Gavalochori, Crete

Not 24 hours after we landed from our 11 hour flight from nyc to Athens, we headed back to the airport for our flight to Crete. 45 minutes on a propeller plane seemed like nothing after the trans-Atlantic flight, even after a stressful mad rush because Daddy realized he forgot our passports when we were just minutes away from the airport. And then there was a bit of drama at the car rental agency in Chania, and a couple hours drive from there, but we finally made it to Gavolochori (population... 35? 38?) and up the dusty path ("bumpy road!") to our amazing house.
 

The driveway was the most harrowing part of the entire journey – even worse than the island roads – up a steep pebbly path with a sharp u-turn at the end where you had to gun it up the last incline and end abruptly on the cliff's edge. But we got used to it. The best part was the gate as you entire and exit the property. We taught Everett the magic words and over the entire stay he never lost his excitement. He'd scream "open sesame!" (more like "open se-me!") at the top of his lungs, giddy, and with a little jump in his seat, fists all balled up, eyes closed tight... and magically the gate would slowly open! Between "open sesame," the gorgeous landscaping, the breathtaking views and the sounds of sheep, goats, dogs, church bells, and roosters, we were surrounded by magic. And couldn't believe where we were staying. Gazing out from the pool or one of the patios, you could see the sea in the distance, mountains all around, a few houses and churches dotting the valley, and occasionally, a shepherd would appear with his flock in the distance below we could watch them as the sounds of their braying and bells clanging filled the air.