The closer an orange is to the sun, the riper the fruit is. Our first stop after arriving at the Cretan port of Elounda was the Orange Village Fodele, and the owner of this family-owned orchard gave us a masterclass in picking the best oranges. We have also learned the word “philotimo,” which in Greek means hospitality and compassion for other people, and experienced it everywhere we went on Crete.

Stopping at a local restaurant to taste some Crete-grown lamb has turned into an unexpected music and dance festivity started by the restaurant owners and their relatives. The Bering team joined in and had lots of fun. This great feeling continued during the visit to the oldest pastry shop in the city of Rethymno, where we learned to make the famously thin phyllo – Greek pastry dough. The spiritual part of the visit was the Savior Monastery, where 13 nuns who lived there were busy praying, painting icons and frescoes, and making praying beads.

It was the first part of our Crete trip; the next series will feature knifemaking, picking olives, flying a hot-air balloon, and other exciting activities. Stay with us for more of the Bering Life excitement!