Quasi rest day

After a long day in Heraklion, I decided the following day would be very chill. I got up later, did yoga on the deck, and then set out after lunch to see the sacred olive tree and for a short gorge climb.

Thankfully, the route to the tree was marked in the traditional village Lastros where it is found. Most of the streets are not drivable, so o had parked my car on the edge of town. The tree is “owned” bu the church and is ado to bee three hundred years old. It must be annointed because I don’t know how it can be alive.

On to the hike. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go because some guides said you needed canyoning skills and other mentioned an old mountain trail that paralleled the gorge.

Parking was not a problem for this hike. I laced up my hiking boots and took off. I got to the base of the gorge and I could immediately see the challenge. There was no walking through that entrance. I took a few photos and was ready to give up on the hike after not finding the said hiking trail.

However, as I walked back to my car ready to accep this was a nonstarter, I saw the well marked entrance that I had missed because I was focused on something sticking up out of the road. The trail was indeed steep. However, apparently it is part of the half marathon for a running club. You have to be kidding.

The trail was steep and very rocky. The views of the canyon were amazing, but I was not going super close to the edge for that life threatening selfie. In 30 minutes, it was a 500 foot ascent.

After I picked my way down, I made my way to what I thought was a vegan restaurant, which was in fact, a store that carried vegan products. I left with some grape molasses and unsweetened jelly, and two types of dried herb teas.

The owner could not recommend any restaurants in town because they were all closed on Tuesday. But I walked into the town to see the church and stop in the mini market for a few things in case my lady at Taverna Natural on the way home wasn’t open either.

But she was and what a glorious meal of Greek salad and kalimari I had! She remembered me and gave me a glass of raki before I hit the road for home.