Last day in Mirthios

It's my last day in Mirthios - tomorrow I am catching the 7am bus to Rethymnon. I'm glad I came here, I like the new  memories that are overlaying the old ones.  I feel very rested and ready for the next two weeks of more active travel.

I've enjoyed the walking here, mainly for the simple sights - olive trees, a multitude of spring flowers, eagles and buzzards riding the thermals, cold sea water and even colder rivers.

I walked to Preveli gorge and beach with a small group on Sunday.  We walked down to the Kourtaliotiko Gorge where the limestone rock is like a sponge, soaking up the rain water and then releasing it into the gorge in five side by side springs that fall into the river.

We followed the river down to Preveli and climbed down many steps to Preveli Beach.  This area has been declared a national park so all the sun umbrellas and pedalos etc have gone, making it much more peaceful but maybe losing some revenue for the locals.  Behind the beach, the river slows to deep green pools and there are palm trees along both sides.

In 1941 a submarine came close in to this beach to rescue many of the Australians and New Zealanders who had been stranded after the evacuation at Sfakia - I first heard the story when I came to Mirthios in the 1980s.

My least favourite memories here are the winds that have started up in the last few days, funnelled by the two gorges on either side of Mirthios.  They blow strongly in the night, die down a little around the middle of the day and then pick up again in the evening.  I'm hoping to walk to the other gorge this afternoon but it could be blowing too hard.

I'm also tired of walking up hills. I think I will be missing a few out on the trip from Agia Roumeli to Sfakia where I can use boats.  I'm walking up hills every day but it doesn't seem to get any easier!  I took this picture on the last time I walked up the hill from Plakias today - so glad I don't have to do that again!

I'll be off line for the next week as I'm temporarily offloading some gear to lighten my pack, including the laptop.  I'm going to walk the Samaria Gorge and then head along the coast from Agia Roumeli to Loutro and Sfakia.  I'll walk if there's company but I don't think I want to walk long stretches of the coast alone.

And then it's nearly home time which I am looking forward to more and more.  I have decided not to be a hermit after all, and that friends and family are the best things to have in your life - and dogs of course.