Bacchanal
Late summer Friday morning and we’re whirling down the slopes of the White Mountains on the way to Sfakia. As we reach the port we notice the ferry already out of the dock. With very few options other than waiting for 90 minutes, we hop on a private water taxi and are off to Marmara beach.
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September 2023
Captain Spyros has been doing the same routes for visitors and locals alike for many decades now. As we approach the dock underneath Dialeskari taverna where a kid helps us tie up, Spyros turns to me and says “You know why the beach has this name? Many years ago, the soft colorful rocks and sea caves almost acted as a marble quarry of the wider south Aegean area, together with Milos island.”
A few hours later we find ourselves on the ascend and towards Askyfou, a small village 600 meters above sea level, where we meet Nektarios. A middle-aged, rough-around-the-edges Cretan, who despite his total-black attire and rugged bearded look is a soft-hearted man and welcomes us with a big smile! “What are you drinking?” he asks and moments later he cheers to us “Eviva!” with a small glass of raki.
A bunch of locals sitting at the table next to us are ready for their ceremonial lunch out. It’s already mid-day and they’re ready to be served. They visit Nektarios every Sunday diligently and at times whisk to the pantry to get some more bread or raki. There’s a familial feeling to these gatherings that sweeps through the tables bringing everyone a bit closer. We’re waiting for our main course whilst devouring some delicious fried potatoes in a divine okra sauce. Nektarios brings yet another bottle of raki to our table “This one is from the gents over there!” he says, as the locals nod to us in a kind manner. “Come over and join us!” they say.
On a different day, the road takes us up the mountains again, but this time in a more densely natured area amidst the forest of Drakona. A friend has suggested that we visit two places whilst in Chania with this one being the first one. As we gradually make our way up there, a thick overcast overshadows nature around with occasional fog sweeps over the mountain peaks. It's a gorgeous setting and a welcomed one as we reach the family-run Ntounias, a taverna for slow-cooked food next to their own farm. A light drizzle only adds to the scenery outside the taverna with the makeshift outdoor kitchen full of slow-cooking clay pots in the fire. Bubbly sounds, light smoke from the fire and a man who is trying to have everything ready for 12.00 – it’s lunchtime magic!
Stelios, with his wife and three kids, moved here almost twenty years ago and decided to devote himself to farming the land, bringing up animals and catering travelers with the best of what Crete has to offer.
As he whisks back and forth to his kitchen outside, I kindly stop him to ask for the daily specials. He asks us whether we like feta cheese and of course we oblige. Moments later he brings this large piece of feta cheese sprinkled with wild oregano and dolloped with extra virgin olive oil “this is half goat’s milk and half sheep’s milk, try it - on the house“. And it is indeed delicious!
It’s still early September but today’s rainy backdrop in the mountains has certainly made this visit feel a lot more bucolic and bacchanal. Friendly chatters, loud laughter and plenty of toasts up in the air, make for a wholesome meal here in the outskirts of rural Crete. This is where life takes a whole new meaning!
