You know how when you take a long vacation and by the end you’re ready to go home? That’s not how this trip was for us. We were so sad when the weekend came around because we knew it meant our trip was ending soon. Needless to say, we made the most of those days.
Just up the mountain from our apartment is the Agreco Farm, a fairytale traditional farm reviving century-old organic farming practices in true Greek fashion. We toured the farm and got to see and learn about the 17th century traditional olive press for the making of olive oil.
The view from the farm was spectacular. We also got to see the old flour mill and the bin where they stomp grapes to make wine. I had to refrain from having an I Love Lucy moment. We wandered through the olive tree orchards and around the to the animal farm.
A wood-fired oven was busy baking fresh bread for an olive oil tasting. Their olive oil is one of the best in Crete. Ironically, Alex brought me back a bottle of Agrecofarms oil when he was in Poland TDY. We had no idea it was from here until we saw the bottle and recognized it. As Owen would say, pret-ty cool!
Owen enjoyed the animal farm, especially the ducks and feeding the goats. He had to make sure that each goat got something to eat, so that took a while as some where less interested in eating.
We finished the tour with a frappe on the balcony enjoying the view.
We made our way back to the apartment for a quick nap before hitting the beach. This gorgeous poppy field was just across the street from our little home.
Owen took a huge interested in the waves this time so we took turns soaking up the sun and playing with Owen.
We did some olive wood shopping, stopped for a coffee and enjoyed people and “guck” (pigeons) watching on the harbor. Definitely one of Owen’s favorite activities.
When we got back to the apartment, our landlords or Owen’s παππού and γιαγιάς (pappou and yiayia), invited us into their home for drinks and snacks. It turned into a party, the relatives that live all around them came over and we pulled our chairs up around the coffee table, sipped raki (an unsweetened, anise-flavored alcoholic drink and is NOT my favorite thing in the world), and ate cake, fruit, and other homemade goodies. Owen got passed around the room, adored by all. They taught him to dance in Greek style and sang him numerous songs. We laughed until we cried. It was an unforgettable experience and the perfect way to end our trip.
As our plane took off early the next morning, I almost cried. I’ve never hated leaving vacation so much! We are still reminiscing and nostalgic for Crete. Our memories from this trip are ones we will cherish forever.