It's getting ridiculous, I think. Hundreds of photos later of places and events during the past month in Germany, and here I am at 3 am on an early Saturday still posting photos of Crete? Well, you should see 'em, so here they are, dear followers...both of you (ha ha).
On the last full day I had there, I went for a bit of an aimless drive with another Marine, and we attempted to locate the coast on the other side of the stark ridge line of mountains that formed a spine along the peninsula. Being curious sorts, we figured we'd find it by driving around the flank and navigating by a local map. Each time the choice was there at a fork, we'd go for the one likeliest to hook us around the end of the peak which anchored the ridge. What we eventually learned was that no road traveled to our intended destination...but one traversed a plateau before zigging and zagging up that prominent peak, by switchback after switchback. We ended up with a completely different adventure than the one we were after, and wound up catching unforgettable views, startling wild and wooly mountain goats, and surviving the very steep ascent & descent, by rental van, to tell the tale...
This church sat on the edge of the most beautiful cliff ever seen. I wish the photo would do it more justice...it was simply incredible how the azure sky and equally azure sea, only a shade darker, would meld into one. The horizon was nonexistent in this direction, and on a beautiful day, because of how seamless blue faded into blue...
Looking back down toward the plateau from which we started, and the bay beyond that, and the rest of Crete beyond that. It was awesome, in the true meaning of the word.
That sailboat off to the left looked like the absolutely most perfect place in the world to be. See what I mean by the endless blue-on-blue vision?
The first sighting of scattering mountain goats! They took off like we were an invading horde.
This was my favorite mountain goat shot. Right before plunging, this one looks back as if to throw one last "You lookin' at me?"
It's a goat's mountain, for sure. We were just the unwelcome intruders.
This is when they started acting like lemmings. It seriously looked like they were throwing themselves off an untenable cliff! But their footing was impeccable, and not one goat was harmed in the photographing of this adventure (unlike the one tied to a truck in Adam Sandler's most hilarious bit ever).
On the way back down to safety, and the less fascinating world below. I think the goats know what they're doing, hanging out up there where people (mostly) can't mess with 'em.
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