What to see at the Lybian Sea

a wayside altar to a traffic victim
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Makrigialos increased in me the growing feeling that Greece is a ripoff.  The euro has really changed the prices here.  I was counting on prices dropping in the small mountain villages away from the tourist traps but the fact is they are the same or more.  The quality didn't change it either.  We paid 5 euro for an omelette plus almost two more for bread and another 2 for coffee.

We were now on our last day of driving.  We needed to return to Plantanias which is next to Rethymno and the place we rented the car from.  We had reached the south coast the previous night.  Now we were heading back west and then north.

Another roadside distraction
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The land on the south coast is drier and the coastline not as spectacular.  Our first stop was Matala.  Matala has a beach bordered by a descending cliff into the sea.  There are caves which were occupied in Neolithic times and are accessible to climb around.

I managed to resist swimming the chilly 300 Kilometers to Libya and resigned myself to the pleasures of being in the Libyan Sea.  You will notice all kinds of spellings for place names in Crete.  So many invaders with different alphabets giving different names to locations.  It can be disconcerting when you are looking for Heraklion and you need to be looking for Iraklio.

looking down at a fertile valley
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I needed some liquid soap and some more shampoo.  I had lasted since Bali but now on empty I stopped at the Champion store which is a mini Greek version of a Costco.  As I pulled into the parking lot and tried to arrange the car in a particular direction I ended up backing into a post.  Thank goodness for full insurance included in rental price.  I did find soap but mistook the Greek and accidentally bought some hair renewal product which succeeded the next day in making me a greaser.

A beautifully designed memorial to Greeks who died resisting the Nazis of WWII
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We took a break from the car and I wandered another Minoan ruin this one called Phaestos.  It rained and clouded all day.  As I tried to find a hidden corner in the ruins to pee Elisabeth adopted 4 kittens that were hanging out in front of the ticket booth.

Along the roadways of Greece there are altars.  Many to those killed in car accidents.  They can be a small metal box with a cross on top or as elaborate as a reproduction of an Orthodox church with dome and bell tower.  They contain pictures of saints and offerings.  incense burners, votives and stand of pedestals.  I decided to stop and often to take pictures of them.

Teegar checking out the caves in Matala
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I managed to lengthen the journey a good hour by taking the most circuitous route which in Crete is saying something.  I must have driven 2 hours going around switchbacks.  Unfortunately our evening meal was a flop.  We stopped with hopes at a mountain town taverna only to be served expensive and untasty dishes.

By the time we got back to Plantanias I was dead tired, irritable from so much driving and ready to crawl into the closest bed.  Luckily Elisabeth knew a lady who rented us a studio for the night.