EASTERN CRETE

Many villages have
been completely
abandoned, like, for
example, Hondrovolaki,
which overlooks
a gorge not far from
Valtos: roofless houses,
black doorways that
look like toothless
mouths, empty window
casements like blind eyes and streets
through which stray dogs run, are all that
remains of a village which survives only in
the memory of inhabitants who will never
return. Just as no one will ever again inhabit
the beautiful compound of a rural villa close
by the village of Ayios Georgios: built of wellcut
dry stone, with various rooms on several
floors with arches, stone steps, oven and
fireplaces and with a spectacular view of
the coast, the house must have belonged
to a fairly well-off family. The large grounds
were terraced almost right down to the sea
and almonds and olive trees still grow there
from which no one gathers the fruit. From
above one sees the ragged coastline with
few isolated houses, the monastery of Ayios
Andreas and the cave church of Ayios
Antonios: it is a strange scenery of ochre,
pink and black rocks, corroded by the wind
and by the tides which render difficult both
landing and embarkation.
Some farm houses
were very big and
inhabited by large
family clans. This
kind of rural
complex was
entirely selfsufficient
and could
provide food,
water, tools and
clothes for
everybody
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