Hello, Reader!

You know, some weekends you don't have to go far to get a taste of somewhere new. Just this past weekend, Todd and I found ourselves at a local GreekFest. We sampled chicken and pork souvlaki and Greek salad topped with gyro meat; then followed that up enjoying slices of baklava, bougatsa, and chocolate napoleon. You might say I had a sweet tooth that night!

We wandered through the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral afterward, taking in details of the architecture and iconography, and the quiet weight of the space. The experience gave us a little preview of what we might find on Crete this fall. A thread of culture and religion that's been woven through Greek life for centuries and shapes everything from the food to the festivals to the way a town gathers on a Saturday night.

But it was the music that really got us. The dancing, the noise, the joy of a whole community moving together. It was magical. Before we even left, we'd started searching for festivals happening while we'll actually be on the island, not just imagining them from a parking lot in Indiana.

Turns out, we didn't have to imagine for long...

What we're chasing on Crete

While we were down that rabbit hole of "wait, is there something like this happening while we're there?" we found it. The FOLKWAY International Cultural Festival is on the calendar during our trip and we are absolutely building a day around it. If GreekFest was the appetizer, FOLKWAY feels like the main course.

Beyond that, here's what else has us counting down the days:

• Hiking Samaria Gorge: one of the longest gorges in Europe, a full-day trek through a national park that ends at the Libyan Sea. We're told to bring good shoes and a bathing suit for a celebratory swim at the end.
• A catamaran ride to Dia Island: a small, largely uninhabited island just off the coast from Heraklion on the northern side of Crete.
• Exploring Rethymnon Old Town and traditional villages: Venetian architecture, narrow stone streets, and the kind of towns where getting a little lost is the whole point. Sounds like a perfect Wander for Days day.
• Local wine tasting: Crete has its own indigenous grape varieties, some grown nowhere else in the world. We can't wait to try them!

It's the kind of list that started with "let's see what's around" and turned into something we can't wait to experience. We'll be soaking it all in and reporting back once we're home: full stories, photos, and enough food descriptions to inspire your appetite for a trip to Crete.

Your turn: find your own taste of somewhere

You don't need a plane ticket to get a taste of somewhere new. If you're local to us in Indiana, here are two upcoming festivals on our radar:

• ​St. Joan of Arc French Market Festival: Indianapolis, Sept. 12, featuring French food, wine, music and more.
• ​Seymour Oktoberfest: Oct. 1-3, its 53rd year, complete with a Biergarten, brat-eating contest, and live entertainment.

And for all you wanders in other parts of the U.S. who want to experience the Oktoberfest traditions, here are some to check out that might be near you:

• ​Oktoberfest Zinzinnati: Cincinnati, OH, Sept. 17–20. America's largest Oktoberfest event, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
• ​Oktoberfest U.S.A.: La Crosse, WI, Sept. 24-27. America's oldest Oktoberfest event, established in 1961.
• ​Helen Oktoberfest: Helen, GA, Sept. 10 to Nov. 1. The longest Oktoberfest in the U.S., spanning nearly two full months.
• Find more of the Biggest and best Oktoberfest Celebrations in the U.S. on Viator

Greece, France, Germany... Pick a location, find an event near you, and go sample the flavors of the world, then come back and tell us what you discover.

Until next time...

With love,

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