Crete is the largest Greek island and closes the numerous island groups to the south in the Aegean Sea. Historically a hotspot of early antiquity and the Middle Ages through the time of the Minoans, the Greeks, the Romans and later the Byzantines, Turks and Venetians, this island is indeed worth a visit at any time. Now in spring, everything is blossoming, the weather is a little unstable but the people here are totally relaxed ahead of the upcoming tourist season. I myself have been on the island for about six to eight weeks each spring and fall for over 17 years in a small village on the south coast, where the clocks still tick very differently. It really is the last outpost of old Europe, largely isolated from the madness that goes on in our cities. A little paradise!

Bitcoin adoption? And what about the adaptation of Bitcoin on the island? When I arrived in the capital Chania, I first went to my ATM store to see if everything was the same. The ATM in the north was previously the only one available on the island, but according to the owner, it was taken offline in December due to a lack of interest and high operating costs. That was the first piece of negative news. Once I arrived in the village on the south coast, I had a lengthy debate with my landlord of many years as to whether I could pay with Bitcoin. I had the same debate with four other owners of tavernas and small hotels. There is no interest so far, but I do get attention when I point out the problems that will arise if we can no longer interact with cash here in the future. The young generation that will inherit all these small businesses is much more open to this.

Growing interest I have about 10 very good acquaintances here between the ages of 25 and 35, so they could be considered part of the younger generation. one of them runs a small tavern and has been accepting Lightning as a payment option for a year now. Three of them have been holding small amounts of Bitcoin in cold storage for about half a year. Probably less than 10% of their available assets. However, all of them are showing increasing interest and are absolutely open to technology and the problem of inflation, which is of course a daily problem for people here in the poorest part of Europe.

I have taken the opportunity several times, in larger groups of five or six people, to calmly describe the problem from both an economic and a social perspective and can conclude from the interested questions that something will happen here in the coming years and that Bitcoin will be an issue.

So there's no reason to throw in the towel. And here are a few more impressions from the most beautiful part of the world:

![IMG-20240422-WA0005.jpeg](https://m.stacker.news/27806