Kritsa is a small village known for its Cretan crafts including lace, rugs, and tablecloths. Despite all these 'tourist attractions' there are few people strolling the narrow streets.

 

Unusually, we find an excellent parking spot where, close by, there is a cafe that provides us with fresh orange juice.

 

The waitress speaks excellent English - learnt from a private tutor she informs us.

From Kritsa, we drive to Lato Etera. On the way (at Koutaranto) we pass the Kritsa Battle Monument which commemorates the 1823 Battle of Krista. The sculpture was crafted by the British artist Nigel Ratcliffe.

At Lato Etera, north of Kritsa, lie the ruins of a fortified city dating from the 7th-Century BC. There are wonderful views due to its mountain location, but the archeological site is closed today. We decide to drive back to Sissi by cross country roads rather than via the main roads we used to get to Kritsa. We follow some isolated, unused roads through mountain scenery with valleys full of olive trees. The roads are of good quality, but the lack of habitations is a bit worrying. A stop is made to check our map when we find a road sign with village names. Eventually, we find a sign for Neapoli, which we know is on the National Road.

Back at the hotel, we have coffee and biscuits on our patio as Mimosa services our room. The temperature is in the low 90s.This evening's meals features one of our favourites: lamb shank - large and excellent.

 

We walk to the harbour to view the sunset - the sun is hazy with no clouds to create a special affect.

 

 

Today is even hotter with the temperature exceeding 100F. We have our last breakfast then make some preparations to leave, have coffee, then walk to the hairdressers, where we are glad that it has good air-conditioning.

 

As we have our room until the transfer bus is due to come at 8pm, and have the car until 5pm, we decide to utilise the day by visiting Neapoli - when we drove through there yesterday we saw a cathedral that looked worth exploring. We wonder whether to drive to Neapoli via the old National Road and consult George in Reception. He advises against it, but as Neapoli is where he lives, he is able to recommend a restaurant there. George recommends the Finikas Taverna as it has good food and is sheltered by trees.

In Neapoli, we find a parking space in front of the Cathedral, and it's just a short walk to the taverna, which is located at the north end of the town's central square.

 

We dine outside in a garden-like setting and share fried mushrooms as a starter. Jeanette then has mousakka and David has chicken in a wine sauce. For drinks, we both have two glasses of freshly made lemonade. Another excellent meal.

 

We then stroll through the heat to the nearby Cathedral