Villa George - Agia Marina, Crete

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After our white knuckle landing at the Chania Airport, we proceeded to the baggage carousel and then out to meet the car rental respresentative. Once we had signed all our agreements, we went about packing up the cars. Curtis and I rented a Toyota Auris while the others both chose Peugeot convertibles, both cars sleek and silver, however my brother's was a bit smaller and did not offer much in the way of leg room. On more than one occasion, Kellan and Bobby have pretty much eaten their knees while travelling!! Love our car - nothing fancy, but it is easy to get in and out of and we remain protected from the intensity of the sun.

We stopped just beyond the airport to gas up. WHOOOOAAA! Gas is extremely costly here, especially when they automatically put in premium! With the liquid gold deposited in our tanks, we travelled in a convoy to our villa. My brother, in true fashion, got us there with no problem. We drove along the coast and soon arrived to Agia Marina where we then headed up a very twisty road, complete with sharp, hairpin turns, following the signs to Skinari Village. Higher and higher we climbed until we came to Villa George. We turned in and went down a short, yet steep laneway and parked. George was not there yet so we began to walk around the property. The pool area was magnificent with a view over ocean and the city of Chania visible on the coast. The screeching sound of cicadas was quite deafening as they rubbed their wings together in the heat. Olive trees lined two sides of the property and we were thrilled to have a lemon tree! George soon arrived and opened the villa to reveal two floors, each complete with a kitchen. After showing us around, we unloaded the cars, divided up the rooms and unpacked. Mom, Dad, Shawna, Steve, Amy and Garret took the bottom floor while the rest of us were in the upstairs area. Shortly after Curtis, Shawna, Steve, and I ventured into town in search of a grocery store. Finding a small market, we stocked up on breakfast supplies and pasta for dinner.

During our time in Agia Marina we spent many hours soaking up the sunshine around the pool and enjoying the scorching temperatures. Creative pool games invented by my brother-in-law, had the testosterone levels raging amongst the males in our family. Rules were changed on a whim, bodies flailing in the water as they performed aqua "feats", laughter and male bantering rung out, all in the quest of winning.

The island of Crete is an incredible place filled with big mountains dotted by tiny villages nestled in the valleys. Olive groves are a common sight as you drive through the hills and valleys. The brilliant blue sky is free of clouds against the white rocks that tower above the land. Fields are filled with rich, thick, clay-coloured soil and the water is crystal clear.

My niece, Amy, turned 16 on our first full day at our villa. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of steak and potatoes cooked over the open grill. Now, on every family trip the grill is the highlight for the boys. They get the coals glowing until they are red hot embers, drinks flow, Greek music wafts out of an iphone, and soon some liqueor is poured that they shoot back in celebration of our holidays. The outdoor dining area at our place was amazing, with rustic tables made out of huge slabs of wood right in front of the grill. As we celebrated and Amy opened her gifts, Steve shut off the Greek tunes and proceeded to play a song dedicated to Amy. At that point the only thing flowing were the tears as the words expressed the love for his daughter. Needless to say, it was a late night with a few crazy incidents resulting in some big heads the next morning 😊.

Tuesday we travelled to the harbour city of Chania, a mere 7 km drive. The historic old town was alive with tourists and traffic. It still boasts Venetian and Turkish architecture, with beautiful churches and minarets. The winding streets lead us to charming shops boasting beautiful olive wood products, oils, soaps, and creams. Walking along the harbour's edge, the colour of the water was gorgeous and the restored Venetian lighthouse stood out across the water of a protected bay. After wandering the streets we went back for Dad, Curtis, and Steve who had stopped for a beer. As we rounded the corner there were the three of them drinking beer out of huge glass boots! Once they had drank to the sole, we all ventured out to a beautiful restaurant for dinner. We sat at the blue and white tables protected by vine covered pergola and enjoyed a delicious meal with fantastic service. When all was consumed we received small jugs of cold raki and huge pieces of juicy, deep red watermelon.

Another day trip we took was to travel across the island to Sougia, a very beautiful and refreshing underdeveloped beach resort village on the southern coast. What a wild drive as we wound our way up moutain roads and then back down again. There is only one road into Sougia and that leads right to the town. We were astounded at the sheer rock walls that dominated one side of the road, while a massive drop waited on the other. Mountain goats were perched precariously along the edges, seeming to nibble on nothing but the rich, red soil. Passing through one small village we got held up by a herd of goats all over the road!

As we arrived in Sougia, we followed the road down to the port. The crystal clear water beckoned both Curtis and Kellan in for a dip to cool off. My brother called the number for a man to take us around to Lissos, a 20 minute boat ride down the coast. He told us he would be there in 5 minutes and before long we saw a man furiously peddling his bike down the road. We joked that maybe he was our captain. Sure enough it was, and we were soon on board his tiny boat. The water was a bit rough but the most amazing colour of blue. He took us to a cave where we motored inside and took pictures. We soon arrived at the ancient ruins of Lissos. As we got off the boat, we made out way across the large, white stones and found a shady spot under an olive tree. We created some makeshift tables and benches and unpacked our lunch of pita, cold meat, cheese, tzatziki and olives. Later some of us followed paths which were dotted with large, sharp thistles. Curtis, Steve, Bill, and Sadie journeyed up a high hill where they had a terrific view of the beach below. This small cove was once flourished under the Byzantines and was destroyed by the Saracens in the 9th century. The ruins of buildings line the hills and you could see the ancient water line etched into the rocks. We tried to find a place to sit on the rocky shore and eventurally all of us made our way into the crystal clear water. Dad had quite an adventure getting in, not an entirely graceful entrance. Kellan rushed in to get him upright and on his way to enjoy the refreshing water. As we all sat in the sun and others were exploring, Dad decided to go off to look around on his own. Worried that he may fall on the uneven footing, I went off in search of him. Not being able to locate him I flagged down Curtis and told him that dad had gone off on his own. We soon went in opposite directions. I kept calling for him but no answer. The paths were very hard to see with the branches of bushes covering them. I made my way through one bramble bush and there he was, sitting up on a stone chair in the shade of a tree. Relief washed over me. Guess he forgot the "buddy" rule! We soon made our way back to the beach over the rocky terrain where we cleaned up. Our boat some into view and we all climbed on for the trip back. Once safely ashore, we walked into Sougia for a cold drink and then back onto the twisty roads to make the journey home.

The next day Bill took Mom and Dad for a tour of the countryside while Kellan drove Shawna, Sadie and myself into Chania. He did a great job getting us there through the maze of traffic where lines and lanes are nonexistent. We did a bit more exploring through the hot streets until we became separated. Now when we had been in Athens, Shawna, Amy and I made a trip to Dr. Fish where we enjoyed the sensation of the garra rufa fish nibbling the dead skin off our feet and lower calves! It was quite the experience as dozens of fish swarmed around our feet. These fish, while gnawing away the dead skin, deposit an enzyme which helps to regenerate new cell growth and the vibration they cause help promote blood flow to get rid of the toxins. We constantly giggled at the sensation. So, while wandering around with Kellan, I took him to a fish spa where the fish attacked his rough, dry feet and he grinned. We eventually met back at the car and tried to find our way out of the maze. After a few wrong turns and we were on our way.

Since some of them wanted to visit a beach, they took a morning to drive to Falasarna. It was a beautiful place, with granular sand that pelted them in the wind! They all got into the clear, cold water for a dip before heading back.

Friday, several of us headed in to go to the Fish Spa in Agia Marina. After our great time with it others were anxious to try it. The deal at this place was by far superior than the other ones as we could have the fish gnaw at us for 30 minutes and then an olive oil foot massage followed! It was heavenly. Bill, Bob, Kellan, and Sadie went into the market in Chania where they enjoyed the experience of vendors yelling as they peddled their wares, fresh seafood was laid out on ice, and fruits and vegetables were being sold at amazingly low prices.

Saturday was my 52nd birthday and once again I was blessed to celebrate in this beautiful place! After a day around the pool, we all travelled back into Chania and went to a beautiful restaurant for dinner. It was in a building that was bombed out in WWII. We climbed up the stone steps and sat under a pergola laden with large bunches of green grapes. We were treated to another fantastic meal complete with Raki and fresh watermelon at the end. The server asked us where we were from and we told him Canada. He asked where and we told him Ontario, north of Toronto. He then asked, "Blue Mountain?". What a small world unfolded before us as he explained that a man from Blue Mountain had made trips to this restaurant. He has modelled his restaurant, located at Blue Mountain, after the one we were eating in!!! We will definitely make a trip over there to check it out. We walked around the now comfortable streets, shopping. Dad saw a fish spa and decided he wanted it done! After the lady washed his feet, Shawna helped him climb up onto the seat. As he dipped his feet into the tank the tiny critters swam furiously to him. He laughed and laughed, as did the rest of us.

Sunday morning we cleaned up the villa and and loaded the cars! What a feat that was having to cram in all our bags as well as our left over food. We took our last walk around and locked up, heading to our next destination-Sissi!

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Photos

The Fish Spa
Dad and Bobby