Blogs from Chania, Crete, Greece, Europe - page 2

Today we have a very long day of travelling from the Dead Sea all the way to Crete. We are up at 5am just as the sun is rising, and the views of the Palestinian hills as the sun is hitting them for the first time today are stunning. Google Maps has done an about face since we arrived here about the best way to get to the airport, and this time we head off up the highway towards Amman. This is a lot busier than the dusty backroads we came here on. There are a lot fewer goats and donkeys to worry about, but a lot more trucks, most of which are struggling to pull themselves out of the deep Jordan Valley up to sea level and beyond. I think I preferred the donkeys and ... read more

Our travels focused on the west and SW of Crete: Chania, Sougia and Loutro Chania has an old city centre which although quite touristy, has a real charm. It was our introduction to the island with some great, and inexpensive, food. We then headed to the southern coast to enjoy some strenuous walking. Samaria is a 16 km gorge which ends on the coast. Several other hikes were coastal paths, parts of E4, with panoramic views along the coast. Sometimes the walks ended with a swim and a boat ride back to the start. At Marmara beach, when the rain had set in, the local taverna owner invited us all into the kitchen out of the rain and turned up the music! Hilarious! With beers and Raki too! Loutro was a really delightful, boat access only ... read more

Lähdettiin Jukan kanssa viikoksi Aurinkomatkojen pakettimatkalle Kreetalle. En nukkunut lainkaan edellisenä yönä. Bussi lähti Tampereelta klo 1.30. Lento Chaniaan lähti klo 5.50. Lentokoneessa oli paljon lapsia. Vieressä oli äitinsä sylissä 3 kk vanha. Olimme ottaneet lentokenttäkuljetukset hotellille. Hotelli Mariliana oli rauhallisella paikalla, parin korttelin päässä rantakadusta, Plataniaksessa, josta oli Chanian kaupunkiin matkaa kymmenisen kilometriä. Pääsimme heti huoneeseen klo 11. Hotellin asukkaista liki kaikki olivat suomalaisia. Menimme läheiseen ravintolaan. Lounaalla moussakaa ja retsinaa. Käytiin katsomassa rantaa. Otimme siestan kunniaksi kunnon päikkärit. Päiväunien jälkeen pulahdettiin hotellin uima-altaassa. Minulla oli lennon jäljiltä flunssainen olo, ja yläleukaa jomotti vieläkin hampaan paikkauksen jäljiltä. Illalla mentiin bussilla Chaniaan. Oli pilvetöntä: päiv... read more

The last days of March are busy in Chania as the locals get ready to welcome the tourist masses who move in from April 1st. Our first day in Chania, we are met with people out in the streets cleaning and repainting the inventory and façades of their restaurants. We are close to the only tourists here and seem to have the old town almost to ourselves. I'm already in love. It is a long time ago that I experienced something as romantic and picturesque as the old town of Chania. The colourful old houses, the small streets and, in every perceivable spot, potted plants giving off a green and fresh atmosphere. Our hotel is right in the middle of the old town, in the Splantzia Quarter which used to be the Turkish part of town. ... read more

Geo: 35.51, 24.02An oasis is something typically associated with a desert, a little pocket of paradise in one of the driest places found on Earth, with cool, refreshing pools of water surrounded by lush, verdant vegetation. It's imagery straight out of a movie, with a cliched protagonist finally finding it at the climactic point in the film, when he seemingly can continue no further, finally ready to succumb to death. It's not something you'd expect to find on Crete's beautiful coastline, but we managed to do just that today. We were a bit like that typical movie protagonist, in that our laziness meant we had a late start to the day, and that we descended down a steep, rocky path down to Preveli Beach during the hottest part of the day. There's nothing worse than the ... read more