Once upon a time a giant dragon circled the mountain tops of Crete. It had come a long way and was exhausted to the core. But the valleys were crowded with noisy goats and crown of thorns, and the slopes were hot and uncomfortable. The dragon was sleepy, so sleepy, when it finally spotted a nice shallow sandy beach, like a warm bath. It landed, folded its wings, lay down its huge head, and fell into a deep sleep.

Today the dragon is still sleeping at the Agios Pavlos bay, head in the water, nostrils flared, and dorsal sail pointing towards the sky. If you are really quiet and on tiptoe, you can walk across its neck and enter its huge jaws. The daring ones are rewarded with a surprise: the dragon’s mouth is a vivid hue of purple.

Peering through the open jaws the view is magnificent: open ocean all the way to Libya somewhere in the far distance. The endless clucking of the waves makes even the curious guests drowsy. Stay too long and you will join the sleeping dragon in endless dreaming.

(Agios Pavlos, Crete, Greece; August 2014)