΜΕ ΑΝ ΤΟ ΛΕΩ ΣΩΣΤΑ.

Να είσαι καλά και εσύ φίλε. Βοήθεια εδώ δε μπορώ να δώσω γιατί θα πάρει χώρο και κρίμα είναι να γράφουμε άσχετα σε αυτό το thread. Βοήθεια όμως μπορεί να σου δόσω εγώ ή κάποιος φίλος στο ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ κομμάτι του advrider που βρίσκεται στο www.advrider.com/regional.forums/Europe.αν θέσεις εκεί την ερώτηση.

ΓΕΝΙΚΗ ΠΑΡΑΚΛΗΣΗ: Παρακαλώ τους φίλους από Ελλάδα να γράφουν το δυνατόν λιγότερο Ελληνικά σε αυτό το thread για να μπορούν όλοι να καταλαβαίνουν όλα όσα γράφονται. Τα ταξιδιωτικά που γράφονται εδώ τα έχω δημοσιεύσει και στο www.symoska.gr στα Ελληνικά.


I apologize from all the non-Greek speaking readers of this thread for any Greek that has or will be written here. I will keep Greek language in this thread to a minimum so everyone can understand. As i stated in Greek above, almost all my rides have been already posted in our local motorcycle community forum but you better be a little more patient and let me present them here with the proper text.

[markas]

Originally Posted by RedRiderofMA

Very nice

Is it always sunny?

Funny thing that you ask..
As Madv already stated, Crete's weather is mostly sunny. To be honest, we don't have 300 days per year with sun all day long. What Madv really meant is that around 300 days a year the sun will shine for at least a few hours.
And why it is funny that you asked?
Because our next ride has the title:

[markas]

The 4 Seasons in a single day!





(12 December 2010)

[markas]

You might ask, "Is it even possible or are you just talking metaphorically?"
Well, no metaphor here, this is the real thing and it's time i shared the experience with you guys
But, first let me introduce the team for this unique ride:

Nikos aka Markas on the left with Kiriaki two-up on our trusty silver F800gs and...





...my mate Yannis aka yns on his reliable yellow F800gs

[markas]

It had been a long time till our last ride and i started to feel a bit on the edge. Its not that the weather was bad, i still wore my T-shirts you know, just that we couldn't get any of the grandmothers to babysit the kids for a whole day. Finally, a sunny Wednesday (8 December) the granny's finally accepted to keep the kids for the next Sunday.
Well, whatever the weather we ride, i can't take it any more inside the house. And who else to take than my mate yns and whoever else is willing.
Convincing yns to come with us proved to be a tougher challenge than usual.
Why?
Well, when yns checked the net for the weather forecast, he found this:





Well, as it seems we will get hell in form of rains and snow during Saturday and Sunday.


But, a few days later its Friday and it is STILL sunny and i am STILL wearing T-shirts and almost think about going for a swim in the sea
Fuck weathermen, they really don't know anything about the weather, right yns?

There where even two other friends willing to come with us until Friday night when Hell broke loose!!!
Blizzard!
Snow storm over the whole Crete!
Well, each year it snows in the mountains and in rare occasions even near the sea but this... This is the worst weather change i ever remember!
The whole Saturday was spent listening to disturbing news.
All the mountain roads closed, many cars with families are stuck in the snow, problems problems problems...
The two other friends chickened out but...

[markas]

Well, you can't find a descend babysitter any Sunday you want, so, Sunday morning we meet with our faithful friend to hit the road.
It's 09:20, with 10 grad Celsius temperature, cloudy with sporadic drops of water.
I must say, this is not what a real winter might look.
Hmm, more like... AUTUMN?

[markas]

The ride starts with us being more and more optimistic.
The sky is full of clouds but it does not rain.
Most people here are too frightened of snow and keep inside their houses, so the roads are empty.
And...
Well, we ride our bikes, what else do we need






Of course as the news reported, snow was just a few kilometers away from Herakleion but, hey, adventure!
With no information whatsoever about which roads are open and which closed, we just turned south in search for ridable path without any real program.