Day 11--Viva la Vivi!

We packed and again enjoyed a great many choices of items for breakfast, I had several fresh orange juices and my yogurt. Then up to pack and we took off for the central part of Crete, leaving the water behind. This area is high (in the so-called White Mountains) and quite arid, though one sees many olive trees. We left the tall trees in the valley and now see mainly rocky terrain. After 2.5 hours of bumping along rural roads and climbing hills, we made it to Vivi’s place in Zaros--she’s the dynamic proprietress of a restaurant and her family also owns a guest house. She served us a “lite lunch,” complete with bread, tuna salad, Greek salad, pickled beets, stuffed peppers, wine.

Then we found our rooms in the guest house (little apartments really, since there’s a fridge, sink and dishes, etc). Our first room’s air conditioning didn’t work, so we switched up and now...cooler! So wonderful after being out and about to come back to comfort.

We went to Vivi’s place for a cooking lesson--and did we ever learn! We made dessert, fried it and then ate it topped with honey and sesame seeds. Then we stuffed zucchini blossoms, made tatziki, a dessert with phyllo and cream, and stuffed peppers and tomatoes. We’ll eat those tonight.

Then Vivi (a one-person tourism bureau, I think) took us down the street to a gentleman who makes lyres and other traditional stringed pieces like balalaikas. Really fun to see. He was passionate about his work and it was remarkable.

Then on to a weaver and her loom. Exquisite work. And then--a walk around the village with a stop at a widow’s home. She served us her home-made liquor and ice cream. And we loved seeing her house (very traditional--nothing modern). When we asked Vivi if there was any way to compensate our “auntie,” Vivi said that to do so would be an insult. These villagers are so very happy to have visitors. One older gal on the street approached us and voiced how happy she was that we were traveling. She had to stay home with children and grandchildren, or at least that’s what she says she’d told herself. So cute.