|
Day 5- 12:00pm flight from Athens to Chania airport in Crete
It was another rainy day. We took the metro M3 to the airport. Our flight was delayed for half an hour, and we arrived at Chania around 1:30pm with light rain. We took the airport bus which departs right outside the airport, to Chania old town center. The bus fare was 2.70 euros, and the journey took around 30 minutes. Our IHG Chania Hotel was just 5 minutes walk away. We stayed 4 nights at Chania hotel before leaving for Agios Nikolaos. It was still drizzling, and after check in, we decided to take a rest before venturing out to the town. The rain did not go away in the evening. With the recommendation from the hotel, we walked 9 minutes in the rain with an umbrella provided by the hotel to a seafood restaurant for our dinner. It was good but not cheap, and the rain continued. Another rain out day 🙁 https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0b8e0f60c.jpeg Leaving Athens https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5707bdfa.jpeg On the way to Chania https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3d8d51223.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f50b94376.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...493a27217.jpeg Kuchuk Hassan Mosque https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0b50f4c12.jpeg Very wet day https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68996493c.jpeg Venetian wall https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6cab336fc.jpeg Seafood dinner https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f0692fa4c.jpeg Venetian Harbor Day 6- It was still rainy the next morning. We had a good breakfast at the hotel restaurant. After much consideration we decided to venture out to Rethymno despite the rainy forecast. “Rethymno is a historic city on the north coast of Crete, Greece, known for its well-preserved Venetian and Ottoman architecture, charming old town with narrow alleys, and a picturesque harbor. Key attractions include the massive Venetian Fortezza, the Neradje Mosque, and the Archaeological Museum, with a vibrant atmosphere, diverse restaurants, and a lively nightlife.” We took a bus from the bus station, cost 17 euros pp one way. The journey took 1.5 hours. It was a scenic journey along the coast but the dark clouds were lingering in the sky. We were not very optimistic with our decision, as the rain came on and off during our journey It turned out that not all things were lost. As we approached the Rethymno old fortress, the rain gave way to a cloudy day with occasionally sun rays peeked through the clouds. Hurray! We were excited when we get off the bus. It is only a 12 minutes walk to the fortress entry point, and it is free to enter the fortress. It is a beautiful fortress with the seafront view on a hill. We really enjoyed our time exploring the grounds of the fortress. We had no rains and no crowds, just serene and peaceful atmosphere in the fortress. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...72bb27ca6.jpeg Approaching Rethymno https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab05f8f0e.jpeg Beautiful temple https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a842294b0.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1341e4cf8.jpeg Seafront of Rethymno https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7aed72524.jpeg Sea wall towards the fortress at the far end https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...56c18f628.jpeg Approaching the fortress https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c973a5b3.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0483a1b1c.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...edb9a3966.jpeg Small church at the side of the fortress https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...66519b373.jpeg Beautiful wildflowers https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f51e907c9.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17ad08f52.jpeg The church https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...343dae74c.jpeg Beautiful path https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17678b463.jpeg A lot of cats! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...87bc35ca0.jpeg The fortress wall https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3b69d03f9.jpeg Entrance to the fortress https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...29f5a106b.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3560c376b.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9051388d3.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cbcebddac.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...80ee5b1c1.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e9eca9c3.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3acb5b1e9.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a290c618.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...61bd211db.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...404f37688.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1d9e21bf.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c19a96c8.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e1b8a5c67.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ee5db4eb.jpeghttps://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c44c23cc.jpeg |
Cherthor, what stunning pictures, brings the beauty and majesty of these sites before our eyes. Greece is one of my favorite countries, along with with France and Italy, and draws me back time and again.
Despite multiple visits we haven’t been to Meteora, and now it looks difficult with DH’s prosthetic knees. So I appreciate your images and description even more, thanks a ton! |
Originally Posted by geetika
(Post 17723213)
Cherthor, what stunning pictures, brings the beauty and majesty of these sites before our eyes. Greece is one of my favorite countries, along with with France and Italy, and draws me back time and again.
Despite multiple visits we haven’t been to Meteora, and now it looks difficult with DH’s prosthetic knees. So I appreciate your images and description even more, thanks a ton! I am glad you enjoyed my report journey with photos. Meteora indeed is a unique special place to visit. I miss visiting it the first time when I was at Thessaloniki. The second time was the charm. It is ok that we miss some places in traveling, there are a lot more other places to visit that will fill up the missing part. Happy Travels as always and keep on traveling. |
Fascinating. And really beautiful.
|
Day 7- tour to Imbros Gorge
This was my much anticipated kind of vacation- nature and hiking. We joined a hiking tour to the Imbros Gorge. It is Crete’s second largest and most accessible gorge. We were picked up at the city center bus stop, followed by another two more pickup stops. We were then on the way to the White Mountains of Crete. Finally it was a beautiful sunny day. The drive along the coast was very scenic, unlike the day before with the rain and gray sky. It was a less than two hour bus ride, following the coast, then went inland up the mountain. We were instructed to use the bathroom upon arrival, as there was no bathroom once you were on the trail. There was a cafeteria at the beginning of the trail. The trail is 9km long, and is a gentle downhill hike for 2.5 hours. It was a historic path once used as the main route between Sfakia and Chania. It was also an escape route for Allied soldiers during the 1941 battle of Crete. As we hiked further into the gorge, it narrowed dramatically to less than 2 meters wide, with towering rock walls on both sides. It was quite a fun and not too demanding hike. We enjoyed this hike especially with the good weather. I will have to figure a way to upload my pictures as the files are too big. |
Here are some of my Imbros Gorge hiking pictures.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45f07cdbc.jpeg Beginning of the trail https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...90ebdd5b7.jpeg Looking back the trail, cafeteria is up on the hill https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a93b9c6c6.jpeg On the trail https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cca20b944.jpeg Going down to the gorge https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...573b9ffea.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7550dc830.jpeg Rocky path to the gorge [img alt=" "]https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fodors.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_0734_ae249ffcf1a53b973f7da663772f11230578873d. jpeg[/img] https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f366f018.jpeg Steep walls on both sides https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a2e566c78.jpeg Entering the narrow gorge https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d07135f90.jpeg Most beautiful part of the gorge https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62ca53b73.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09a90f521.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5d4e4e88c.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3eff6e023.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d09464b2e.jpeg Out of the gorge It is a wonderful hike inside the gorge. |
Our tour also brought us to the coastal village of Chora Sfakion for lunch after our hike. It was a delightful and beautiful seaside village. The scenic journey from Imbros Gorge to Chora Sfakion was windy and twisty.
Since it was still too cold to swim, we just walked around the village, the beach and had a light lunch at a tavern by the seafront. We left the village around 3:30pm, the bus went through the windy and twisty road again, and back to Chania town around 5:30pm. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fd3580293.jpeg Leaving Imbros Gorge to the coastal village of Chora Sfakion https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e9c04f79a.jpeg Chora Sfakion https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c2db6f4d.jpeg Arriving Chora Sfakion https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6b4bf6173.jpeg SmallBeautiful beach https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5b741740.jpeg People were swimming https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2e873f6a7.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17094b903.jpeg The village’s harvor https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2b07d0fa1.jpeg Enjoying the view https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fdddd36f9.jpeg Twisty and windy saw from the bus https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7d6707397.jpeg Beautiful scenery from bus https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a4bf479b.jpeg Another view from bus It was such a beautiful day after the two days of rain that we wanted to enjoy the good weather while we could. We went to the Venetian harbor again and walked the entire length of the sea barrier to the lighthouse. People were out and about enjoying the good weather. The atmosphere was delightful and filled with evening’s golden hour from the sun. It was a glorious evening to enjoy 😊. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...598fc9349.jpeg Beautiful foxgloves???? Not sure if that is the flower https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e6c7d2ebb.jpeg Found them in the garden along the way back to Chania old town https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff442c172.jpeg Walking the sea barrier towards the light https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17fc182ae.jpeg Beautiful ! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2eaab8b0e.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f046078e.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3deee3399.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f93e8df0.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...11c5e2519.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c4dcd1571.jpeg Part of the old fortress https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cccd97b57.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6295ff6be.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...88f348b47.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...141684960.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...75a17eaae.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d7439dcc8.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e48bb37c1.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e8568271a.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a6cf830b6.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...91c351aeb.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a75be80a9.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b55479fe4.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8f91d238e.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09a716048.jpeg Fun tourist Sunni https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f76307975.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...80a08ea83.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4e70d308b.jpeg We absolutely had a fantastic day. |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 11:23 AM. |