The Crete Coincidences And What Is Really Important

I'm back from Crete, got home at 4.30am this morning so a bit tired. We had a great time though without computers, phones, television, newspapers - a complete news blackout. I didn't even know the football (UK soccer) scores! So with no media to manipulate, less niggles and annoyances.

I wrote about the three signs that led us to Crete but we didn't have any dramatic coincidence or synchronicity moments, but there were a few. Let's see, oh yes like:

We decided to go on a boat to a small island called Spinalonga, just off the northern coast of Crete. It was a trip where you simply buy your ticket on the day.

We headed for the ticket hut on the harbour and, as we walked, my wife and I started talking about Austria, which is one of our favourite countries. "Wonder when we'll go again?" she asked. It was just a 'throw away' question and I didn't answer as we were reaching the place to buy the tickets for the boat.

I bought two tickets and the guy said, in a Greek accent of course, "You can go straight away to Ostria now if you want."

Ostria, we discovered, was the name of the boat and was pronounced as we would say Austria. So my wife got her answer after all!

Another time we were at a sort of museum full of ancient pots and relics. I was looking at something or other, probably taking a photo, and my wife was looking at a flower bed for some reason. "Look at that stone," she said.

To me it looked very ordinary and I had no idea why she found it worth mentioning but I picked it up. On the back of the stone were scratched her initials 'KP'. And no, she hadn't done this herself!

We were staying in a hotel in Aghios Nikolaos and were allocated room 448 (which bizarrely was on the fifth floor). Every night for our main meal we sat at table 24 in the restaurant. It was up to guests where they sat each night, tables weren't reserved or pre-booked, but table 24 was somehow always vacant for us. We thought it the best table as it overlooked the coast and mountains plus we could 'people watch' at the same time.

I then realised one night that two fours are eight i.e. our room number. Perhaps that's stretching coincidences a bit, maybe not. But there again 2+4=6 and 4+4+8=16 and 1+6=7. So we have ... 67, as per this blog's title.

There were other coincidences as well but I think that the main 'message' for us, from our Crete holiday, was to emphasise how unnecessary the media, television and so on are to our lives, and how they influence and control us. Are we happiest buying or using the latest electronic gadget or walking along the beach enjoying the sunshine and seeing the flowers?

All things in moderation I guess. It depends on what we consider is really important.

See also: The Mysterious Skull (From Crete) With The Golden Wreath Of Protection