thekristydave

We woke up this morning to a darker day. For the first time in five months there were clouds in the sky, blowing by bringing intermittent shadow and bits of cool shelter from the hot sun. In the distance the mountains were covered in a gray curtain and no longer held their imposing purple presence over the skyline. The air was filled with electricity and you could hear the excitement echoed in the townspeople. Summer was leaving us.

As the day progressed into night, the air began to smell with the crackle of toasted molecules and the cloud cover thickened. And then it happened: water fell fiercely from the sky. For about 15 minutes, all of Chania was under a waterfall. And then it stopped and dried in the next 15 minutes.

The parched air had absorbed all the water it could and we were nearly surrounded in a cloud. The downfall stirred something in the earth as well and a keen nose could pick up the scent of fresh soil – not dirt or garbage as is the case in most cities – there was soil under these flagstone streets.

Blue skies and 29 C (80 F for all you on that side of the pond) were bound to return, summer never stays away from here for too long. But for the meantime we were left with the heavy air and impending burst of flowers from the first rain of the season.