There is much to be lauded about island life, even in the midst of painful economic austerity measures.

IT was the end of the summer season. Hersonissos, a resort town in Crete, would virtually shut down by Nov 1. In search of the last semblance of summer, European tourists still stroll through the streets of this caught-in-a-time-warp seaside town. And no ordinary waves lap at the shore below – we are by the gorgeously azure Cretan Sea.

In the last week of October, one by one, hotels, restaurants and car rentals shut down. After the official date marking the start of winter, staff at these establishments either head back to their villages in the hills or move on to work at sister companies in other parts of the island. Only in April next year will visitors be able to return to this pretty piece of paradise.

Crete is the largest Greek island and the fifth-largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It boasts 300 days of sunshine, over 25 million olive trees, and a geographical position straddling three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.

Searing hot sunshine. Icily cold sea. Bough-bending howls of wind. Those were just the natural elements, without taking into account their creamy yoghurt and fat slabs of feta cheese. Then there are the ubiquitous olive trees, growing randomly, that prompt instant thoughts of peace. Meanwhile, the ferocious Cretan fire-water, raki, chases down each satisfying meal, adding to a sense of great contentment.

Meanwhile, in little villages high up in the hills, life continues as it has for centuries. According to one local woman, the heavy-set widows dressed in black continue to gossip and judge just like in the old days. We watch groups of elderly, craggy men gathering for evening ouzo and cigarettes, sharing chunks of bread. Children run around in circles while the young adults moodily pass by in hoodies and trainers, plugged into their gadgets.

Hersonissos dates back to the Minoans, the oldest Greek civilisation, and one of the Mediterranean’s largest during ancient times. The town fell off the map for a few centuries due to continuous raids by pirates – in 1900 there were only 133 inhabitants. But tourism, beginning in the 1960s, brought it back to life.

We arrived at Hersonissos in Crete last month just as the news broke that Greece had only enough money to survive the following three weeks.

“That will happen on the mainland, not our Creta,” our taxi driver Iannis reassured us. “Here there is always work.” When not transporting tourists, after a busy summer season, together with his family he tends to their 1,000 olive trees. Every family in Crete, Iannis tells us proudly, makes their own olive oil. This not only contributes to the healthy Cretan cuisine, but also to its citizens’ longevity.

The wonder of Crete’s produce lies in the many ingredients that their rich soil yields. The tomatoes, fat and juicy, are more than sun-loved. Fish from the bountiful sea couldn’t be any fresher. When walking up the hill to Hersonissos, the original village, you pass olive and lemon groves, with trees heavy with fruits and a heady scent. Full, succulent grapes still cling to their vines.

“Lots of people in this village live until they are 90 or 100,” says Anna, a Georgian emigre who runs a taverna with her Greek husband in the picturesque Hersonissos village. Their fresh produce, mostly pulses and vegetables, are flavoured only with a light dressing, usually consisting of lemon juice and olive oil. Fresh herbs add to the taste and scent, while natural sweeteners such as honey and grape-juice syrup sugar-coat their innumerable traditional desserts. “The old people still eat very little and very simply,” concludes Anna.

Similarly, when commenting on the country’s economic crisis, she says that it’s time for Greeks to go back to basics. It’s a timely reminder, she feels, for Greeks in general have become too caught up in modern life’s complexities, fussy about jobs, picky about food. “Before the Greeks were happy enough with bread, olive oil and apples. The food we grew on our land.”

Still, there is much to be lauded about island life. Not least of all, it’s a case study in sustainability, if you take the United Nation’s 1987 Brundtland Commission’s definition of sustainable development as that which meets present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.

Young, handsome and charming Manos exemplifies un-self-conscious sustainability. The 24-year-old helps his father run their restaurant Dihalo (The Fork), in the village of Agriana, specialising in simple Cretan cuisine.

On the Sunday night when we arrived with no reservations, the only table left was a creaky, wooden one that has been in the family since 1930. The deliberately limited menu is only in Greek so, despite being busy, Manos goes through it with us, recommending the best dishes.

He explains the straight “line” they tread in their homestyle restaurant. They only serve what they do well; so no fish, since they are not next to the sea. No desserts, either, as his grandmother (who makes them) is only due to arrive from her village in a week’s time, when winter begins. Their vegetable dishes are seasonal; ingredients they don’t produce themselves they buy from villagers who grow the best.

“The crisis” has reared its ugly head in their midst. Taxes have risen by 20% and his grandmother has had her pension cut by ‚50 (RM200). “She is also helping to save Greece,” he jokes.

Nevertheless, he says their island life is still good, and he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “Maybe because we follow the old ways here.”

Crete has survived the centuries, weaving modernity with the rambling paths of its prehistoric civilisations, and resisting conquerors. The island, considered to be Zeus’s birthplace, derived its name from the nymph Creti or Creta (Zeus’s son).

Despite the onset of the November shut-down, it’s not difficult to imagine that the gods are still smiling down upon them.

Delighting in dead ends, Jacqueline Pereira seeks unexpected encounters to counter the outmoded. Find her on Facebook at Jacqueline-Pereira-Writing-on.

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