Together with Portugal, Greece it must be the country I visited the most in the south of Europe.
But I never went to Crete. Maybe because I always thought it was a bit “grown up”. My mother went here with her friends in the 70′s – and she still talks about it.
But I guess even I grow up. And now I am here.
Crete is known for its food. It is incredibly healthy (Crete men live an average 82,6 years – which beats the Japane men with an average of 79!). With the economic crisis Crete has been fast on picking up its old traditions and organic farms as well as hotels and restaurants are growing fields of business.
There is no internet what so ever here at Ligres Beach. The area is stunning here in the south of Crete. But unfortunetly the food leaves a lot to wish for. And that comes from someone that would have been completely happy with a simple grilled fish and a greek salad.
3 Comments on “Crete offline”
I say go to Sardinia next time… where men live even longer than that and you can learn a new type of bread: Pane Carasau. :-)
(Sardinia has the highest rate of centenarians, with Okinawa, and Italy overall has the highest life expectancy after Japan and Switzerland.)
Not that you should visit, but the Greek island with the highest longevity is Ikaria – many people well into their 100s. There’s an interesting article talking about the factors contributing to this (as well as a good discussion of the food and diet :)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/the-island-where-people-forget-to-die.html
Enjoy Crete in the meantime! I bet it is gorgeous.
Thanks for posting that article. It does indeed mention Sardinia,Okinawa,and some place in California as 3 places that with the Greek island have the highest concentration of centenarians.
Having lived or been in at least two of those two places (Sardinia and northern CA) that doesn’t surprise me at all that these 3-4 places share this primacy. When I lived in CA I found a lot similarities — in terms of climate and vegetation — with Sardinia. The area of Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove is very humid with lots of low bushes and plants and trees that totally reminded me of Sardinia. Then the key factor, after the Mediterranean climate, is the diet and absolute absence of pollution (in Sardinia…not so much in northern CA).