We woke up warm. Which, after the previous night’s Arctic cosplay, felt like a win. Two extra blankets had appeared—no fanfare, no explanation—just quietly delivered by the cleaning ladies who had clearly taken one look at us and thought, these idiots are not coping. They weren’t wrong. So, buoyed by this small but meaningful success,…
Crete, you magnificent, sandy beast. You know it’s time to leave when the island itself starts coughing you out like a goat hacking up a hairball of raki-soaked tourists and dead sea urchins. Day 10 in Crete, and Mother Nature decided to throw a party of her own. Not the good kind with souvlaki, retsina,…
Crete, Day 9: The scorched-earth buffet and the redhead meatball whisperer Let me tell you something: nothing quite says Greek island holiday like waking up to a full-blown Saharan tactical assault. Yes, that fine layer of African sand that’s drifted across continents only to settle lovingly in my sinuses, cling to every surface like a…
I woke up today with a hangover so biblical, I half-expected to find stone tablets on the bedside table and a burning bush in the bathroom. The aftermath of yesterday’s ouzo debauchery had settled deep into my bones — the kind of hangover that makes you question all your life choices, your belief in hydration,…
There are days when you wake up in Crete and think, “Yes, I will go to a former leper colony today.” And then there are days when you actually do it. Day seven was that kind of day. I started the morning finishing The Island — a novel about Spinalonga that makes your heart feel…
The day began the way all perfect Mediterranean holidays should: with the Earth violently convulsing beneath your bed like it’s trying to shake you out of your sins. At exactly 6:19 a.m., Mother Nature—in all her ancient Cretan fury—delivered a 6.1 magnitude wake-up call. No snooze button. No apologies. Just a solid reminder that you…
Filed under: poolside drama and dinner redemption There’s something magical about a lazy day in Crete. You wake up, pretend you’re going to be productive, and then immediately slide into a sun-warmed lounger like a seasoned professional. No guilt. Just SPF, smugness, and a vague plan to maybe move later. Day five was supposed to…
By the time you hit day four in Crete, your soul has adjusted. You’ve gone native in all the best ways. Your internal clock now ticks to the hum of cicadas, your blood has thinned into olive oil, and the word “schedule” is a foggy memory from a past life. This is exactly where I…