We woke up late in the morning. Breakfast was scheduled from 08.00 to 10.30 and we hardly showed up at 11.00. Fortunately, there were other latecomers, even if we were the only ones coming from Spain! Spain is different is always a justification. At least, people laughs.
Buffet was pretty well international: not so many greek delicacies there but it was sufficient to satisfy my needs: tea, feta, honey, olives and croissants. As soon as we finished, we went out to smoke a cigarette and there it was, calm and just in front of us: the Aegean Sea.
We stayed in Crete just one week and the idea was spending the first two or three days visiting the island and then just: relax. We never honored the initial schedule, though. The deep blue sea was calling us and touching the car key was painful. Knossos, see you soon.
We dressed our bathing costumes and we went having a sunbath. The hotel was equipped with many swimming pools and we chose one that was built on a terrace just upon the sea shore. The view was very beautiful and the private beach was just below us: twenty steps as a maximum.
At 14.30 we went to the main pool, which has a bar just in the middle, and we had a couple of orange juices. We went to our room, had a shower and a nap!
The first day we really charged our batteries.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Holidays in Crete, part I: the arrival
We flew from Madrid to Athens where we transferred into an Athens-Chania flight. The second flight was pretty short, about 40 minutes, and the view from the flight is impressive. The Aegean Sea and its deep blue color, the rough profile of the islands and at last, Crete. Crete is a mountainous island and throughout its coast the hills' slopes go down and sink directly into the sea. Sandy beaches are rare, maybe only Georgioupolis is worth mentioning, and are usually very small. Crete's rough beauty is striking: if you can trade beaches for timeless views, Crete's the good destination for you.
Chania's Airport it's, not by surprise, at 149 mt above sea level: when the flight approaches the island, you can see the sea and the cliffs on the East of the peninsula drawing nearer and nearer until the sea suddenly disappears from the window leaving its place to the landing strip. It really gave me the impression of landing on the top of a hill.
View Larger Map
The airport is very small: it's the smallest one I've ever flew to! Everything's... "at hand". As soon as we collected our baggages, we went out to the "arrivals" section (I later realized that there's no separation between arrivals and departures at Chania's Airport) looking for the car rental company a friend of mine suggested us. They were there, just in front of us: a very small office (just a desk, a telephone and a man), waiting for us. Warm atmosphere and a warm welcome: maybe it's marketing, maybe sincere devotion for a friend's friend. No matter what, it was just good.
We put our things on the little Panda we rented and left towards the hotel: the Iberostar Creta Marine. My friend Heinz warned me about one thing before leaving: the GPS! Well, Crete's not that difficult to tour, after all. It has just one motorway connecting Chania, Rethymno and Iraklio.
View Larger Map
Shouldn't be that hard, thought I. And indeed, it was not! Leaving the Airport, Rethymno is pretty well indicated, even if sometimes some basic Greek language skills would help you interpreting the road signs. Since we arrived at late afternoon, the road was already dark when we headed Rethymno. The Chania-Rethymno highway is a common four-lanes road (two lanes per direction), whose lanes, adorned with flowery hedgerows, are constantly winding to follow the hills' profiles. The night was windy and fresh and the ride was pleasant: we opened the car sliding roof and covered those 90 kilometers admiring the view and smoking a couple of cigarettes.
Rethymno passed at our left, silently, without almost being noticed: it seemed yet another small city whose harbor was clearly visible from the road. Since Rethymno, the small motorway kept on winding with its ups and downs, until we arrived at the hotel, just a couple of kilometers before the village of Panormos.
View Larger Map
We were tired but happy: our Crete's first bite really had a good taste and the hotel was somehow fascinating. It clearly is a typical touristic family hotel whose location is privileged. The rooms, moreover, are almost all deployed on a myriad of small buildings. They're not individual bungalows but the feeling is very similar. It's a perfect choice for families and couples to spend a relaxing stay at a convenient distance from the two main cities of the island.
We instantly fell asleep listening to the sea waves crashing into the shore.
Chania's Airport it's, not by surprise, at 149 mt above sea level: when the flight approaches the island, you can see the sea and the cliffs on the East of the peninsula drawing nearer and nearer until the sea suddenly disappears from the window leaving its place to the landing strip. It really gave me the impression of landing on the top of a hill.
View Larger Map
The airport is very small: it's the smallest one I've ever flew to! Everything's... "at hand". As soon as we collected our baggages, we went out to the "arrivals" section (I later realized that there's no separation between arrivals and departures at Chania's Airport) looking for the car rental company a friend of mine suggested us. They were there, just in front of us: a very small office (just a desk, a telephone and a man), waiting for us. Warm atmosphere and a warm welcome: maybe it's marketing, maybe sincere devotion for a friend's friend. No matter what, it was just good.
We put our things on the little Panda we rented and left towards the hotel: the Iberostar Creta Marine. My friend Heinz warned me about one thing before leaving: the GPS! Well, Crete's not that difficult to tour, after all. It has just one motorway connecting Chania, Rethymno and Iraklio.
View Larger Map
Shouldn't be that hard, thought I. And indeed, it was not! Leaving the Airport, Rethymno is pretty well indicated, even if sometimes some basic Greek language skills would help you interpreting the road signs. Since we arrived at late afternoon, the road was already dark when we headed Rethymno. The Chania-Rethymno highway is a common four-lanes road (two lanes per direction), whose lanes, adorned with flowery hedgerows, are constantly winding to follow the hills' profiles. The night was windy and fresh and the ride was pleasant: we opened the car sliding roof and covered those 90 kilometers admiring the view and smoking a couple of cigarettes.
Rethymno passed at our left, silently, without almost being noticed: it seemed yet another small city whose harbor was clearly visible from the road. Since Rethymno, the small motorway kept on winding with its ups and downs, until we arrived at the hotel, just a couple of kilometers before the village of Panormos.
View Larger Map
We were tired but happy: our Crete's first bite really had a good taste and the hotel was somehow fascinating. It clearly is a typical touristic family hotel whose location is privileged. The rooms, moreover, are almost all deployed on a myriad of small buildings. They're not individual bungalows but the feeling is very similar. It's a perfect choice for families and couples to spend a relaxing stay at a convenient distance from the two main cities of the island.
We instantly fell asleep listening to the sea waves crashing into the shore.
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Crete, a tentative itinerary
As you know, I decided to spend the next week in Crete. One week is not much time, and I'd like to try and breathe as much Cretan atmosphere as I can. One friend of mine who's living in Crete sent me some good suggestions. To satisfy my curiosity, I started googling around looking for photos and information and one place struck me most: Loútro (Λουτρό).
Loútro is a small village in the southern Crete and it's pretty unique in that:
View Larger Map
In the map it's pretty clear how isolated Loútro is. If you follow the shore to the East, you'll find another isolated village, Sfakia, and the two are connected by a footpath: you should see it if you magnify the image. It really goes parallel to the shore line. This path gives also access to some beautiful beaches such as Glyka nera (Sweet water), one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete.
Google Maps is a just cool application! Checking places like this is funny and, in the meantime, it gives me some kind of confidence about the itinerary I'm building.
I'll keep on documenting and as soon as I'll be back, I'll document my trip!
Loútro is a small village in the southern Crete and it's pretty unique in that:
- There's no road to and into Loútro: some sites state that there's just one car in the entire village. I'll verify this as soon as I'll be there.
- The only mean to reach the village is by boat or on foot.
View Larger Map
In the map it's pretty clear how isolated Loútro is. If you follow the shore to the East, you'll find another isolated village, Sfakia, and the two are connected by a footpath: you should see it if you magnify the image. It really goes parallel to the shore line. This path gives also access to some beautiful beaches such as Glyka nera (Sweet water), one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete.
Google Maps is a just cool application! Checking places like this is funny and, in the meantime, it gives me some kind of confidence about the itinerary I'm building.
I'll keep on documenting and as soon as I'll be back, I'll document my trip!
Sunday, 31 May 2009
The first sunbath of 2009
Yes. A little late, maybe.
I need to get my skin ready for Crete's sun and just one week is left. Precautions must be taken and the block where I live is equipped with a beautiful pool in the middle of a carefully looked after lawn.
My masochistic ego came out and at two o'clock in the afternoon I wore my bathing costume and went to the lawn. The day was perfect: the sun was burning but many clouds walking in the sky contributed to many 5 minutes' breaks during which a fresh wind gave relax to the skin. A couple of cold showers every thirteen minutes also helped to keep my skin temperature at a reasonable level. A couple of hours later I returned home, had the last cold shower and I'm now preparing to go out and drink a beer.
Folks, this is life: I was missing sunny days a lot!
I need to get my skin ready for Crete's sun and just one week is left. Precautions must be taken and the block where I live is equipped with a beautiful pool in the middle of a carefully looked after lawn.
My masochistic ego came out and at two o'clock in the afternoon I wore my bathing costume and went to the lawn. The day was perfect: the sun was burning but many clouds walking in the sky contributed to many 5 minutes' breaks during which a fresh wind gave relax to the skin. A couple of cold showers every thirteen minutes also helped to keep my skin temperature at a reasonable level. A couple of hours later I returned home, had the last cold shower and I'm now preparing to go out and drink a beer.
Folks, this is life: I was missing sunny days a lot!
Holidays in Crete
Have you ever thought about about the oldest greek civilization, the Minoans? Have you ever daydreamed about Knossos palace, Theseus, the Minotaur, the labyrinth, or the escape from Crete of Daedalus and Icarus?
Well, I've done many times and it was time for me to visit Crete. I'm very excited at the idea of returning to Greece and Crete just seems the right choice to spend this week of June. Crete is the 5th largest island of the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. In common imagery, Crete is the homeland of the eldest Greek civilization, the Minoans, some myths of whom got to us through Homer's Odyssey and Greek mythology.
We'll arrive at the Chania (Χανιά) Airport next Saturday in the morning. We'll rent a car and hit the road to Rethymno (Ρέθυμνο), where we'll we have dinner before reaching our destination, Panormos, a small Venetian-style village at 20 km. from Panormos.
Unfortunately, we'll stay in Crete just 7 days, which are probably the required minimum to begin to feel the place and to start to forget Madrid's M{30,40,42,50}. I haven't planned the vacations with full details, yet, but at a very minimum I want to pay a visit to Rethymnon, Heraklion and the Knossos' palace archaeological site. Also, I want to spend one day on a wild beach on the south of the Island. The only things I'll bring from Spain will be a good selection of sun and after-sun creams to protect and quench the thirst of my skin.
There will be no cellular phone, no computer. Every silicon-based device will be banned with the only exception of the GPS.
I'm really looking forward going away from Madrid!
Well, I've done many times and it was time for me to visit Crete. I'm very excited at the idea of returning to Greece and Crete just seems the right choice to spend this week of June. Crete is the 5th largest island of the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. In common imagery, Crete is the homeland of the eldest Greek civilization, the Minoans, some myths of whom got to us through Homer's Odyssey and Greek mythology.
We'll arrive at the Chania (Χανιά) Airport next Saturday in the morning. We'll rent a car and hit the road to Rethymno (Ρέθυμνο), where we'll we have dinner before reaching our destination, Panormos, a small Venetian-style village at 20 km. from Panormos.
Unfortunately, we'll stay in Crete just 7 days, which are probably the required minimum to begin to feel the place and to start to forget Madrid's M{30,40,42,50}. I haven't planned the vacations with full details, yet, but at a very minimum I want to pay a visit to Rethymnon, Heraklion and the Knossos' palace archaeological site. Also, I want to spend one day on a wild beach on the south of the Island. The only things I'll bring from Spain will be a good selection of sun and after-sun creams to protect and quench the thirst of my skin.
There will be no cellular phone, no computer. Every silicon-based device will be banned with the only exception of the GPS.
I'm really looking forward going away from Madrid!
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