After all the bike-pushing and climbing yesterday…my legs were sorer this morning than after any of the rides to date! So it was a good job we had nowhere to go really…!
For there are not many places you can go on Gavdos…and the ferry is not until the afternoon!
Great breakfast though…..
And eventually…we got going for a tour around the island!
It really is largely ‘empty’…..but everywhere there was evidence of a very significant number of buildings…doubtless dating back to a period of time (approx 900-1700) when the population apparently hovered around the 8,000 mark!
Agricultural terracing……
And churches! So many! At one point I thought we had seen more churches than inhabited houses!
We covered almost every road on the island…..
This one past the rebuilt lighthouse (now a museum)…
…and looking out to the uninhabited island of Gavdopoulaa…
….leads here! A village of two houses! Serviced by a sealed road which was at least 8 metres wide! Talk about overkill!
And then to the beach…of Sarakaniko…..
….and another of those great closed bars!
As we approached the ferry….we saw a group sitting on the concrete….and yup…..around 50 boat migrants who had made the crossing from Libya (one assumes).
They were herded onto the boat…poked and prodded by police..or maybe military…barking instructions in incomprehensible Greek. Not a good thing to watch.
Here they are…
…but a wee while later…their space was taken up by trucks! So evidently they had been moved to the dark, airless store-room beyond. You could not help but feel for them.
Indeed…I was reminded of our Crete visit of just two years ago. The Messenia migrant boat which capsized while being towed by the Greek coastguard on 14 June. And on which at least 500..maybe 700….lost their lives. And whilst the coast guard were saying they could not help due to the dangerous sea conditions…Shennae and I were on a ferry peacefully crossing from Crete to Gytheio….just 50km away….at exactly the same time….with not a white-cap in sight.
And when we pulled in to Gytheio…we saw this wonderful ship…(sorry awful photo)…All but brand new…and designed especially to rescue large number of people from the sea, with especially lowered sides for the purpose. Parked up. Not helping at all. Whilst 500 folk were dying in the water not very far away. The “official” enquiry is ongoing…..!
So…I guess the guys we saw today are some of the lucky ones.
The ferry deck was chocker full. A steam roller. The old grader. All in the same sort of condition as Gavdos really. It all felt a bit appropriate!
We were however pleased that the ferry was sailing…..for we had latterly heard of folk getting stuck on Gavdos for days on end!
So…back to Crete…and our two-night stop in Loutro. Just around the corner from here…..
….there!!
What a gem!
Another boat access-only village….(although you can walk in).
