4 days in Georgioupolis (again)

The bus from Vrysses dropped me off on the main highway (E75). I needed to find somewhere to stay and I knew there was somewhere just to the south of the highway that I could check out. I had walked past Joanna's before and it looked quite pleasant with interesting gardens. Joanna herself was not there but her husband showed me one of the rooms and told me it was 15 Euro per night. It was quite pleasant but it did not have self-catering facilities so I thought I should look at other places before making a decision.

Along the road to the town square are a few signs advertising rooms. I went into one of the places, but the price was a good deal higher than 15 Euro. The room did not impress me. I can't remember if she offered to reduce the price but I did not accept. Right in the centre of town I looked at another room but it was substandard. The lady offered to reduce the price to 15 Euro but I told her I was not happy. She kept wanting to show me other rooms and was most insistent. In the end I had to walk away.

In May many rooms are unoccupied, and often people are willing to reduce prices so at least they get something for the room. Often they will ask you not to tell any of the other residents. I feel uneasy about staying in these places because I feel like I'm taking advantage, but if you're on a budget and they want you to stay there instead of going elsewhere then I'm happy to go along with what they want.

I had rented a room from Anna that I had been very happy with, so I decided to see if she had any rooms free. I went to the supermarket run by her daughter whose name is also Anna. Older Anna was there and took me over to the apartment block. She told me that I could put my backpack in one of the ground-floor rooms, and then after 6 pm a room on the upper floor would be available to me. The ground-floor room smelled of urine, but because I wasn't going to be staying there I put my backpack on a chair and went away. I decided to lock the door and take the keys even though there is not much danger of theft.

That afternoon I happened to see Anna again in the street and she told me that the room on the upper floor was now available, the maid was just cleaning it now. I went there but the maid was still there, so I went away again.

I didn't come back until about 6 pm. Anna was there and told me that she had given the room on the upper floor to someone else, but that they were staying only one night and I could have it the next day. I told her that I didn't want to stay in the room on the ground floor because it smelled of urine. She seemed surprised and we went into the room. My sister was with me and she said that it was a tomcat. There were lots of cats around and one or two came into the room.

I was annoyed but it seemed that I had no option but to stay in the room overnight. Once I had opened the windows and had a cigarette it did not seem so bad. I was happier when I knew it was animal urine and not human. The smell seemed to be concentrated in a corner of the kitchen area and not in the bathroom. I had bought a citronella candle and I lit it but it wasn't much use. I kept the French windows open but had to close them when a cat tried to sleep on my bed.

I should have waited for the maid to finish the previous day and taken the keys to the upper-floor room. Then I could have moved my backpack to the upper-floor room, leaving the lower-floor room empty for her to let to someone else. Also I should have paid in advance.

Alternatively, if I had left the door unlocked and the keys in the door of the lower-floor room (even though my backpack was in there) then she could have let that room to someone else. The upper-floor room, in addition to not smelling of urine, would have had a lovely view of the sea and the mountains; so I was annoyed not to get it.

The next day I moved all of my things out of the room and took them to my sister's. I left the keys in the lock so that Anna would be able to let the room to someone else. My sister and I were on our way to the bus stop to go to Hania when we saw Anna outside the supermarket. I told her the keys to the room were in the lock so she could let the room. She said that I could not have the upper-floor room that day. Because she could not speak English much I could not really understand the reason, but it seemed that the occupants had decided to stay another night. So it seemed that I would have to stay in the lower-floor room another night, but it didn't bother me too much.

My sister and I went to Hania together on the bus. I wanted to spend the day in Hania and she wanted to go on from there to a smaller town further west. Hania is a delightful town, the second largest in Crete. There is a harbour surrounded by restaurants, lots of narrow streets with craft shops and a large covered market.

When I got back to Georgioupolis I went to the room but it had been let to someone else. I opened the door and someone else's things were there. I went off to find another room somewhere else. A lady showed me a room that she had wanted more for but was prepared to accept 15 Euro (as long as I did not tell anyone else). First impressions were good. It was a large room with a tiled floor and balcony. There was a large mulberry tree in fruit overhanging the balcony. I later realised that there were a number of small things wrong with the room which was a pity.

I was sitting on the lovely balcony having a cigarette at about 9 pm when I decided to go to a restaurant which was a couple of minutes away. It had been recommended in one of the guidebooks. It was a fish restaurant called Poseidon. When you get there you are taken into a room (all the tables are outside) and shown the fresh fish and seafood there that day. You are asked to select what you would like and asked how you would like it prepared. Then they weigh it and you go and sit down. I had grilled squid and then a fish. I also had a Greek salad and a glass of wine, and there was crusty bread too.

When I got the bill it was a little over 20 Euro which was the most I had paid for a meal but it was worth it. I gave them two 20 Euro bill as I did not have any change, and was given one of them back. So it only cost me 20 Euro.

I didn't sleep well because of a barking dog and mosquitoes. Twice I got up in the night looking for a mosquito that I could hear, seeing one at rest, squashing it and seeing blood. Blood on my hands, blood on the wall. My blood. The next day I did not try to have the room for another night. I still thought I might get one of Anna's rooms.

Anna was in the supermarket and said I should come back that afternoon. In the early afternoon I was told she would not be back till 3 pm (long Sunday lunch?). As I was walking along a back street I saw a hotel with a sign outside saying that they had a special offer on rooms that month. I went in and it was a very pleasant modern hotel. I asked the price for rooms and was told 28 Euro or something. I told her it was beyond my price range and she asked me how much I was willing to pay. When I said 15 Euro she expressed astonishment, but then said I could have the room for that price if I took the room for two nights to make it worthwhile for her and if I did not tell any of the other residents as it was not fair to them.

It was a lovely room, although small. The walls were white but the woodwork was painted in a light blue, and there were Cretan fabrics as curtains and bedspreads. Now I had a room, I could take a shower and change into clean clothes. I had time to rest before I went to my sister's at 4 pm. We had decided to walk to the village of Mathes to go to a taverna there.

It was a hot walk uphill, but eventually we got there. There are wonderful views of the sea and the mountains. There is a terrace where people sit and eat surrounded by beautiful plants.

I spent my last day on the beach. It was not too hot at all, but it was sunny and the water looked clear and inviting. When I first arrived in Georgioupolis it was overcast and the sea looked a bit grey, but now it was sunny and much warmer.

After a long bus journey to Heraklion I got a taxi to the airport. The driver told me the price was six Euro. I gave him a 20 Euro note and he gave me 13 Euro back. I missed my flight back to Gatwick because I hadn't read the ticket carefully enough. I was advised to buy a ticket from a company called Prince Travel and Aviation Services Ltd. I was surprised that it cost me only 100 Euro, which is only about £60. I think I might make more use of this kind of stand-by ticket in the future. I bought some olive oil at the airport; I was told that it is cheaper than anywhere else. I would imagine that it is the shops between check in/passport control and boarding that are the cheaper ones.