Jean Bienvenue just sent this photograph, taken this morning:

George Dalidakis sent me a report about a NEN ferry that hit the western pier in Agia Roumeli on June the 11th when there were high winds – the hull was damaged and there is danger of fuel pollution, but the boat still sits there, half sunk. Local residents have written to the authorities complainin...

And here is how they clear such a large mass of snow – photos from a Facebook page, sent to me by George Dalidakis.

I had a welcome message from Jean Bienvenu today showing that the road to Rousies (for the path to Pachnes) has been opened up, and the piles of snow lining it show how difficult that job was!

We left Sfakia this morning. The weather was beautiful and calm, so I had a quick final swim in order to take the feel and sound and look of the sea and coastline with me. Then we said farewell to our local friends, until October. The village is lively now, and reservations are quite full for the au...

We drove up for an easy afternoon looking at the progress of flowers in Kalikratis and Asfendou. We paused on the road above Asfendou for clear views back to the Lefka Ori ,and over to Pshiloritis floating above the clouds, with a stone mitato in the foreground. Kalikratis looks so green as you appr...

And here are some of the flowers we saw high up in the mountains: Crocus seiberi Crocus seiberi.JPG Scilla nana Scilla nana.JPG Anchusa Anchusa.JPG Prunus prostrata Prunus prostrata.JPG Lepidium hirtum (inside a prostrate cherry) Lepidium hirtum (inside a prostrate cherry).JPG Buglossoides incrassat...

Wiltrud and I were very fortunate to be driven up into the White Mountains by our friend Jean Bienvenu, a hiking guide and photographer who lives in the Chania area (https://www.west-crete.com/walking_hiking-crete-walks.htm). He was checking which flowers are out at the moment and scouting access fo...

And here are some of the flowers we saw on the hike (identifications not necessarily entirely accurate): Paeonia clusii (Clusius' peony) peony.JPG Tulips saxatilis (rock tulip) Tulipa saxatilis (Rock tulips).JPG Hermodactylus tuberosus (snake's head / widow iris) snake's head iris.JPG Daphne daphne....

Kalo mina! A lot of Greeks came down to the south coast for the May 1st holiday, keeping the restaurants busy, and many travelled by ferry or their own small boats further west down the coast. Businesses have hung up flower wreaths for the 1st of May. The Alkion opened its sea-side tables for breakf...