Gavdos – my destination today, the southernmost point of Europe!
The conditions on the south side of Crete are excellent (while the waves are raging in the north) and I soon arrive in Karave, the tranquil harbour in the east of the island, after driving along the rugged, mountainous coast of Crete. Around three hundred people are said to live on Gavdos, spread across a few villages and farms. Plus an unknown number of permanent “dropouts”. Two policemen guard the fortress, and of course there was no one in the office to stamp my documents. Or rather, one of the policemen later has her hands full at the landing stage when the ferry arrives, trying to line up the waiting passengers so that those arriving can actually leave the ferry – a delightful spectacle.
Here at the harbour in Karava, which consists of a landing stage, three or four buildings, a ruin and a small beach beside it (with wonderfully clear water!), there is a guesthouse, a kind of restaurant with a few guest rooms. This is where I met the couple who have been looking after arriving and departing guests for decades. Somehow we got on well, even though the tone with the other tourists is rather harsh. People know each other here, so you don’t have to say much, or if you don’t know each other, you don’t have to talk much either… In any case, I ate here, everything fresh from the ferry, did my correspondence in the evening and took notes. And the next morning, even though I was in the middle of it all, I had my peace and quiet.
I was able to rent an e-bike, cycle around the island on gravel paths and walk for several hours to the southernmost point. Where there is an oversized chair. Brilliant. This raised seat with a view to the south, out to the sea, into nothingness… A few diehards camp along the bays, others come here like me, to this end point, just to look further south, further out to sea. There is basically nothing here except the chair and the knowledge, without really understanding it, that somewhere over there Africa begins. The sea, however, is real, this water. This incredibly clear, warm and, given the sweltering heat, refreshing water. A place of longing. I want to come back here next winter, just as I was able to do in Teriberka in the north!