Our destination is popular Kritsa, a sigh-inducing village of 2000 inhabitants residing in whitewashed houses with blue trim atop mountainside terraces. Our bicycle ride involves climbing up from sea level at Agios Nikolaos to 600 meters. Yet, it is not a steep climb. A leisurely but insistent pace will get you to Kritsa sooner than you think. And Kritsa is quite a reward for your cycling accomplishment. The town with narrow streets is a riot of color due to all the weavings, embroideries and textiles hanging from balconies, doors and just about anywhere else to catch the eye. You will see the women at work on their looms or with needles in hand creating traditional Cretan designs. Several movies have been shot in Kritsa by Jules Dassin, Melina Mercuri's husband. We'll visit the Church of Panagia Kera which holds some of Crete's most superb Byzantine frescos from the 14th century.

For the ambitious cyclists, we can make a 4 km detour to lovely Kroustas. This unheralded mountain village does not have all the fame and publicity of Kritsa, yet it is just as adorable in its own small way, and well worth our short detour.

We'll have lunch in Kritsa before continuing our bike tour to ancient Lato. The Doric ruins cover vast swaths of the mountainside with breathtaking views of Agios Nikolaos to the east and the Lassithi Plain to the west. It is one of the few non-Minoan sites in Crete and Lato was once a very important city until its demise in 200 BC. The excavation site is fairly large and contains a temple, theatre, agora, mosaics, cisterns and other ancient features. Buses do not come to Lato which adds to its welcomed serenity.

By now it is time to head back to Agios Nikolaos which is very, very easy because we pedal all the way downhill.