As promised, part two of our incredible trip to Daios Cove on Crete with Topshop and Olympus. Despite some delicious R&R back at the hotel we did manage to get ourselves together for a little explore…

The weather was on our side, sun blaring down through gusty sea air as we hopped on a catamaran to visit the nearby island of Spinalonga. The former leper colony was eerily beautiful, a ghost town apart from us visitors, its beauty in stark contrast to its sad history. We weren’t the only ones, the island is obviously quite an attraction and it was hard to leave the blue, blue waters and pebbled beaches behind. Back on the boat, we goofed around sunbathing, eating a huge lunch before taking the plunge and leaping off the boat for a swim…

The Island

The setting for Victoria Hislop’s The Island (must read now, as everyone kept mentioning it!), Spinalonga – set in the Gulf of Elounda – was originally part of the mainland, but was made into an island fortress under Venetian rule in the 1500s. It was used as a leprosy colony from 1903 til 1957 when the last leper left, making it one of the last in Europe.

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Slightly disshelveled from the salty sea-air... — Slightly disshelveled from the salty sea-air…

Pals... :) — Pals… 🙂 my fave gal Ali from Topshop

The village of Kritsa

On our last day, we jumped in the minibus to visit the nearby village of Kritsa nestled at the foot of the Dikti moutains. Charming old houses and narrow streets weaving in and around the main shopping street were a joy to explore. Much traditional lace and embroidery was on display as well as myriad trinkets made from olive wood…