A walk on the wild side?

Today's walk started with a stroll through the orange and olive groves, past the avocado bushes,

Where it was so tempting to stop and pluck one, ripe and buttery straight from the bush!

The hillsides are terraced

and cropped to make this one of the most productive regions of the island and everything is ripening fast in the late autumnal sun.  Not a whisper of a breeze today, so it quickly became very warm as we headed up the hillside,

but not for too long because soon we plunged into the densely wooded gorge to continue the path up the hillside.

First though, we stood and marvelled at the power of a deluge.  This chestnut tree has had to adapt its roots to accommodate the frequent washing away of the supporting soil, leaving its initial root system hanging desiccated in mid air.  

Much cooler here, the dew still shimmers when caught by the sunlight penetrating the dense canopy high above us. This damp atmosphere is just right for ferns and mosses.

Plenty of different fungi where on show too, although my photography doesn't do justice to the brilliant chartreuse colour of this pair.

Some are really quite bizarre, as this photographs show, but the presence of fungi is nature's way of saying all is well beneath the ground!

Look carefully at the tree trunk, can you see the tightly curled ferns waiting to spring open?

Shimmering high up the webs of the master woodland spinners provide fascinating structures and

you have to marvel at the sheer skill and tenacity of something so small to create a structure so large.

Many of these webs were a couple of metres in diameter, with its creator waiting patiently at its centre.

The deciduous trees are steadily dropping their leaves; isn't there something immensely satisfying about crunching and swishing your feet through piles of crispy leaves?

Our biscuit breaks are often accompanied by a reading and today we had several.  It's such a luxury to be read to and Jane's reading about the cosmos had us both transfixed and moved.

But it was left to Jonathan's reading about dirt to bring us back down to earth!

And just before lunch we were left to ponder on 'A Rough Ride to the Future' by James Lovelock.

But before we could eat we had to descend back through the olive groves.  Here huge black nets (look closely, you'll see them stretched out across the ground) have been secured

underneath the trees ready to capture this year's harvest.

The sky is still startlingly blue, hard to believe it is well into November.

As we walked towards the village we could turn back and see from where we had come

and  remember that in a couple of weeks the high White Mountains will become just that as the snow begins to fall on them.

But until then it is still warm and pleasant to sit out and eat lunch.

Especially when it has been cooked just for us, local lamb with potatoes and herbs slowly cooked over hot coals.

A Greek salad to start with, local wine to wash it down and cinnamon dusted apples slices with cheese drizzled in honey to finish.  Simple food, but divine.

And even if the kitchen sink has a marvellous view, it's nice to know that will be someone else's job for now!

Serious walking finished for the day we stopped off at the Botanical Park and Gardens in Fournes for a gentle stroll along the terraces.  I can't recall the name of this plant but suspect it is of the lilly family

Whilst the serrated leaves of this plant make it beautiful but lethal.

Isn't the flower of the passion fruit vine stunning?

And of course all great gardens need some catnip...

This variety enjoyed accompanying us on our walk!

The sun fades fast and soon it is time to head back to Charnia,

where a stunning sunset awaits us.

Walking round in circles

Woke to a bright warm Cretian November morning and it stayed like that all day.  No photographs of breakfast today, but otherwise I can report that the Greek yoghurt drizzled with local honey was just perfect.

Today's walk was a circular walk around the Monastry of Gouverneto

and here I am already on the go.  No, that's not a sword I am carrying but one of my walking poles!

One of the unforeseen pleasures of autumnal walking in Crete is watching the landscape come alive again.  As in the desert, once the rains start to fall the earth and her treasures wake up from their summer hibernation so there are delightfully miniscual crocus 

delicate narcissi,

the fascinating Serpent Head,

and, what I bet turns out to be a Cretian dandelion, but is never the less a brilliant yellow star of the footpath.

Nature has a habit of clinging on to life at every opportunity, even when conditions are tough.  So it's a delight to see how little is needed to survive sometimes - even the most barren rock can be called home as long as you have a storehouse to draw upon!

The first twenty minutes or so we're walked in silence so we could settle into the landscape and become aware of nature herself.  The familiar buzz of the summertime chicada has been replaced by sweet bird song, thrush and blue tit and as we tread gently we come across this Jack Snipe, doing what it does best, sitting stock still and blending into the terrain in the hope we will walk by,

which we did once we had admired its beauty and grace.

Not everything has an obvious beauty and grace, this 'chicken wire' shrub being a case in point.

Although the star like patterns formed by is low growing plant are beautiful and to the point!

Whilst this is the original 'scratch'n'sniff' - an aromatic thyme which releases its heady scent as we brush by.

Of course, the ancient low growing olive trees have the most amazing bark structures. Even without counting the rings, you just know this is so very old.

Littering the mountain sides are small churches and chapel caves, like this one.

This strange roof is formed by the water seeping through the limestone ceiling to form stalligtites.  Countless fires light by those seeking refuge over the centuries have blackened their surface to leave an earie roofscape.

Walking in the late autumnal sunshine is quite delightful, our group stringing out in a long line with Jonathan occasionally nipping up and down the line like a Collie to ensure none of us have strayed.

Poles are helpful and

a little sit down welcome.

A small church dedicated to St. John the hermit was a point of attraction and an occasion for another of Jonathan's welcomed biscuit breaks.

Despite the seeming remoteness of these small chapels they are still consecrated, with occasional services, christenings and even weddings taking place.

The going underfoot was sometimes uneven, 

but helpful markers ( this tiny diamond is one of Jonathan's ) lead the way.  This one looks as though someone wearing bright red lipstick has planted a kiss on this ancient olive tree!

Once banded by the invading Turks the Cretians buried their bells to keep them safe and now these bells are still used today to call Christians to prayer; 

but we didn't stay long here because lunch was ready and waiting further along the way.  The Greek airforce even put on an arial display for our entertainment...

Lower down is the Agia Triada Monastry.  But it wasn't the ostentatious display of wealth in the chapel that captured my attention, but the humbler structure of the building itself:

Door handles,

Inscriptions above the doorways,

the plaster walls,

carved stone decorations,

the still life around each corner and 

the locals, who were very friendly

if quite laid back.

And some just liked to make you feel quite at home!

Autumn is also the time of the orange harvest,

so everywhere we go we see trees ladend with fruit.

But the sun is starting to go down and so in the final warmth of the rays it's time to let the toes feel sand beneath them 

and to take a quick dip.

The water is still warm enough and with the promise of a hot cup of coffee to follow, why wait?

By the look of that sky, it should be another good day tomorrow too.