Plataniás, Crete, Greece

Life lately

After one of the most exhausting winters I’ve been through I decided I needed, and deserved, a change of environment. So, I went to Plataniás on the Greek Island of Crete where I got to go swimming in the mornings, enjoy Greek food, relax and do some work in a different environment. I discovered I work great sitting at a café or restaurant, I can completely shut out the environment and focus on what I’m doing on my computer.

I’ve visited Plataniás before, 6 years ago when I basically did the same things but it was September and the beginning of the surf season on Crete so I took some surf photos too.

I just love this perspective of the surfer and the wave, I was standing on the pier in line with the wave so I could catch how the surfer looks while attempting to get to the top of the wave. Plataniás Port is also one of the first places where I started taking photos in the sea below the surface, so it’s a special place to me.

Plataniás has the loveliest cats. Usually they are fed by the locals, and tourists. I love going out in the mornings and meeting all the lovely cats. Usually they are really friendly and if you have some food to share with them, I think you should. I remember growing up hearing that you should not feed stray cats, I can’t even remember what the reson for that was, but that’s completely rubbish. If you have some food to spare and can help a cat not going hungry, you should do it.

The cat in the photo above is one who visited me the last time I was in Plataniás when I stayed in a lovely apartment with an enormous, beautiful, bougainvillea in the garden. The cat and I both like early mornings. Probably the nicest thing I like to do in the mornings is to go swimming, or at least say “Hello” to the sea. And I did just that on this trip.

Plataniás has great beaches, the water was nice and cool since it was the beginning of the season. And I enjoyed swimming so much at my favorite part of the beach close to the port and pier, there’s also a very nice apartment hotel there called Porto Plataniás where I could use the gym for my rehab even if I did not stay there.

Of course I brought along the drawstring backpack that I’m selling in my shop. It’s been my most faithful companion this past year, both at home and on my travels. And, it shows no signs of wear and tear. Such good quality. And so practical. I’ve been using this type of backpack forever. It was just because I could not find a good looking one I started making them myself. I use it for everything: going to yoga practice, going food shopping, going to the beach, folding it in my bag when I head out into the city just in case I buy something and need a bag. I simply love it.

So, this is just a quick hello and a check in, this post is not what I’ve been working on lately. But this is what I’ve been up to. And the reason this winter has been exhausting is that I broke my foot in October last year and the rehab from the fracture, and then moving into a new place with a foot that wasn’t fully functioning, has taken up a lot of my energy and time. So, I recuperated in Plataniás on the Island of Crete. Lovely!