{"id":862,"date":"2020-04-13T18:03:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T18:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paleochora-holidays.com\/?p=862"},"modified":"2026-04-06T18:08:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:08:28","slug":"the-march-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/?p=862","title":{"rendered":"The March Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"You know that way you suddenly see red?… figuratively speaking. Something sets you off\u2026.. you see red and feel mad\u2026.well, it was yellow I saw, felt just little crazy\u2026.<\/p>\n

I made it for a March drive over to Hania on the last day of the month. Didn\u2019t think I\u2019d manage but found sufficient justification to be away from home and left with my required permission document, supporting evidence and ID all ready for the anticipated police checks.<\/p>\n

Such are these changed times. A changed kind of journey as well, the usual inspiration failed to transpire in the way that I\u2019ve come to expect. But these are not normal times and it seems to have an effect that creeps in unnoticed. Certainly it did to me.<\/p>\n

\"\"Initially it was yellow, yellow, yellow, that wonderful colour used, quite aptly, to signify spring \u2013 there was yellow all over the place, as far as the eye could see (when both eyes were not on the road ahead), miles of gorse, verges of dandelions, buttercups and myriad others I am unable to name. At the point of beginning to notice what\u2019s going on out in the countryside there usually arises a desire to write or talk about what I\u2019m experiencing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not on the 31st of March. Increasingly I felt discomfort, as if driving out of town was a serious sin, an internalised voice was nagging to let me know how wrong I was. Despite that I didn\u2019t miss the changing displays of yellow flowers, shifts at higher altitude with stubby nearer the ground bushes, and then massive displays of trees in blossom on the flat stretch heading into Hania after Voukolies.<\/p>\n

\"\"The lack of vehicles made for a good drive, would have done anyway if it wasn\u2019t for that uncanny feeling and I know I\u2019d normally have paid a lot more attention to the trees freshly in bud, several varieties showing tender yellow-green leaves. Work continues on the highway with a smaller squad at work, apparently laying cables for an improved electricity supply, kind of not now needed\u2026.but that will change PC – post corona. So it\u2019s one way from Tavronitis to the Galatas junction. We can only hope that the full road becomes usable again sometime soon; been going on in various sections since November when there were horrendous traffic lights in operation, the delays\u2026. arghhh.<\/p>\n

When I got there Hania was just strange \u2013 no car park open but easy on street parking, the usually bustling bus station practically deserted, no queue at the take away coffee shop, only pharmacies, super & mini markets and pet shop (one of my duties of the day) were open. The few other pedestrians were clearly out on their own particular missions, they were more often than not masked and\/or gloved. I just couldn\u2019t get my list of things dealt with quickly enough and head back to house arrest!<\/p>\n

\"\"Driving back was through all the coastal villages and deserted tourist developments, barely saw anyone \u2013 some dog walkers, occasional jogger, workers heading home. Surprisingly, the most surprising in fact, was that not once did I see a police car or person, I\u2019d expected to be checked at least once. The niggling anxiety at simply being out continued until Paleochora was close; relief! All the way I still couldn\u2019t really connect with what I was seeing, except for the red flash of a dancing clutch of poppies, happy in a sheltered sunny spot.<\/p>\n

\"\"They thought I didn\u2019t notice but my eye (when not on the road!) will not fail to find my favourites of all wild flowers. I know we\u2019re not meant to have favourites, I do really love all of those flowers equally\u2026.well, maybe the poppies a little more\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Flora, April 11th 2020<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know that way you suddenly see red?… figuratively speaking. Something sets you off\u2026.. you see red and feel mad\u2026.well, it was yellow I saw, felt just little crazy\u2026. I made it for a March drive over to Hania on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=862"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":872,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/862\/revisions\/872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harisstudios-paleochora.gr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}