Asi Gonia on April 23

[AndyL]

I'm re-posting this from five years ago because the photos were linked to Webshots which has now shut down, so they appeared as "Temporarily Unavailable." My Crete photos are now on Flickr so I've enclosed the new links.  Go to any one of them and that will lead you into a set of 55 photos of Western Crete in Springtime.
If you're there on April 23 and have a car, go to Asi Gonia for the blessing of the sheep. St George is patron of sheep and shepherds and they bring them down to the church where they are milked and the milk is given away with Cretan rusks to any visitors. Every cafe has a charcoal grill going for lamb souvlaki at 1 euro a stick. It's a wonderful occasion, with few tourists but many Cretans piling in from all parts with empty jugs and bottles for the free milk. Allow an hour and a half to get there and be there for 10am. The route is: Mirthios - Kanevos - Kali Sikea - Velonado - Roustika - Ag. Konstantinos - Argiroupolis - Asi Gonia. Your map may not show a road between Kali Sikea and Velonado but there is one. It's all quite good apart from a really rough section beyond Zouridi, after Ag. Konstantinos.  (N.b. If April 23 falls in the Greek Easter week this festival will be moved back a bit - check locally).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloudon/8130868422/#
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloudon/8130842877/#
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloudon/8131102972/#

[harribobs]

sounds and looks wonderful!

Asi Gonia was the birthplace of George Psychoundakis IRC the Cretan Runner