2/1/24
We had porridge for breakfast, a welcome simplicity. Though we didn’t have a taxi to make, we wanted to leave the house as early as possible for our walk. We’d decided to head to Βάι, pronounced Vai. Originally we’d planned our ventures the other way around, and would have headed to the gorge today. Thermi wasn’t available today, so needs must.
Just next to the marina there was supposed to be a path. After following red dots the day before, we immediately spotted one by the road. This must be the right way. It seemed a little random, just heading up off the road but it met a little track and then headed down a steep winding rocky path. After the day before, we should have been prepared for this.
A short interlude in the path, on a dusty road, led us towards Maridati beach. Just before we could see the sea we took a left onto a trail that, after a gate, headed up a very steep rock face. If it weren’t for the red dots marking the way, we would doubt the existence of a trodden path. We climbed high above the beach, and could see all the way back to the house.
Over the top of the rocky face and we were completely alone. The path was well marked by the red dots and arrows and led us through the rocks and minimal vegetation along the top of the coast. It was like the Cornish South West Coast path on crack. The sea spread out with various shades of blue, but gorgeous turquoise close to the coast.
We were walking along a ‘Georoute’. The geology of the island is so impressive that there are many specifically planned routes that take in the different rock types and their formations. There is a small beach just before Βάι called Psili Ammos. It’s about twenty metres wide. But the sand there has a mind boggling depth of 200m.
We were enjoying the hot sun when we got to the viewpoint above Βάι beach. There’s a viewpoint which is as far as most tourists make it. We saw a man wearing a puffer jacket. It was 18C and he made us feel even hotter. By the viewpoint was an incredible rock fold.
Βάι means palm in Greek. Behind the beach is Europe’s only palm forest, stretching 250 acres, of Phoenix theophrasti. The Cretan date palm. There are plenty of other palm trees around but these resemble the classic palm tree and more importantly they are native. Unfortunately, the whole forest has been fenced off, quite recently we understood, so we couldn’t explore it.
We sat on the beach, as the Sun went behind the clouds. Just our luck. There were some other people who packed up and left but it was still surprising that there was anyone else there at all. We’d been thinking of taking a dip but decided against it, too cold without the Sun. After some fruit was munched, we headed off the beach, shoes and socks in hand.
Just outside the entrance to the beach is the obligatory huge car park and a sign. It detailed the Georoute in more detail, and we ambitiously decided to take the second half of the loop back. At least some of the way. On the way we’d actually thought we would pound the road the whole way back. The rocky trails were taking too long to traverse.
We left at the back of the car park. It was marked, at least to start with. But after walking up the dried up valley for a while we realised there hadn’t been any more markers. Openstreetmap let us know the path was actually up the hillside. We scrambled up to meet it. Got to the top of the hill. And promptly lost it again. The markers were too intermittent to follow.
Using the GPS we followed as best we could, as it followed the crest of the hill. We were thankful it wasn’t going up and down. It was like walking on the spine of a dinosaur. Huge spiky rocks, that we had to navigate around. After a while it met a dirt track, that some rams were using to come up. We followed the track, down and back on ourselves, and through a farm. It was lucky the farmer was there as all the gates were open. He sat in his pick up truck and let out a ‘Yasss’. Hello to us.
We had about four kilometres to walk home, first on a track through an olive grove. And then on the road. It was easy going and we got back around three o’clock. Later than we would have liked, but it had a been a good walk. We had the whole next day to do nothing anyway.
We made pizza for dinner and used up the capers and another pepper we’d bought from the really friendly people who owned the fruit and vegetable shop. The mother and daughter seemed to sit in the shop all day. We put the washing machine on, taking advantage of what might be the last opportunity in a while.
Surly They Won't Make It 