Elounda, Plaka and Spinalonga

Finally the day came when I was able to visit Spinalonga. It was already the third try but this time everything worked out just fine!

Every time when I was walking through touristy places, I have seen those postcards where octopus hang on washing lines to dry and I have been wondering why I have never seen them anywhere on the island. But then we came to Plaka and there they were and I was able to take a nice picture of it.

But the main purpose to go there was this amazing book I read that takes place in Plaka, Elounda and of course Spinalonga. It is called "The island" by Victoria Hisop and really made me curious to see all those places for real. So I packed the book, got into the car and drove to Plaka, where we first had a lovely lunch with things I never thought I would ever try in my entire life.

At first sight, they did look quite disgusting and I was not sure if I would be able to eat them but I have to admit they all tasted lovely and as long as I didn't look too carefully, I was not that scared.

And the taverna had this beautiful view over to Spinalonga so it was the perfect spot to take a little rest before entering the fishing boat that brought us to the island. 

When arriving on the island, I was most looking forward to the tunnel that constitutes the entrance to the village. Having heard so much about it in the book, I was so curious to see how it is like, to explore the houses and to be able to imagine how life must have been here for the lepers who were expelled to the island. 

Sometimes I even felt like being able to put the wheel of history into reverse and you could feel how life must have been there during the time before the second world war.

The sun burning down on us, we went on a walk around the island where we then waited to be picked up again by the fishing boat.
On the way home, we also stopped for a nasty looking cuttlefish that scared the hell out of me once it was on the plate in front of me, but in small pieces it was one of the best things out of the sea that I ever ate.