Actually, we hadn’t planned anything for that day. I don’t like vacations to be too scheduled. We talked a bit about what we felt like doing, and while looking at a large map of the area where we were staying, we pointed to a town, Anopoli, which we thought might be interesting to drive to.
Sixty minutes later, we were in the car, ready for the day’s adventure. We had no idea what the day would bring and probably just expected a small adventure – the kind that discovering a new town in a foreign country can offer. However, the day turned out to bring a slightly different kind of adventure.
We arrive in Anopoli
We arrived in Anopoli, a small town that didn’t take long to explore. Since we had no other plans – and because adventures are often best when they’re unplanned – we decided to continue driving up a small side road. The road turned out to be incredibly charming, and it was wonderful to see the authentic Crete rather than the tourist areas, where pale visitors queue up to spend money on useless trinkets.
Along the road, we could hear the soft music of bells jingling around the necks of the many lazy goats and sheep roaming freely. The sun was scorching, and the wind carried the scent of warmth, sheep, goats, and grass.
The old man by the road
Suddenly, we saw an old man standing by the road, gesturing wildly. We pulled over to see what he wanted. He didn’t speak much English, and we didn’t speak any Greek, but with hand gestures and a welcoming attitude, we managed to communicate.
The man was looking for a ride, so we invited him into the car. Our son fell unusually silent as he found himself sitting next to a stranger – dressed in black and carrying the scent of spices and goat’s milk.
We continued our journey with our old, black-clad guest in the car, trying to make conversation along the way. But as single-minded Danes, it felt like a little Greek adventure to us – whereas for the Greek man, it was simply an everyday practice to hitch a ride to the more remote villages in the mountains.
Suddenly, the World Stood Still
After driving for about an hour, we suddenly found ourselves at a bridge spanning a deep gorge. The bridge was made of iron, but the surface we had to drive on consisted of wooden beams. Wooden beams – could they really hold? I think we were all rather nervous – except for the Greek man, who seemed completely unfazed by the situation.
The wooden beams thundered beneath us as we drove across, and below us, the gorge stretched so deep that even Iswallowed hard.
We had just crossed the Aradena Gorge.
Here, the Greek man gets out as we wave goodbye to him.
The abandoned village
After recovering from the shock of crossing the bridge over the deep gorge, we decided to take a walk in the area. We didn’t regret it.
The place we had arrived at turned out to be an abandoned village – Aradena. Aradena dates back to the Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian periods. The area is vast, filled with deserted houses and ruins, and surrounded by a lingering sense of abandonment and mystery.
The village is nestled in the mountains, surrounded by beautiful Greek nature, where you can constantly hear the jingling of goats’ bells and catch the unmistakable scent of their presence wherever you go. But is the village truly abandoned? ????
Another place that didn’t feel entirely deserted was the small Byzantine chapel. The chapel appeared intact, and though I can’t say for sure, I would guess that it is still in use.
Heading home
We spent a couple of hours exploring the abandoned village. However, leaving wasn’t without a flutter in our stomachs, as we had to cross the same bridge we had arrived on.
Apparently, we weren’t the only ones feeling uneasy about it. In the parking area, a group of motorcyclists had gathered, and they didn’t seem particularly thrilled about the idea of crossing the wooden-planked bridge over the deep gorge either.
As you’ve probably guessed, we survived the trip across the bridge, and the rest of the journey home passed without any surprises.
Adventures are always there – if only we choose to be open and curious. Big or small, this day in Greece remains vividly in our memories.
