John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Wednesday 18 May 2022
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[2022] [Tuesday 17 May 2022] Mediterraneo Hotel, Λιμένας Χερσόνησου, Crete 09:00–ca.16:30 Spinalonga €70  This is a screen-capture from the e-mail attachment. The print was in fact a greyscale one. “Reasonable sleep,” Janet wrote: “really needed more! I was awake, and so was [John], when Mr. Blackbird started singing again at 4.30am. I was awake for a while and fell into a deep sleep. I awoke at ca.6.04am: I’d forgotten to set the alarm! I was up at 6.15am.” Because of the last-minute change of plan, caused last night by seeing “08:00:00” on the excursion voucher instead of the “9.00am” that Viki had told us, Janet had changed the time-setting on the alarm clock, but had apparently not then moved the switch for it to go off at that time.… Janet wrote, “Viki had told us that the pick-up time was 9am but, as the ticket said 8am we arrived at the bus stop at 7.55am — and boarded our bus (it was chocka!) at 9.15am! Hellfire: what a fiasco!” While we waited at the bus shelter, some 160 yards from the hotel driveway, some other people approached. We couldn’t make out their language at first, but then heard the odd French word in their speech. When a coach marked “Spinalonga” stopped, they boarded, but our names weren’t on the person’s checklist. I can’t remember whether something similar happened a second time. Several coaches marked “Spinalonga” passed without stopping. It was a long and anxious hour and twenty minutes till a coach finally did approach and stop, and our names were on the list. On the way a voice came on the loudspeaker. It sounded like an older woman, incongruous with the young woman at the door with the clipboard. I couldn’t make out all the words, because of the accent and the ambient noise. She told us that we were heading initially for — I wrote in my notepad “ELOUNDA” and guessed that in Greek that would be “Ελούνδα” (actually, it’s “Ελούντα”). Our departure time from the port at Elounda was still to be arranged. Then going to “Κολοκύθα” was mentioned. (I’m surprised that I scribbled that name correctly.) She gave her name as “Εμανυέλα” (as I wrote it: according to my findings on later internet searches, it probably should be “Εμμανουέλα”, so “Emmanouela” or “Emmanuela”, transliterated), and the driver’s name as “Γιάννης” (as I wrote it).  Mediterraneo Hotel and places visited are highlighted in yellow.  Map showing Elounda, from where we took a boat to Spinalonga. Emmanouela had mentioned “Kolokitha”, but photographic evidence indicates that it was to Vathy Bay that we went before returning to Elounda.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:13:20 Elounda The boat we boarded was the Anna Maria. As we lined up, we were given boarding cards.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:14:42 Boarding the Anna Maria  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:15:26 Boarding the Anna Maria  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:19:56 Elounda  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:46:54 View astern towards Elounda I’d done no preparation for this visit, so beyond knowing that Spinalonga had been a leper colony I knew nothing of it. To starboard was what appeared to be a very long coastline, which I took to be of a large island, then ahead there came into view a small island with bastions, other fortifications, and curtain walls. We approached it from the south and circumnavigated it clockwise (as viewed from above), before docking at its southern end. So I guessed (correctly) that this was Spinalonga.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:54:20 Approaching Spinalonga from approximately the south  Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:54:42 Spinalonga (left); Spinalonga Peninsula (right); mainland of Crete (behind)  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:01:58 Circumnavigating Spinalonga: west side  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:02:22 Circumnavigating Spinalonga: west side  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:05:12 Circumnavigating Spinalonga: west side  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:06:10 Circumnavigating Spinalonga: mezzaluna bastion Michiel at the northernmost point  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:09:48 Approaching Spinalonga’s southern end  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:10:36 About to disembark I wrote down “Anna Maria NAN 243”, presumably so that we’d find it again after visiting Spinalonga. (Because the name painted on the boat was in Greek, “MARIA” looked like “MAPIA”.) Emmanouela told us that the English-speaking guide would be — what sounded like “Mr. Pole”. Or was it “Mr. Paul”? Our departure time was to be 12.45pm, so we must meet back at where we disembarked at “12.40pm” (which I also noted down). Near the entrance of the site was a signboard: a plan with suggested walking routes.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:16:24  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:17:32 Approaching Dante’s Gate, the tunnel at the entrance to the Spinalonga site  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:17:52 Dante’s Gate, the tunnel at the entrance to the Spinalonga site  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:18:18 Dante’s Gate, the tunnel at the entrance to the Spinalonga site  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:18:46 Carbonana Gate, Spinalonga “It was another very hot day with wall-to-wall sunshine,” Janet wrote. “Our guide was a nightmare. It should have been a ‘short’ guided tour with time for us to look around on our own. However, he droned on and on and people gradually got bored and went!” Janet’s mentioning heat and sunshine immediately before the long-windedness of the guide is significant, for our first “lecture”-stop forced us to stand in the bright, baking sunshine where there was no shade. At the start, I found much of what he told us very moving — the story of law student Epaminondas Remountakis, for example: forced by leprosy, before completing his studies, into exile there, where he was instrumental in the Greek government’s making many improvements to the inhabitants’ living conditions and where he helped form a more normally functioning community, not just individuals struggling to survive. But I’m afraid that I began to grow more and more impatient at his incessant talking.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:20:26 First of a number of overlong lectures, Spinalonga  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:20:54 First of a number of overlong lectures, Spinalonga  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:48:28 Spinalonga: residences of the Ottoman period “Mr. Pole’s” second long lecture occurred outside the Church of St. Panteleimon. That may have been where he told the moving tale of Chrysanthos Katsoulogiannakis, a priest who bucked the trend of believing that leprosy was a punishment from God, voluntarily going to live on the island without being a leper himself, with no possibility of returning. But as time dragged on, I found myself becoming restlessly desperate to move on and perhaps actually see something of the place.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 11:49:06 Spinalonga: St. Panteleimon’s Church  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:10:56 Spinalonga: residences of the Ottoman period  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:11:32 Spinalonga: Venetian cisterns From the Church of St. Panteleimon on one side of the path and the remains of cisterns from the Venetian period on the other, we proceeded to the Garrison Building, which had been turned into the leper colony’s disinfection building. This was the location of a third lecture, which proved too much for both of us to bear.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:12:12 Spinalonga: residences of the Ottoman period  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:12:42 Spinalonga: residences of the Ottoman period  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:16:26 Spinalonga: Main Gate (ahead), and Garrison Building (left)  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:17:24 Spinalonga: Garrison Building, leper colony disinfection building  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:17:34 Spinalonga: Garrison Building, leper colony disinfection building  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:19:32 Spinalonga: Garrison Building, leper colony disinfection building Janet is visible in the above photo, but (as she wrote): “By 12.30pm (our rendezvous time was 12.40pm) I buggered off as I wanted a pee before we’d leave. I had been hoping to get a chilled drink. Hah!” The actual time of her slipping away was between 12.19pm, when the photo was taken, and 12.26pm, by which time I’d also slipped away, and first gone outside the main gate to have a look around. “I just had to get away!” I gasped to a couple there. They smiled knowingly, for they were fellow escapees (the black couple in the photo taken at 11:20:26).  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:26:12 Spinalonga: outside the Main Gate  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:26:54 Spinalonga: outside the Main Gate, looking approximately north I then hurried to the northernmost point of the island, by which time it was ten minutes to our rendezvous.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:30:22 Spinalonga: mezzaluna bastion Michiel at the northernmost point The question then was, whether to carry on along the path, and return to the rendezvous point via the eastern side of the island, or whether to return the way I’d come. I chose the latter, because I at least knew the route to take that way.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:30:52 Spinalonga: view south-east from mezzaluna bastion Michiel In fact, “Mr. Pole” and the ones who had not deserted him, came into view along the eastern path two or three minutes before the 12.40pm deadline. So it was, that we all boarded the Anna Maria at the planned 12.45pm. Emmanouela told us when lunch would be, and I wrote it down: “2.15 lunch”. That was because till then there’d be free time.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:45:08 Boarding the Anna Maria  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:45:08 (detail) Emmanouela, our tour manager  Wednesday 18 May 2022 12:56:38 Seen from the Anna Maria  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:04:02 A second boat, already moored at Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:08:06 The Anna Maria, moored at Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula “After that, we sailed to a beach (no idea what it was called),” Janet wrote. “Some people went off for a swim. I assumed there would be a bar where we could sit and drink whilst waiting for the BBQ at 2.15pm (we landed at ca.1pm), but was there hell!! [There was] bugger all.” The bay, partly rocky and partly sandy, was deserted, apart from the visitors from two boats (we did hear, but not see, one sheep): undeveloped, unadapted in any way for tourists, with no paths, no facilities, and no shelter apart from a few trees. I too had no idea what it was called or where exactly we were, except that it was on what I’d taken earlier to be a large island. I’d completely forgotten Emmanouela’s mention of “Κολοκύθα”; but anyway, the evidence which I give below shows that this was not where we’d been taken.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:09:00 Ashore at Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula “The ground was very dangerous (lots of rocks),” Janet wrote, “and I had a fall, which really upset me. The rest of the terrain was equally bad — gorse bushes, etc.” The boats were tied up in a rocky part of the bay, so to get anywhere from there one had to clamber over many rocks, some very large. “We found the only seat available under a tree,” Janet added: actually, just a plank or flat stone that someone had placed on some other rocks. I was hoping to find an easier way back without having to struggle over all the large rocks between beach and boat: from below there seemed to be areas of bare earth along which one might pick out a way, but attempts to do were blocked by gorse and scrub and thorn-bushes.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:35:22 Terrain near Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:37:08 Terrain near Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula Where were we actually? After we returned home, from internet maps I identified “what I’d taken earlier to be a large island” as Spinalonga Peninsula; and on zooming in, using Google Maps, the first named location that appeared on the peninsula was “Kolokitha Beach”. So I assumed that that was where we were (independently of my having written “Κολοκύθα” in my notes, which I’d forgotten). But images on the internet of “Kolokitha Beach”, while showing an island on the horizon, showed nothing like the range of mountains that appears in the photo below. What’s more, Kolokitha Beach is on the east of the peninsula, so I’d have to be facing north to get the sea to the right of the photo; but Janet’s shadow is behind her, so I must have been facing south.  Wednesday 18 May 2022 13:38:34 View approximately south from Vathy Bay, Spinalonga Peninsula Zooming in Google Maps further revealed a number of other beaches, including “Vathi Beach” on the west side; and a 3D view confirmed that Vathi Beach (or “Vathy Bay” as a tourism website called it) was indeed the correct location. 
If I’d needed more evidence, the shape of the mountains matched those behind Elounda in an earlier photo. Wednesday 18 May 2022 10:46:54 View astern towards Elounda “We made our way back to the boat (not an easy one for me again),” Janet wrote. “At 2.15pm we had our meal.” As people started to line up in the gangway beside us, I noticed them carrying cards stating what meal they were going to get (e.g. “chicken”), and this concerned me because all we had were our boarding cards. However, someone assured me that all we needed was, in fact, our boarding cards. (Later, I remembered that on the outward voyage from Elounda, a number of people had been called by name over the loudspeaker to report to the captain to change their boarding cards.) I joined the end of the queue when it had grown extensive, and got a tray with a large pork chop, potatoes and salad on a plate, with bread and fruit on the side. On seeing a young woman in Muslim garb, I realised why some had been given different fare. Janet’s account continued: “[John] had the lot. I had bread, an apple and some Greek salad. I dabbed off as much oil as I could. We arrived back at Elounda at ca.3.30pm, reboarded our coach, and headed for Agios Nikolaos. We arrived ca.4pm, and were given until 5pm.” Indeed, to avoid the possibility of error, I scribbled in my notepad: “5pm departure from Άγιος Νικόλαος.” “So,” Janet wrote, “we found a very clean café/bar overlooking the harbour (comfy seats). [John] had a beer then a small carafe of rakí, and I had two Coke Zero. Nectar! I’ve had very few colas so far — I’ve had more water than I’ve ever had in my life! Good girl!”  Wednesday 18 May 2022 16:00:28 At “Buzz café-bar”, Agios Nikolaos  Wednesday 18 May 2022 16:02:20 Agios Nikolaos, seen from “Buzz café-bar”  Wednesday 18 May 2022 16:03:28 Agios Nikolaos, seen from “Buzz café-bar”  Wednesday 18 May 2022 16:10:32 “Buzz café-bar”  Wednesday 18 May 2022 16:18:42 At “Buzz café-bar”, Agios Nikolaos “We left at 5pm and were back at the hotel by ca.6pm.” Because the coach was already almost full before we’d boarded this morning, this meant that we were one of the first, if not the first, off it on the return journey. I’d worn a long-sleeved T-shirt and a fairly wide-brimmed hat, so had avoided sunburn, apart (strangely) from the right wrist: that was now red-raw! “John had a shower, arranged for the rest of our tour tickets to be printed, then we went for dinner.” I asked at Reception if they would print the four remaining excursion vouchers. (The voucher for today had been printed yesterday evening.)… When I went down to Reception, though, he denied receiving the e-mail. I can’t remember whether I returned to the room and there was a phone-call, or whether he called out to me to bring me back to Reception as I was departing; but he told me that he hadn’t spotted my e-mail in the inbox because my name was in Russian.[x] And so I got the prints. The consumption of peanuts and crisps at Agios Nikolaos (“16:00:28” and “16:18:42”) had no deleterious effect on my appetite at dinner! “After that,” Janet wrote, “I had a shower. [John] ‘sorted his bits’.”…
Janet’s journal for today concluded: “It’s the Jeep Safari tomorrow, and I’m
very excited. (There were parts of today I enjoyed, but parts I really hated!!) It will be good! We were in bed at
ca.9.20pm. [I was] absolutely knackered.…” |
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