By Scott Shephard
Deb and I just returned from a trip to Europe that culminated with a week on the Greek island of Crete. We had been to Heraklion (the port city) on a cruise with some of my students several years ago but saw the area as cruisers do: we got off the boat, we walked around the old town, we took an excursion to an archaeological site, and then we got back on the boat and cruised to the next island.
That's not a bad way to be introduced to a place. But our return to Crete this time was a much more immersive experience in that we rented a car and stayed in two VRBO rentals in fairly remote and totally amazing places. There is much that I could say about the island but I will simply say that while my expectations were fairly high, they were exceeded.
And in this photo I have come face to face with several of my favorite residents of Crete. I don't know what the human population of Crete is but I am guessing that humans are far outnumbered by sheep and goats. There are no "Livestock At Large" signs because it is a given. They are in the valleys. They are in the hills and mountains. And they are on the roads. If you are going slowly enough in your car, they will stand their ground but as you move on, they will give way, moving off with their bells clanging.
I'd go back to Crete tomorrow if I could. . . .
Canon 5DIII 1/125s f/4.0 ISO250 105mm