After my three weeks in northern Norway above the Artic Circle, I had some time left until the end of my sabbatical and I was looking for something to unwind and process my Polar impressions. I knew that I would crave a space for myself after nearly three weeks in close quarters, and I found the Ano Asites Artist Residency in Crete, which was balm for the soul. Nestled in the Cretan mountains, 
this rural village with 250 inhabitants is right in the middle of the island. It’s approximately the same distance to the north or the south shore, which one can reach in 35 minutes using the recently finished national road 97. Although there are great bus lines, I would recommend renting a car at least for some time during a stay.
The village itself is very picturesque, with a 
typical greek cafe and two small supermarkets. There are more restaurants and stores in the neighboring village, Kato Asites, including Earino, which has a fantastic view and amazing local cuisine.
The residency was very original and a hidden gem tucked away behind a stone wall in the old part of the town. It had a small patio overgrown with grapevines and orange trees where I usually had breakfast, a kitchen where I spent more time at the end when it got colder, an updated bathroom, and a bedroom upstairs with an outdoor seating area to enjoy the sunset and the vineyards. The house is well taken care of, and if I had any questions, I always had help from Mathew or Adonis.
Crete during the off-season was something else. I spent many summer vacations there with my parents, and although the last time I visited was back in the 90s, 
I thought I had a good idea about the island, but it felt like everybody left, including the locals. 
The first two weeks the weather was amazing, and I was still able to go swimming in the ocean. I had the beaches to myself and explored most parts of the island from Sitia to Chania and further. Among many other archaeological sites, I visited the popular Arkadi Monastery. I was alone and 
wandered around undisturbed for hours, taking in the quiet atmosphere. On my way out, I asked the cashier how busy
this sacred place gets during the high season, and she said that they easily have more than a thousand visitors per day, usually
from cruise ships arriving in buses. Also, most opening hours on Google were wrong; museums usually closed at 6 pm and had only half of their exhibitions open to save on wages and upkeep.
Later in November, it started to rain, and it got colder, especially up in the mountains. Most restaurants were closed now, and it was too cold to go swimming, but this gave me plenty of time to focus on writing and sorting through the countless images I took in Svalbard.
In the end, I took a detour via Athens, which was beautiful and still very busy for the off-season. This concluded my two residencies in 2023, and I hope to embark soon on a new project off the beaten paths.
So long,
Boris Schaarschmidt