Walk from Filaki to Episkopi

Walk around Crete in 50 days – Day 42 from Filaki to Episkopi

Number of steps 9015
Burned calories 337
Distance 7 km
Walking time 01h15′
Pulse at arrival 97
Weather: Extremely sunny & very hot (average 26C). Strong south wind.

Woke up at 07.00. Sunny and still lots of south wind. With Pat and Liz I had a superb breakfast and was invited by their neighbors (Bill and Cherry) to send my reports.. All is updated so far. Realy pleased with it. It will be a relaxing day, as Episkopi is very close to Filaki. I can see the village from my room…

12.10 Now exploring Filaki a little bit and arriving at the cafenion on the small “plateia”. Efthimia, the owner, serves me an “elleniko sketto” and talks about the 35 people still living in her village. She knows very well the father of Agapi (Agapi and her husband Eric are friends of mine and live in Belgium), Yannis and his brother. Yannis lives in Belgium, his brother still in Filaki. Agapi and Eric are the owners of the old Turkish prison, situated in the village.

Efthimia tells me that this house served also as a Greek “House for Justice” until 1951. Nice, classified building, but needs renovation.

Efthimia tells me about her daughter, living in Athens and her late husband.. Every year in January, February and March she goes to Athens.. The cafenion is closed then. Among the older men and women, living here, are Eleni and Adriani.. They know everything about everybody ! Adriani makes her own, very tasteful “mizithra”, a creamy cheese, made from goat’s milk. Eleni’s late brother was Agapi’s godfather.. I could chat for hours with these two amazing women, leading a peaceful life, living from the nature.

Interesting village, Filaki, and worth to come back in order to continue my “conversation” with Eleni, Efthimia and Adriani. After a raki and some very good “paximadi”, I left them and went back to Liz and Pat. I will do some research on this village when I am back home.. Very interesting I think..!

At 14.30 I leave Filaki for Episkopi, the village of the “twin towers”. (You’ll find out when you’ll visit it).

15.00 Arrival at Episkopi and looking for “Calamon” apts, where I will stay for the night. Passing a “pet shop”, selling all kinds of agriculture stuff.. Closed now. After a lot up and down, I finally find “Calamon”, about 2 km out of the village.

The owner, Vagelis, was already waiting for me (could not call him as I had the wrong number – my fault!). Very warm welcome in a nice studio. A clever young man, looking very clear at his future and doing a lot for his clients: www.calamon.com Worth to pass some holidays! Calamon lies in a green valley, away from any possible noise, at a short distance from Episkopi village.

After a hot shower, Vagelis invited me to eat something together. Yamas (with a “Mythos”), and many thanks for the perfect hosting ! I had an “elleniko sketto”, (Vagelis drove to Rethymnon) at “Asteria”, in front of the “twin towers” and I walked back to my room, greeting some sheep, staring at me. A satisfying evening and lots of nice pictures will guide me into a peaceful night again.

Day 43: from Episkopi to Rethymnon