The forth day. Sand storm.

Today was a relaxing day and a respite from a cultural program. Meaning: we visited only couple of local attraction, and swam only for a couple of times, and only one time had a drink. But let’s start from the beginning. In the morning as usually we went to our favorite beach Tzambica. We decided not to pay for these expensive beach beds and placed directly on the sand. We swam a lot, built sandy castles, ran in the waves and went to Epta Piges (Seven Springs). Honestly, it’s a little bit tawdry place because all seven springs are in the same place, and there is no need to go anywhere else which was boring (you can only climbs rocks for a while). Nothing special. Well, may be only peacock walking on the rocks. Actually, the water is tasteful in all seven springs, and honestly, I haven’t noticed any differences between them, though my sister said that they are obviously very different from each other.

Max was stubborn and didn’t want to go to walk in the forest, which was enticing into its charming freshness of its green shadow. Finally, we came into this virgin forest with fallen trees, rocks and stones. We saw the butterflies that we were supposed to see in the Butterflies Valley, Max climbed rocks and was happy, we were sitting and listening to the silence and birds singing.

After coming back to civilization we decided to separate into two groups: Nastya went to pass a famous for a lot of myths and legends tunnel where all the springs unit. One of the beliefs says that if the guy passed this dark tunnel in the ankle-deep cold water, he’ll free from seven sins. As for women, it’s attractive as well: if a girl passed this gloomy 200 meters tunnel, she’ll get younger for 10 years. My sister did it while we with Max spent time on the kinder ground. Nastya said that it was pretty interesting. Tunnel is really very dark and the streaming is pretty strong: when she tried to come back through it, it was impossible – you have to do on the ground. And actually, the way back through the rocks is pretty hard and long. But in general, cool.

After all these attraction we decided to refresh as it was the time for lunch. We didn’t have a chose because there is only one café near springs and we stayed there. At first we didn’t like the food (you know these eating places where there is no any concurrence around, and managers  don’t care much about quality – there will be people anyway). But then Nastya’s lamb was great and we relaxed with lemon granizatas, and got the impression that life is actually good. When at the end Nastya while paying at the cash desk asked if she could take one of the candies there for Max, the cashier said that one is impossible and she had to take two or three. As a result, we not only got the whole bunch of candies but also the waiter played in guessing game with Max (he should have guessed in which hand there is a candy).

After springs Max fell asleep in the car and we went to explore local villages. By experience we learnt that you shouldn’t leave the main road even if you search for some hypothetical Byzantine church with very old murals. Because afterward it would be really hard to come back (by the way we haven’t found the church anyway). Though accidentally found a museum of Typical Village House in the Archipoli located in the small house where before the museum there lived a family of 11 people. Nice, tiny and very cozy as most of the local inhabitants here. And already coming back we finally found a famous plane tree, which is 1240 years old and is so huge in diameter that there is a small room inside it that we checked inside for sure.

Max wanted to go home to watch cartoons, though he agreed to a compromise: a lot of cartoons in the evening, but to go to the beach at that moment. Unfortunately, by that time the wind arose and the beach wasn’t the most pleasant place to be: strong waves, cold water and sand storm so that the sand was crunching on the teeth. Nevertheless, it was interesting to observe wave tongues oncoming and crawling away so we spent about an hour there.

We didn’t want to come back home at that nice evening, so we found a great cocktail bar with the view on the sea and with Wi-Fi (so Max was busy with his cartoons) in Ialososs where the password for Internet access was “Bob Marley”. Cocktails were awesome, but the non-alcoholic one for Max “Safe sex on the beach” turned out to be the best. That was the best finishing of the day: the sunset above the sea, attractive Greeks outside the window on the street and delicious flavor of pineapple.