It is 7pm on Easter Sunday and I have just returned from a veritable ‘Feast’ held at my close friends’, Derek and Jackie’s home in Litsarda. There were 14 of us in all and we had a lovely time sitting outside chatting, eating and drinking all afternoon. It was so relaxing!

Mind you, I have been feeling a little hung-over from last night’s party! Plaka Square, in the village where I live, was absolutely jam-packed. Everyone was out and about. There was music and dancing and everyone wandering around with tall lighted candles.

Easter Candles light up Plaka Square

Then the large fire was lit and ‘Judas’ was burned, followed by the sounds of pistols being fired and fireworks! It was strange to be standing in front of a big bonfire, in the already warm evening (temperatures have been high here for weeks already), when compared with the UK’s Guy Fawkes night, where I was always huddled up in all my woollies!

Needless to say though, I drank far too much wine. But I was having such a good time that I didn’t walk home until it was almost 4am!
It was worth every minute! The hang-over is gone now and I am writing this from my comfy sofa on the balcony. I can hear music drifting up from the Roof Top Garden of the Almyrida Residence, in Almyrida, where lots of other people have been celebrating Easter. There is always so much going on here, that I am spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where I want to go.

I have spent 2 days preparing for my exhibition and I am still not done! Tomorrow is the last day to get things ready because we set up the next. I always feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. The Mosque and Harbour will, in effect, become my home for the next 6 days and it will be good to see and spend time with old friends who work on the harbour, again. This is our 4th year of exhibiting at this venue and we have come to know some varied and interesting people from all walks of life there.

At this time of the year, the Harbour is a real hive of activity, filled with locals and tourists from all over the world. Chania is so pretty and chic!. Very old Venetian buildings line the front with a port that boasts visits from some spectacular privately-owned cruise ships. The mega large cruise ships dock around the corner, in Souda Bay. All in all, it is a fabulous place for an exhibition and I am so looking forward to it!

For now though, I think I will just stay here and watch the beautiful sunset……