The Mystery of Crete Runs Deep

“The mystery of Crete runs deep. Whoever sets foot on this island senses a mysterious force coursing warmly and beneficently through their veins, sensing their soul beginning to grow” wrote Nikos Kazantzakis, Crete’s most celebrated author.

We arrived in Crete by plane from Venice and I was immediately struck by how much it looked like Albuquerque with wide visas and mountains in the background.  Crete mountains are snow capped–yes, snow capped–aren’t we in the Mediterranean? (Unfortunately, there were no snow capped mountains in my photos–so my first and hopefully, last stock photo.)

Crete, Greece’s largest island, is known for its varied terrain, which ranges from fine-sand beaches at Elafonisi to the White Mountains. Mt. Ida, the tallest of the range, is home to the Ideon Cave, which was the birthplace of Zeus, according to Greek mythology.

After settling in at Kat and Hal’s house (friends from high school living and working in Crete) we were whisked off to a restaurant on the beach run by a French woman with a menu which changes daily and the cooking is done in a camping trailer.

The restaurant bought to mind one of my favorite mystery series on PBS:  Death in Paradise.  Yes, the mystery runs deep in Crete and it’s all about the atmosphere–paradise…