Every year, toward the end of summer, the local villages around Crete celebrate a variety of festive occasions. In the Rethymno area, the tiny village of Garazo is not exception, locals and visitors each year celebrate a wonderful Citrus Festival there. Organized by the Cultural Association of Garazo, participants were treated to our island’s best traditional citrus recipes and more there last weekend.
Orange Grove in the Botanical Park and Gardens, Fournes, Crete – Rolf F. Katzenberger
Garazo, for those who’ve never visited, overlooks the fertile Milopotamos valley, famous for citrus. The area around the tiny village has many scenic churches including Vosakos Monastery. Within the village, at Kapetan Ploumi Square, there’s also a folklore museum of interest. Not everyone knows the bounty of oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits that grow on Crete. But the fabulous harvest of these fruits is nonetheless excellent. Most people recall, or have experienced, Crete’s most famous agricultural product, the olive oil notorious since the time of the Minoans. As for Garazo, the paved route to Gerazo the Venetians first frequented is well worn from Rythemno locals by now.
The festivities this year included an art exhibition, a live music concert with Manos Malaxianakis and his band, and a comedy theater production entitled; “Ena Votsalo Sti Limni” (A Pebble in the Lake – 1952). Next up, coming in September, the Feast of the Holy Cross at Axos, and the Feast of the Panayia (Myriokefala, Lefkoyia) make the end of summer around Rethymno that much richer a festive and cultural experience.