From Olive Fields to Beach Bars: How Summer Starts in a Small Village in Crete

In Greece, especially in small villages in Crete, life changes together with the seasons. During winter, many people work on the fields. We cut the grass, take care about the olive trees, fix stone walls, and prepare everything for the next harvest. Life is more quiet. The villages are calm, and most people stay close to home.
But when summer starts, everything changes. Tourists arrive to Crete, the weather becomes hot, restaurants open again, beach bars wake up, and many local people change from field work into hospitality jobs. This is also my life. In winter I work on the olive fields near our small village close to Tourloti. But now summer season starts, and I go back to my summer job at Bar Oktana in Mochlos. This is very normal here in Crete. One season you work with olives, the next season you make cocktails, serve food, or work near the sea. Many local families live between farming and tourism.
I think this is one reason why Crete feels different when you travel here. The people you meet in tavernas, bars, or cafés are often the same people working on the land during winter. So when you come to a small village in Crete for your holidays, you don’t only visit beaches. You also see the real local life behind the summer season.