An unexpected gift

I saw them from afar but I though that it was just an illusion. Going on the beach for a swim, on November 8th, was already too much. Expecting to see THEM at this time of the year was too far-fetched. But as I was getting closer it became obvious that I was wrong. THEY were there, blooming in all their glory and spreading their delicate aroma. Climate change is a drag but in this special occasion, it was a miracle!

Pancratium maritimum or sea daffodil can be found growing on sand dunes around the Mediterranean sea and a few more beaches on the world. I had the pleasure of getting to know them in Crete and more specifically at Xerocabmos, an almost unspoiled location at the far east end of the island. For years I was living very close to their habitant and every year, at August or September that they bloom, I didn't neglect to pay them a visit!

This year though, I was away during their blooming period (at least that's what I thought) and I had no hopes of seeing them. When I arrived at Crete I believed that I would spend November harvesting olives and doing some winterish farm work. But the weather had different plans. With the unusually extended summer any farm work, other than watering, became senseless. On the other hand, a visit at my favourite beach seemed like a more reasonable alternative :)

The fact that I have found a few blooming sand lilies was an unexpected gift beyond any expectation!
I have written many times how much I love those flowers and how much I admire that resilient and insistent plant. And I am never bored of taking more and more pictures of them!

This was the sixth part of our trip from Nafplio to Crete, in order to harvest our olives and visit the places and the people that formed our daily life for almost a decade. It lasted from the first of November till the fifth of December and it was totally different from whatever we anticipated.

Below are the links of the previous posts or you can just visit my blog and scroll down.