"Bright Lights - Big City - Bit Scary!"

Well.. in places not enough light at night, a resident population of 88 thousand as opposed to 2.6 in Paleo -, and deteriorating Covid numbers! We crossed our fingers and went to Chania!

They still hang up octopus on the
  Nea Hora but this time they
look a bit scary!

It had seemed a good idea at the time! Savio -a former neighbour in Balham - would be at a wedding in Athens and suggested "popping over" to see us for a couple of days. We had pointed out that Paleo was a further two hour bus ride , and invited him to be our guest in a simple hotel in Chania. We took the bus. This was the first time we had done so in two years but we thought it would not be busy. It was 100 percent full! We cleverly got off on the outskirts of town, walked to the hotel and then down to the Nea Hora for a much-needed beer!

Tasos at our 2015 party

Within minutes we heard a cry and it was Tasos -formerly of Seagull fame in Paleo - now retired and renting out tourist accommodation close to where we were. He was expecting a friend (also with a Palo record), so we spent a long time on reminiscence until close to the time for meeting Savio. (Tasos also appeared on our third and final evening walking back with us and his bicycle.)

We ended up rushing to the bus station as the timetable for the airport bus had changed the previous day and messages were being exchanged about arrival times; but it all worked, we recognised each other after all those years and so began our 48 hours as Chania tour guides. Ruth had helped Savio and a couple of his friends with statistics element of their osteopathy training straight after he left school. He has recently reached 50, moved over to work as a breathing coach and lives near Glasgow where he is very active in several community ventures. He is also now suffering from "long Covid". We had a lot to talk about!

Sixteen years is a bit long!

Bizarrely the first full day was the cloudiest we have ever experienced in summer in Chania, and we walked by the scenic route to the private clinic where he had arranged the PCR test needed for return to Gatwick. Otherwise it was the usual: Venetian harbour, old fortifications, Catholic church (for him!), arsenal, old town, mosques, indoor market, etc. and frequent beer stops!

After his departure we stayed a further night enabling us to go to Baotao for some duck, and have some time next day on the beach and in the warm sea, before returning on a bus that was much more reassuringly spaced! We survived and have no plans to move far until mid-September!