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| A restored mansion in Rethymno, Crete, illustrates the city's fusion of Turkish and Venetian styles of architecture. |
Hello Everyone!
Hope 2015 has greeted you with lots of new energy
and exciting creativity. It's been a while since I last
posted, having spent all of my time with Liberty,
 |
| A pair of potted olive trees mark the entrance of this villa in Rethymno's old town. |
as we wandered around the island, visiting our favourite
towns for a fix of Crete's beautiful architecture,
bustling cobblestone streets, and charming bistros.
towns for a fix of Crete's beautiful architecture,
bustling cobblestone streets, and charming bistros.
Above, original tiles, vintage accessories, and playful
chairs furnish this eatery in Rethymno's old town,
radiating a wonderfully warm welcome to passers-by.
chairs furnish this eatery in Rethymno's old town,
radiating a wonderfully warm welcome to passers-by.
 | ||
| A stone staircase leads to the remains of an ancient Greek temple,
and the church of Agios Ioasaf, in Agios Thomas, Crete.
|
But we also craved peace and quiet and prayer, and so,
we found ourselves in the village of Agios Thomas,
 |
| Icons, candelabras, and crosses inside the church of Agios Ioasaf, Agios Thomas, Crete. |
where we visited several of the forty churches that are said
to exist in the village, some of which are carved from rock
formations, like Agios Ioasaf, above, and the tiny one below.
On many occasions, we were accompanied by local inhabitants
of the furry kind. In this case, two cute canines happily
posed for pics, before we went our separate ways.
On the other hand, P.R. and Liberty (the love of his life),
were inseparable, and the spoiled royal never missed a
photo op to prove to the world that he is still her man!
Until then, thanks so much for visiting!
Wishing you a warm and cozy week!
xo
Poppy
Sharing at:
Saturday Sparks,
Home Sweet Home, Feathered Nest Friday, Friendship Friday,
Simple & Sweet Fridays, Roses of Inspiration, Home & Garden Thursday,
The Homemaking Party, What's It Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesdays,
Tweak It Tuesday, Tuesdays at Our Home, Make it Pretty Monday,
The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Amaze Me Monday, Inspire Me Monday,
to exist in the village, some of which are carved from rock
formations, like Agios Ioasaf, above, and the tiny one below.
On many occasions, we were accompanied by local inhabitants
of the furry kind. In this case, two cute canines happily
posed for pics, before we went our separate ways.
 |
| Liberty and her Prince. See the snow? |
On the other hand, P.R. and Liberty (the love of his life),
were inseparable, and the spoiled royal never missed a
photo op to prove to the world that he is still her man!
And speaking of proof, it's in these pics! As unbelievable as it may seem, it snowed - heavily, and many of us, (including yours truly
and family), were confined to our homes for days.
That's when Liberty and I baked up our 'snow cake', to celebrate Crete's white Christmas, which was quite magical for this
Canadian expat. I'll be serving it in my next post,
and I hope you'll drop by to share it with me.
and family), were confined to our homes for days.
That's when Liberty and I baked up our 'snow cake', to celebrate Crete's white Christmas, which was quite magical for this
Canadian expat. I'll be serving it in my next post,
and I hope you'll drop by to share it with me.
Until then, thanks so much for visiting!
Wishing you a warm and cozy week!
xo
Poppy
Saturday Sparks,
Home Sweet Home, Feathered Nest Friday, Friendship Friday,
Simple & Sweet Fridays, Roses of Inspiration, Home & Garden Thursday,
The Homemaking Party, What's It Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesdays,
Tweak It Tuesday, Tuesdays at Our Home, Make it Pretty Monday,
The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Amaze Me Monday, Inspire Me Monday,
Thanks for the little stroll through Crete's magical towns. I never expected snow in Crete!
ReplyDeleteHello Poppy, I enjoyed your tour and images of Crete.. The eatery and the churches are wonderful places to visit.. Pretty pups too. I like the shot of PR and Liberty. So you are not the only one happy to have your Liberty home.. I hope it is warmer now..have a happy week ahead..
ReplyDeleteDearest Poppy ,it was so wonderful to have your princess with you these Christmas Holidays ! A lovely girl ! Thank you for this tour ,I have been twice at Rethymno .It is so strange to had white Christmas and here ,up to North Greece we had sunshine days .I wish to you and your family all the best for this new year !
ReplyDeleteI wish you Happy New Year as well and wish you a great work week ahead. Loved catching up with you!
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Isn't it unbelievable to have white Christmas in Crete and not in Northern Greece?Happy New Year!AriadnefromGreece!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Poppy.
ReplyDeleteSo amazing! Beautiful photos. xoox
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty pictures, Poppy...especially the one of your gorgeous girl! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the visit of your daughter with us Poppy. The photos are wonderful and interesting. Amazing that you had so much snow there. Rather appropriate that it happened while your daughter was visiting too. It looks very pretty. I glad that Liberty and her prince were reunited. Hugs from Canada. Pam
ReplyDeletePoppy beautiful pictures. Thank you. And so pretty with the snow. When we get snow in our village in Cornwall we can not get out , but I do not care.
ReplyDeleteRosezeeta
Hi Poppy, l really loved all the photos of the architecture in Crete. It so beautiful there and looks pretty with the snow. I bet the restaurant shown was really good. So nice you both got to so sightseeinrg together. Have a nice week and stay warm.
ReplyDeleteJulie
I would love to see those churches. Glad you had a great time with your daughter. It does look magical there with the snow. Snow here and ice coming, not so magical.
ReplyDeleteNaturally the star of this post for us is your beautiful daughter, with her PR, but every photo is a winner! Thank you for showing us some of the beauty you and Liberty experienced during her visit home--those mossy green steps with the two dogs looking as if they wanted to be your guides steals my heart. And the olive grove blanketed with snow! You had your White Christmas just like the one you used to know! That was worth having to stay home for, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteI know it was all good, far too short but so good.
Snow in Crete! That's amazing. And here I am in Canada, longing for a hint of the white stuff and all we get is rain. So glad you were able to enjoy the snow with your girl. She's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt's been too cold here to have energy. I'm under the covers! Your daughter is beautiful. How long is she staying?
ReplyDeleteBrenda
As always, sweet Poppy, it is a joy to visit you. Your snow is simply beautiful, my friend! I love when it just covers the ground and trees - such beauty and pureness.
ReplyDeleteThank you for a lovely post. Have a wonderful week! Hugs!
Loved the tour through the city - how beautiful everything is. The snow was stunning and it came at the right time - Christmas. So glad that you had a great visit with your daughter. Looks like kitty loves your daughter.
ReplyDeleteCan hardly wait for our cake and tea. - Have a great week.
Mary
Lovely photos and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeletePoppy!!!
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe it snowed there! WOW!
Loved going on this tour with you and your daughter, and loved all the animal pics, too. Such fun. I am glad you had a great Christmas and am wishing you all the best in the year to come!
xo
Sheila :-)
Beautiful pictures of all the loveliness around you. You must feel like you are on a vacation pretty constantly! Your daughter is beautiful, does she live at home? Near you? And I personally think that looks like a lot of snow!! We know snow very well here in the Midwest. I'm curious to read about your "snow cake"!!
ReplyDeleteJane x
When it comes to looks, I think the apple didn't fall far from the tree ;).
ReplyDeleteThat first picture of the cafe seems very nostalgic to me. The chairs especially. Something very simple and sweet about them.
Now about that snow...how ironic that I who am used to it am now experiencing temps in the 70's because for once we had the good sense to head south, and you are experiencing snow! I suppose it was a welcome respite, both for the parched, albeit beautiful, landscape of Crete, and for the opportunity it provided to stay home and make some delicious delicacies I look forward to reading about.
xxx
Oh Poppy, Such a beautiful place is Crete and you remind me each time with your posts! We didn't have snow here in Ag. Nickolas but it certainly frosted the mountain tops that surround us. We hear there was significant snow and ice in Tripoli as well. Yesterday we hit 65-F which I think was a teaser to bring us back later in the spring. We leave tomorrow for Athens on our journey back to Seattle on Wednesday. We have run out of fuel on the coldest days of our stay, we ran out of water yesterday and still we are simply in love with our stone house on the hill and are sad to leave it for even such a short time as four months. Happy New Year to you and keep these wonderful Greek vignettes coming!
ReplyDeleteΕυχαριστώ για τις εικόνες από το Ρέθυμνο !
ReplyDeleteΕίναι η πόλη από την οποία κατάγομαι.
Το χιονισμένο τοπίο υπέροχο !
Φιλιά
I'm so glad you had a wonderful holiday with Liberty! I'm even a little bit glad that you had to deal with snow. Here, it was a warm and green Christmas.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures speak loudly about the beauty surrounding you...and those snowy photos what a wonderful surprise for your part of the world. You must feel very happy dearest Poppy!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Liberty is enjoying her stay in every way.
Happy new week!
Olympia
Oooo, cake? I'll be back soon!
ReplyDeleteSuch a surprise to me also Poppy, had no idea it ever snowed in Crete! How pretty it looked though - you and Liberty must have had such a wonderful time together exploring the wonderful historic places.
ReplyDeleteI'll be waiting to see the special cake too - I have my plate and fork at the ready!
Best wishes for the New Year Poppy, may it be filled with good health and much happiness.
Hugs from a very wet Eastern North Carolina today - not a snowflake see here yet this winter!
Mary
I never imagined snow in Crete!!! Amazing and incredibly beautiful. I hope that you are warm and safe. xx
ReplyDeleteSnow in Crete? I almost could not believe it. You must have had a wonderful time there with Liberty. I am looking forward to your snowcake.
ReplyDeleteHow strange to see Crete covered in snow, we haven't seen any at all here. I don't know about you but I love the days that make you stay inside, I'm sure it was fun with Liberty there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the pictures of Rethymno, a place I've visited and loved, the architecture is amazing, and the harbour so pretty.
A white Christmas in Crete? How wonderful and magical!!! Rethymno looks so charming. Thanks for the mini tour :) Cheers
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year...it sounds like yours is off to a fabulous start! And oh my...what GLORIOUS images! The gorgeous architecture and grounds are amazing enough but the snow is simply stunning! I'll be waiting to hear all about that snow cake!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! Thank you for taking us on the tour with you.
ReplyDeleteHello Poppy! It's always so much fun to visit your part of the world! Crete looks like a beautiful plate to visit. Love the small church carved out of the mountainside. Isn't that marvelous that you got some snow to remind you of home! I too was stuck home because of the snow for a few days. I think the landscape looks beautiful with the snow (hey maybe the Canadian Maples you planted will like this too!). Can't wait to see your "snow cake"!
ReplyDeleteWell that snow was probably a treat for you and felt like home...did it follow her over from Canada :)
ReplyDeleteSo, so happy to hear from you and we all know how much your visit with Liberty had to have been. Those villages that you just shared with us, are so incredible and your images always are so crisp and clear, it is as we can just walk along, talk along with you. The old stone churches, how wonderful those must be. Happy that your kitcat and Liberty were able to spend some sweet time together as well. Looking forward to seeing your snow cake...what must that be like... Snow in Crete, maybe a little, but a lot, so beautiful with the layers of green beneath the fluffy white stuff. Take good care...see you next time~ Hugs, Mary
ReplyDeletePoppy - I cannot imagine living in a place as beautiful as yours. I am constantly amazed at the gorgeous buildings and scenery. Oklahoma is a wonderful place to live and it's pretty but I am in awe of your country.!!
ReplyDeleteJudy
Stunning photographs, Poppy. I love the smile on Liberty's face. You two must have had a wonderful time together, exploring and enjoying each stop. I'm crazy in love with the buildings. Have a happy week. ~ Nancy
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Poppy! It looks like a lovely area, rich in history to explore!
ReplyDeleteIt was nice strolling with you! As always such pretty photos and what a gorgeous area that we were able to explore with you! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful! You were so blessed with a white Christmas!
ReplyDeleteOh my! Such a splendid time you have had with your beautiful daughter and it seems as though the snow actually added to the charm and magic of the time you had together! Liberty's smile says it all!
ReplyDeleteMy heart is happy for you!
Hugs,
Jemma
BEAUTIFUL!!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like postcards....You are blessed to live in such a beautiful place.
Someday, when I come to Crete, I want to visit all these beautiful places that I see through your blog. I also wanted to say that your daughter is very pretty :) Say my 'hi' to her.
ReplyDeletePoppy, I just did a little exercise on my blog, to connect better with my bloggy friends and I thought you might like to take it up too, so I have nominated you. Do hop over to check it out at http://tanyaanurag.blogspot.com/2015/01/know-me-little-better.html
Would love to see you answer those questions.
Hugs,
Tanya
As always, your photos are just stunning. I'm glad I get to visit Crete through your blog because that is probably the only way I will ever see this stunning place! Your daughter is beautiful...and I'm sure you enjoyed every minute spent with her. (And so did the charming kitty, obviously!) Snow cake? Now that sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful impressions, places and so lovely photo instants! The snow must be a surprise, indeed! For the new year, all the best with lots of good health and joys for you and family!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing snow is a rarity where you live, but it certainly is pretty. I'm so far behind in blogging that I can never catch up and won't even try -- just moving forward from here. Is Liberty your daughter and is she going to school somewhere? She is certainly a little beauty. So glad you had a wonderful Christmas, Poppy!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos Poppy! Love those steps with the pups and all the moss and ivy growing ... so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY.
Blessings,
Cindy
What beautiful pictures, Poppy! Enjoy your time with Liberty! Hugs, Maria
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I love the potted olive trees!
ReplyDeleteLove this post and your photos of snow - I didn't imagine snow on Crete for some reason - was that unusual?
ReplyDeletePrecious days for you dear Poppy.
Shane x
Catching up on your awesome posts, Poppy! So glad you've been able to enjoy a wonderful time with your daughter. She is as pretty as her mama is. How fun for you to have snow and a White Christmas! I have family in Alabama, and the rare W.C. is much enjoyed there. Thanks for sharing about where you've visited lately, your Greek traditions, and also your lovely home, so prettily decorated for the holidays. Take care, and have a great weekend. Bess
ReplyDeleteOh lovely and beautiful Crete, even in the winter so beautiful...and snow! You have more snow than I have here on my island in the north!
ReplyDeleteHave a happy week and take care...
Lots of love,
Titti
Hi Poppy,
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog visiting from Newfoundland.
It's amazing to see snow there! Did you bring any winter boots with you when you moved from Toronto?! Lol
Stay safe and cozy! EnJOY!
Wishing you a beautiful weekend,
Linda at Beautiful Ideas
The snow must have been magical for you, Poppy, having grown up in Canada. It makes quite a picture. Thank you for the lovely stroll around Crete. Your photos are simply wonderful and I enjoyed every one! Have a delightful weekend.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sandi
dear poppy, loooooove your pictures!!!!!!! hugs, angie
ReplyDeleteSnow! In Crete? How strange but magical. As always, I love your photos: the colors, the scenery, the furry friends. I saw your link at Ivy and Elephants. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place and stunning photos.
ReplyDeletePoppy, what an amazing post! The pic with the bare trees sticking out of the snow took my breath away!!! Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHugs and Happy New Year,
Patti
I really enjoyed seeing these pictures. They are simply beautiful. The snow surprised me, as that looks like more snow than we have had yet in Virginia.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely time you must have had with your daughter - and then to have the treat of snow.....perfect!
ReplyDeleteHow perfectly lovely once again...I like travelling this way:)
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with you and your corner of the world today my friend....
these pictures are just magical! snow in crete!
ReplyDeleteand a beautiful daughter and ancient churches in timeless villages . . .
oh poppy.
it's always so delightful here. it's like fresh air to me!
a huge hug and love to you across that blue water. xo♥
I think that I would love to visit the forty churches in Agios Thomas. I find great comfort in feeling close to god in such humble houses of worship. Your pictures are amazing, I feel as if I to get to enjoy your wonderful life in this lovey place. Kind of like being along for the ride with you.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is lovely and his Royal Highness looks as if he enjoyed her visit as much as you did. I am interested in finding out about "snow cake" in your next post... Have a wonderful week..... Candy
Wow how beautiful was the snow! How often does it snow in your island Poppy?
ReplyDeleteLovely picture of PR and Liberty, they are both adorable.
Love all the pics dear friend.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend
Another gorgeous tour! And I never would have guessed it to snow in Greece! Glad you enjoyed your time with your daughter :)
ReplyDeleteLove the tour - especially the animal shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks for always sharing your awesome posts AND comments with us at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy - you always make me feel so loved! :-)
Wow the snow is incredible! Your daughter is beautiful and I am so glad you had this special time with her at your beautiful home!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with Home Sweet Home!
ReplyDelete