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Crete

Thanks to everyone who sent me advice about what to see in Crete.

We had a wonderful holiday.  i didn't get to do everything a week is not
long enough but all  things being well we hope to go back again next year
and perhaps base ouselves at the other side of the island.

We stayeded at Sfkaki near Rethimno and went out in the car somewhere each
day. March had been a bad month on Crete with many bad storms which had
taken their toll particularly on some of the newly finished roads in the
south of the island.
The bad weather ended two days before we arrived and we had June weather
anccording to the locals. Certainly it was a lovely sunny week.  Idon't
know why the sight of snow onthe mountains took my breath away but it did!
By the end of the week the snow level had retreated visibly and what was
left was sand blasted  and mottled thanks to the wind.

Why didn't some one tell me about the wind. After two days of listening to
the wails I began to feel like the loclas who were complaining that it made
them ill. I now  know were banshees do their apprenticeship.



Well as for plants!  bearing in mmind that my husband is somewhat reluctant
to stop the car and let me wander around much I think I did quite well.

For me the highlight was seeing the anemones on the Omalos plateau. I saw
smaller A hortensis (?) various shades of pink and blue. In the "garden" of
what looked like an unoccupied house ( transhumnace dwelling?) I saw a
stand of some stunning sarlet ones perhaps A coronaria. There was still
qite a bit of snow about so I think the tuips were a bit late as I walked
across some of the fields I saw loads of emergent leaves especially of ones
with a very undulating leaf margins. (I had really hoped to see the tulips
.... I adore tulips.....so i will have to go back again)

When we were on the Omolas plateau we saw quite a lot of groups ofpeople
collecting things in sacks. In fact whilst I was photographing the anemones
one old girl came up to me and I think she was asking me for a lift back to
Chania which was miles out of our way and my husband was trying to
discourage her.... when fortuately a coach came along and she harangued the
coach driver for a lift. She and her friend boarded the bus with a sack
each which looked for all the world like  sack of spuds. What were they
digging up?   A horrible thought struck me, were they cyclamen corms?

I saw lots of orchids, arums and verbascums phlomis cistus etc etc but
something new to me was Bellardia trixago. I thought it was a pale orchid
at first glance. I saw an extensive stand of it  near Spili and I thought
it magnificent.. Also I think I came across a dianthus near a chapel in a
gorge on the way back from Plakias.

Enough from me I am only boring people with holiday thoughts. Many thanks
to those of you who wrote with advice about were to visit.

Colette
(who arrived back at Manchester airport in her sandals and had to walk
through 3" of snow after such a mild Winter here)
Colette Dunkley
Upton Wirral Merseyside England Approximates USDA Zones 8/9
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