Camping in southeastern Crete. Summer still has a long way to go (or at least I hope so!)

in Outdoors and more2 years ago

It was about time and truth is that we really needed this trip!
People think that living in a place where many people dream to come for vacation instantly makes your daily life carefree and dreamy as the few days they spend here on holidays. Not exactly true. A better quality of life is for sure but worries unfortunately don't just disappear. Although it could be close to perfect, we are not there yet :)

We made a 5-days road trip in our region, southeastern Crete. It was supposed to be more like a test drive for our tiny camper van before we start a bigger trip, but it worked perfectly as decompression cause this is quite a hard period.


Voila! The mini camper. When I say mini, I mean it! Home of two people and a dog :)

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This is not a travel post, it is more like sharing some moments and thoughts. I didn't even have my camera with me all the time. The goal was relaxation and this is not an easy goal.
@fotostef has more to share at his post as he managed to relax and take photos at the same time :))

We were so desperate to just leave that we did it even with the forecast and the signs screaming that we shouldn't. Very strong winds, but we had stronger will and we were determined to achieve the goal of the trip.

The place where we first went is a magic place called Xerokampos. We have an appointment every year with the sand lilies that thrive there. You can see more here.

The sand was whipping us without mercy, but you know what, we didn't care!

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Photos can be such an illusion. You see the photos below and you think this is paradise. Well, not that day :)

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Even under the most difficult circumstances, there is always a place of calmness.
We were lucky enough to find a calm spot behind these rocks in a more quiet rocky beach, not fans of sunbeds anyway. About 5 sq.m., quite a luxury for that day!

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Looking at the sea, the view was like this... The wind was lifting the water in the air for several meters.

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This is still a road trip, so let's hit the road while talking! And what a route!

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We headed to the south, things are calmer here regarding the wind.
I looove tamarisk trees, forever grateful for the shadow and the great company they always offer us.

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We spent a couple of nights right under this monastery...

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and in the end point of a beautiful gorge. Perfect start of the day for Markos, our canine companion, and us.

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Beautiful small beaches, crystal clear waters and most of the times it was just us!

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And another good tamarisk-friend to offer protection.

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This is how Markos looks when he is on the leash while we are swimming, grumpy face, haha!

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He can't really understand the joy of getting in there. That's as far as he goes in the sea :))

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Rocky terrain is his place.

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In case you wonder where this beach is, I will tell you exactly. It is 2.188 km from Berlin and 11.511 km from L.A :)) I always find these signs cute!

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We are made to spend time outdoors, this is our nature, being close to nature. That's where body and mind work in another mode. We don't really need much...

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I know all I want is simplicity, I also know that everything can get complicated so easily and so quickly, it is a complicated world :)

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When we started getting ready for cooking the last night, we knew we were in a beautiful spot with great view, but we didn't expect it to be so magic...

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Full moon and just the sound of the sea, like a signal that every little thing is gonna be alright :)

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All the pictures and the words are mine, except from the two pictures I am in and they are taken by @fotostef.

If you would like to know more about me this is my introduction post.

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So beautiful, that's great you got to have a holiday. It's years since I have been on one. Crete is somewhere I would love to visit one day and yes I completely understand about not taking so many pictures, it's hard when you are just being in the moment to remember xxxxx

Thank you so much dear Aishlinn!
Taking some time off and just changing place for a while can be so refreshing. All places we visited are within 1,5 hour max from home, but it felt like being on another planet :)

You are more than welcome whenever you decide to come to Crete! I think you will love it :)
xxxx

AMAZING!! Who doesn't need a getaway. A camping one is among my favourites. Along the ocean probably the best destination (the beach in another country is a winner!) It is so special that you travel with that cute fur ball

Hey! I think the fur ball is enjoying these getaways even more than we do, which proves that we ALL need a getaway, yes!
He gets so excited, a pure pleasure to look and observe :)
And his medium size is ideal. I remember you have more than one dog and they are XL size, right? Another level!

Any beach is a winner :)) The ones that we visited were magic!

Super nice to hear from you! I hope you are well!

You're funny. I never considered my furry family as super XL....but yes, my girl was exactly that although she thought she was a teeny little speck. Great Dane's are something special. Then we have a Rhodesian Ridgeback but he behaves more like a stampeding elephant! So emphasis on the SUPER XL

Super XL yes!!!
Rhodesian Ridgeback is a dog we often talk about with Stefanos, amazingly strong! We would have at least 3 if we lived where you leave, haha! Not much of dangerous wild life here :))

No...but challenges of a different variety. Still any excuse for animals

Haha,yes! And I am always full of excuses when I want to do sth :))

Hey there!
Yes, sometimes you want to just enjoy little moments in nature, and not be fussed about taking photos. I'm glad you did though, despite the weather and strong winds. Sometimes you just have to take the chance and go for it.
Despite all that, the photos are stunning and help to give clarity to my day:)))
Have a great week ahead!

Hey! Thank you so much for your reply!

Despite all that, the photos are stunning and help to give clarity to my day:)))

So sweet of you Milly! And that made my day, haha! Exchanging energies :)
Have a lovely day!!!

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Thank you very much :)

I've never thought about a mini van but that's enough for two and a dog. Why would you need more? 🙂

Markos looks pretty happy too and he definitely got a lot of cool pictures to make his canine friends jealous with, haha!

he definitely got a lot of cool pictures to make his canine friends jealous with, haha!

Ahahaha! I am sure that was his goal for this trip, mission accomplished :))

To be honest I wouldn't say no to some more space (a van where you can have a bed that you don't need to undo every morning) but truth is that even this way we are super comfortable!

Thank you for your lovely feedback!

It is 2.188 km from Berlin and 11.511 km from L.A :)) I always find these signs cute!

Oh, thank you, now it will be super easy to find it 😁

Yay, enjoying a trip in a mini van. How cool. I already started to wonder where you guys are. Seems that in the best possible place ☺️🤩☀️

Oh, thank you, now it will be super easy to find it 😁

Ahahaha, glad that was helpful!
When you carefully read the map, that leads you to magic Staoussa, but shhhh, just between us...

Yes, we are on a road trip and it is pretty nice! Greetings from a tiny place called Antikythira and thank you for your super nice reply :)

What an adventure!!! It looks so amazing, just perfect place to watch the stars, listening to the waves, aaaah...

Why did you say "You see the photos below and you think this is paradise. Well, not that day :)"?

It looks magic, but believe me, the wind was over 80km/h and the sand was whipping you, we are talking about pure pain.
When I saw the photos back home, I couldn't believe that it looked so nice, haha! The wind was coming from the land to the sea, and that created this... illusion :)

It is always nice to be under the stars, right? Or waiting for the sunrise, lovely post by the way.Enjoy!

Oh darling I'm so glad you went anyway and found a little time to decompress and unwind. Looks like a magical spot despite the wind.

I am so glad too! Despite the weather, it was magical. Now, we are in another magic place, so the decompression project works well so far :)

Hello! Hello! Look at you two! Everyone needs a getaway now and then! Letting go, reaching out to the good life- a life that is a bit more peaceful. I love camping and going whenever I can and having the beach and sea. I am a definite yes!

The conversion van is wonderful. We had one and had one, two then three kids, and had to get a full size on #3. The dog would have been easier... Oh, wait! We had a dalamation! She loved camping too!

Anyway, I think that you did a wonderful thing for yourselves and I will bet you are feeling so much better! I absolutely love your posts and I apologize for not getting enough time to come over most days~ I need to make a better effort!

Thank you for the sand, sun, dog-o, and lovely scenery! It was AMAZNG!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and beautiful feedback dear @dswigle!

So nice to hear that you are, too, a fan of camping (and with a much bigger family, haha!). Then you know the feeling :)
Sleeping under the sound of the waves always works. Batteries are full again :)

I absolutely love your posts and I apologize for not getting enough time to come over most days~ I need to make a better effort!

How sweet of you! No worries at all! I also miss things (especially without a laptop these last couple of months and with a veeery old mobile), but we are all doing our best I guess and that is what makes it special :)

I really love the place that you shared. A perfect place for camping together with your loved ones. ♥️ I'm so glad that you find some time to unwind.

Thank you dear @teacherlynlyn!
It is indeed a great region for camping, especially in September when it is not too hot:)
I hope you also manage to find some time for yourself, we all need it sooo much :)