Gavdos

After 6 nights in Paleochora it was time to move on. I packed my things and put them in the boot of my well loved rental Fiat Seicento 5 and drove down the street to meet the ferry. The ferry was in the process of positioning itself just the right way in order to let down the front loading ramp on the end of a cement dock. Somehow it managed to stay perfectly in place without being tied down for loading. Damn good ferry driver.

The first vehicles were dropping stuff off, allowed on, and left quickly. The rest of us, five cars, were then directed on one by one in order to have enough room to do a 180 so we could back closely by the vegetables and so forth.

We followed the coast of Crete in order to make a couple of quick village stops along the way where most people got off. After the second stop we headed south the to Island of Gavdos. The southernmost point in Europe.

My time Paleochora was good. For the last day I took a ferry to Sougia and walked a 10 mile section of the E4 trail, that follows along the coast, back to Paleochora. It was a hot but stunningly beautiful hike. I didn’t see many people but halfway I met a fit looking Finnish couple with their 4 ½ year old daughter who really impressed me as a hiker. Crete trails are rugged and the temperature high this time of year but the girl seemed like she was actually enjoying it. I chatted with the mother and complimented the parents and daughter.

I had never even heard of Gavdos until Debbie mentioned it a couple of weeks ago when I was in England. Her friend Mark showed up while I was visiting Debbie and told me all about Gavdos. He had spent a lot of time there and helped a French woman by the name of Lily by a place on the Island.

When I got off the ferry in Gavdos I went into the local shop and asked a man for a map and if he knew a French woman named Lily. His reply was, “Yes, but I don’t know where she is”. I then told him I knew one of her friends. He replied, with a peculiar expression, “Lily has lots of friends”. Hmm, do I really want to find Lily.

Before leaving the shop the man pointed on the map to what he thought was the best part of the Island so I figured I would go there first to look for a place to stay. I drove up a hill, took a left, drove a little further and dived down a steep hill to lovely gravely beach and small basic hotel with restaurant.

I asked if they had a room and they asked how long. I figured at least 4 nights since the next car ferry wouldn’t be until Friday. It’s Monday. “Yes, we have one”. “How much”, I asked. 25 euro a night. Right next to the sea. “I’ll take it!”. Decisively for a change.

The room still needed to be cleaned so I drove around the Island to have a look see. I was happy to discover the place I’d chosen was really where I wanted to be. Gavdos, if you know about it, is kind of a secret happy place for hippies, alternative types and backpackers in the know. It’s an end of the road sort of place. Nothing commercial whatsoever and they’ve only had electricity for about 10 years. All of the beaches are clothing optional. A note to nudist in general, trust me, you look better with a swimsuit on. Personally, I prefer wearing shorts for swimming. I’m kind of conservative that way. Not to mention I have been stung by a thing or two in the sea and nibbled on by a fish on occasion. Don’t want that happening in the wrong place.

In the evening I sat down for beer and a local dish of chicken cooked in some kind of olive oil sauce with okra and potatoes. While I was eating a woman with modern art looking tattoos sat at the table next to me. Eventually I got around to talking to her.

Zoey, who I assume is Greek, arrived on the island yesterday. She’s camped out on the Island for a month. It’s a magical place for her and she says it probably will be for me. She’s spent time on the Island before and I asked if she knew a French woman by the name of Lily. Her expression paused for a moment before replying, “Yes!”. “I can see her face in my mind but I am not sure where she is.” “I think she’s crazy, but in a good way!”

I then told her my story and she seemed pretty into the idea of helping me find her. I told her if she ran into Lily tell her an American is looking for her. Again, I am not sure if it’s a good idea or not, but Zoey got a good laugh out my suggestion. So, we shall see what happens. I figure by tomorrow noon the word will be out and by tomorrow evening I will probably have met Lily. As long as she’s on the Island.

So far Gavdos is lovely. Nothing really to do here but relax. No crowds. No stress. Water clear and clean as the sky is blue. There are plenty of trails for walking and virtually no cars on the road because there are hardly any to begin with. There is a bus that runs from one side of the island to the other but it essentially runs when the driver feels like it. Ironically, having a car on this small island is really quite handy and makes things a lot easier. The Scottish woman back in Paleochora definitely recommended it. Good call. I’m just glad I remembered to put gas in the tank. There is no gas station.