Trip Report Western Crete, Paros and Naxos 2015
Aug 4th, 2015, 11:34 AM
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Trip Report Western Crete, Paros and Naxos 2015
Trip Report Western Crete, Paros and Naxos 2015
We visited Greece for the 13th time from mid May until Mid June. We wanted this trip to be all about the places we liked best from past trips with a few new locations thrown in for fun.
We arrived in Chania Crete, jet lagged but full of Adrenalin after 24 hours and 5 flights. At times like this I sometimes wonder at the wisdom of living on Vancouver Island in the far west of Canada and making Greece our favourite holiday destination. I envy the Europeans that can hop a flight and three hours later are in Greece.
This trip we chose not to rent a car so we hopped the bus and were in Chania by 7. Chania has lost none of its charm. It is wonderful to walk down Theotokopoulou Street and immediately become immersed in history. Again we were staying at Pension Nora only this year Natalie had a surprise for us. They have added a three story traditional Cretan house complete with a kitchen and a shower on the first floor. The bathroom and a sitting room were on the second floor and the bedroom and balcony on the third floor. I think 400 years ago Cretans were much smaller than today as I managed to whack my head going down the stairs a couple of times. It’s a perfect location and is quiet at night but less than a two minute stroll to the main harbour.
We showered and headed out for an ouzo and white wine on the harbour and headed into the back alleys to Portes taverna. We had Camarilized onion and fava beans, and Boureki as starters and shared a main of stuffed chicken. With a liter of house wine we paid 31 euros. Then off to bed.
Next morning we woke up early ( I thought we were going to sleep in but no such luck) I found a mini market and bought Nescafe, and evaporated milk and thus fortified we decided to walk around Chania back alleys to refamiliarize ourselves with the old town. We were stunned by how quiet and different it is with all the business closed. The alleys are larger and uncluttered and we barley could figure out where we were without all the outside wares on the street from the shops as landmarks. We eventually found ourselves up on one of the city wall bastions which gave us a great view of the city and all the way over to the White Mountains.
We walked for two and a half hours which became our pattern for the rest of the trip: get up early have coffee and then walk or hike and then have breakfast between 10 to 12 O’clock. We actually lost weight on this trip but more on that later.
The rest of the day we visited museums shopped for food and wine and went looking for the Turkish section of Chania called Spantzia. We just wandered around and eventually found it. This area is interesting. It’s not as well maintained as the old town and harbour and has several derelict buildings but we enjoyed our visit. I think we got more lost trying to find our way back to the harbour than we did finding Spantzia. In the evening we spent an hour at a harbour bar again with an Ouzo for me and a white wine for Lolly.
For dinner we went to Tamam our favourite taverna. I think I need to stop recommending it on the forum because we couldn’t get a seat until 10 O’clock. It seems, one now needs a reservation. The food continues to be good and well priced. We shared mixed croketts, Tamam salad with an avocado, walnut dressing and Lamb stew with a half litre of wine. 32 euros
On our last day we continued to absorb the atmosphere of Old town Chania. We walked out to the lighthouse visited the central market and the outdoor street market and when no one was looking I slipped through a gap in the fence and visited the Bastion of San Salvatore part of the city walls near Theo street. On previous trips it has been blocked off and inaccessible.
We watched the sunset from a harbour front bar and then walked over to Amphora taverna on the harbour. I have stated several times that I have found the prices food and service to be less than acceptable on the waterfront as you are paying for the view. Thats why we find our favourite tavernas in the back alleys.
Having said that Amphora has a sign that says “we don’t press you we respect you.” They don’t have a greeter trying to bully you into the tavern. Since it seems to always be full, that suggests to me that the food is probably good the prices are ok, and it does have that view so we tried it.
We shared their mixed plate with mousaka, stuffed vine leaves, bareki, Imam and giant beans. With wine, 25 euros. I highly recommend this tavern.
Here are pictures of our Chania visit.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57655164548880
Footnote: Our trip was before the end of June economic crisis but we found the Greek people to be friendly and hospitable although there was an undercurrent of worry. Many told us they "lived with hope for the future" The ATM's were stocked with euros and there were no line ups.
Coming up Next: our visit to Sougia and the Libyan Sea.
We visited Greece for the 13th time from mid May until Mid June. We wanted this trip to be all about the places we liked best from past trips with a few new locations thrown in for fun.
We arrived in Chania Crete, jet lagged but full of Adrenalin after 24 hours and 5 flights. At times like this I sometimes wonder at the wisdom of living on Vancouver Island in the far west of Canada and making Greece our favourite holiday destination. I envy the Europeans that can hop a flight and three hours later are in Greece.
This trip we chose not to rent a car so we hopped the bus and were in Chania by 7. Chania has lost none of its charm. It is wonderful to walk down Theotokopoulou Street and immediately become immersed in history. Again we were staying at Pension Nora only this year Natalie had a surprise for us. They have added a three story traditional Cretan house complete with a kitchen and a shower on the first floor. The bathroom and a sitting room were on the second floor and the bedroom and balcony on the third floor. I think 400 years ago Cretans were much smaller than today as I managed to whack my head going down the stairs a couple of times. It’s a perfect location and is quiet at night but less than a two minute stroll to the main harbour.
We showered and headed out for an ouzo and white wine on the harbour and headed into the back alleys to Portes taverna. We had Camarilized onion and fava beans, and Boureki as starters and shared a main of stuffed chicken. With a liter of house wine we paid 31 euros. Then off to bed.
Next morning we woke up early ( I thought we were going to sleep in but no such luck) I found a mini market and bought Nescafe, and evaporated milk and thus fortified we decided to walk around Chania back alleys to refamiliarize ourselves with the old town. We were stunned by how quiet and different it is with all the business closed. The alleys are larger and uncluttered and we barley could figure out where we were without all the outside wares on the street from the shops as landmarks. We eventually found ourselves up on one of the city wall bastions which gave us a great view of the city and all the way over to the White Mountains.
We walked for two and a half hours which became our pattern for the rest of the trip: get up early have coffee and then walk or hike and then have breakfast between 10 to 12 O’clock. We actually lost weight on this trip but more on that later.
The rest of the day we visited museums shopped for food and wine and went looking for the Turkish section of Chania called Spantzia. We just wandered around and eventually found it. This area is interesting. It’s not as well maintained as the old town and harbour and has several derelict buildings but we enjoyed our visit. I think we got more lost trying to find our way back to the harbour than we did finding Spantzia. In the evening we spent an hour at a harbour bar again with an Ouzo for me and a white wine for Lolly.
For dinner we went to Tamam our favourite taverna. I think I need to stop recommending it on the forum because we couldn’t get a seat until 10 O’clock. It seems, one now needs a reservation. The food continues to be good and well priced. We shared mixed croketts, Tamam salad with an avocado, walnut dressing and Lamb stew with a half litre of wine. 32 euros
On our last day we continued to absorb the atmosphere of Old town Chania. We walked out to the lighthouse visited the central market and the outdoor street market and when no one was looking I slipped through a gap in the fence and visited the Bastion of San Salvatore part of the city walls near Theo street. On previous trips it has been blocked off and inaccessible.
We watched the sunset from a harbour front bar and then walked over to Amphora taverna on the harbour. I have stated several times that I have found the prices food and service to be less than acceptable on the waterfront as you are paying for the view. Thats why we find our favourite tavernas in the back alleys.
Having said that Amphora has a sign that says “we don’t press you we respect you.” They don’t have a greeter trying to bully you into the tavern. Since it seems to always be full, that suggests to me that the food is probably good the prices are ok, and it does have that view so we tried it.
We shared their mixed plate with mousaka, stuffed vine leaves, bareki, Imam and giant beans. With wine, 25 euros. I highly recommend this tavern.
Here are pictures of our Chania visit.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57655164548880
Footnote: Our trip was before the end of June economic crisis but we found the Greek people to be friendly and hospitable although there was an undercurrent of worry. Many told us they "lived with hope for the future" The ATM's were stocked with euros and there were no line ups.
Coming up Next: our visit to Sougia and the Libyan Sea.
Aug 5th, 2015, 06:49 AM
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Hi Tommmo. Last year we rented a car for 10 days to tour the Peloponnese. I found that I was missing much of the scenery just paying attention to the road. At the end of the 10 days I was pretty tired ( I am in my early 60's and seem to have lost some youthful energy) We subsequently went to Crete and I thought lets just try this on the bus. A big part of that was were were heading to the Libyan Sea and visiting the villages and that whole trip was done by ferry. There was no need of a car. I found I liked the buses and the low cost so this year we just decided to try the whole vacation by bus.
As for price increases we try to stay in family run small studios around 30 to 35 euros a night. This year we were paying about 40 euros. Even with the poor exchange rate on the Canadian dollar that is still a good price.
Spirits have certainly increased in price (taxes) but wine and dining seemed to be about the same. Subsequently there have been tax increases on tavernas and hotels so it will be interesting to see prices next year.
As for price increases we try to stay in family run small studios around 30 to 35 euros a night. This year we were paying about 40 euros. Even with the poor exchange rate on the Canadian dollar that is still a good price.
Spirits have certainly increased in price (taxes) but wine and dining seemed to be about the same. Subsequently there have been tax increases on tavernas and hotels so it will be interesting to see prices next year.
Aug 5th, 2015, 02:08 PM
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Interesting ,and food for thought. We're in 70s and I can't yet imagine not cruising out to little known places to explore.Parking,as in Chania is a hassle no doubt...but I'm too impatient to wait for busses and be tied to their schedules. A crash in Turkey reminds us of safety issues as well in driving,yet we've driven in so many countries worldwide.... on both sides of the road!
We'll check Nora's ,we enjoyed Natalie's last visit there.We plan to return to Milos again, try Folegandros , then we're flying into Sicily for the first time, for 3 weeks and back to Brisbane from Istanbul end Oct.
Looking forward to more great trip report from you folks.....
We'll check Nora's ,we enjoyed Natalie's last visit there.We plan to return to Milos again, try Folegandros , then we're flying into Sicily for the first time, for 3 weeks and back to Brisbane from Istanbul end Oct.
Looking forward to more great trip report from you folks.....
Aug 5th, 2015, 03:24 PM
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Tommmo there is free parking at the waterfront foot of Theotokopoulo street. You have to compete but it is there. See the images at the end of this album. Natalies Nora and Jason studios are also in the album.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57632118491316
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57632118491316
Aug 6th, 2015, 11:22 AM
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Part Two Sougia
May 21 We took the bus to Sougia. I have driven these roads in rental cars in the past but the bus trip is amazing. All those narrow mountain winding switchback roads. This is the first time I actually saw any of the scenery. When driving, I only saw the road in front of my white knuckles on the steering wheel. While the car gives us flexibility, the bus is more relaxing and only cost us 15 euros for two.
We arrived at our hotel Oceanis which is directly across the street from the beach. Our ocean view room had not been vacated by the previous tenant so we were given a suite at the back of the hotel. That was a bit annoying but the suite was actually less expensive and had two rooms and a kitchen. We only had to spend one night there but that got us thinking perhaps we should look for a different hotel for our next trip.
We took a stroll along the beach and I had a quick dip. Mid May is a bit early in the season to expect warm water and I can attest to the fact that the water is quite cool. I tried to trick my wife into taking the plunge by telling her that after the first minute or so the water felt fine. She told me that she was quite content to sit on my towel and see how long it would take for my face turn blue and my teeth to chatter. She timed me, it was 5 minutes.
For dinner we walked around the village and found what looked like a popular taverna which we had missed on our first visit. Taverna Polifimos which I think means Cyclops Cave. We had a lamb stew with eggplant and it was excellent. Total of 24 euros for salad, stew and wine.
May 22 Next morning we had our early morning coffee and decided to take a walk through the village to the little harbour. Just past the village we saw 4 women walking purposefully up a side road that climbed up into the mountain. Because they looked like they knew what they were doing we decide to follow them up. After about 5 minutes we caught up and asked what was ahead on the road. It turns out that there was to be a wedding the next day and they were just practicing the walk up to the church. They wanted to do it today because tomorrow they were going to have to wear high heels. On the way we passed a goat paddock and watched the chaos as their owner arrived with feed and water. There was also a natural spring and a view point. The church was a small one with a wonderful view over the Libyan Sea. What a great way to start our day in Sougia.
We returned to the hotel, transferred to our new room overlooking the courtyard and the beach. By then it was already 11 O’clock. That seemed to be a perfect time for a wee nap. In the afternoon we shopped both mini marts looking for the best produce, cheese, wine and Cretan rusks. I unsuccessfully tried to lure Lolly back into the sea but I ended up by myself again. While the water was cold the sun was warm and was hot, so the beach was still a good place to hang out.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed the parking area by the beach that was being transformed into a massive outdoor wedding reception area. There were hundreds of tables probably a thousand chairs with portable washrooms, potted palm trees, a generator, with light stands, a stage and apparently half the village working on the project. It turns out that one of the ladies we met that morning was the finance of the father of the groom and we scored an invitation to attend the reception. Apparently they had invited 600 but were pretty sure that 1,000 people would show up including everyone in the village and probably a bunch of the tourists as well. There is something oddly exciting to witness Greek organization in action. Lots of shouting and gesturing and more bosses than workers. I am glad we had reserved our room 10 months in advance as there didn’t appear to be an empty hotel room in the village.
For dinner we went to Ribitiko Taverna a pleasant tavern with a big wood fired pizza oven on the front porch. We shared their great beetroot salad, with shredded beets, carrots cabbage walnuts and apple along with a main of stuffed Eggplant. Total 23 e including a half litre of house wine.
For our late night entertainment we went back to the reception venue to watch frantic last minute activity, gaily illuminated with the portable lights. This was turning out to be fun.
May 23 Sougia is well known for hiking activity but I have a bad knee and have always preferred to walk on level ground for short distances. However the walk up to the church had encouraged us so we decided to try a small hike up the E4 hiking trail that started right beside the reception area. We had noticed a signpost with images of the area and apparently there was a Roman Aqueduct somewhere in the region so we thought we could find it. Armed with hats and a bottle of water off we went. Lolly only had a pair of Dawg open toed sandals but fortunately had quite sturdy soles.
From the odd looks we were receiving I suspect we looked a little inadequate on our walk up into the mountain as we were passed by unnecessarily fit looking people equipped with walking poles, canteens, bandannas, knapsacks and hiking boots. Undaunted we went, passing little farms, some goats and rooster, stray dogs, olive groves and hills. We eventually had to bushwack a couple hundred meters through an olive grove and discovered a strange circular stone artefact made of stones about 10 feet high: just a vertical circle that looked like a stargate. Encouraged and just a little bit lost we decided to take the road directly up into the mountains until we had a view of Sougia from a lookout. We never believed we could do something like this. We had discovered the joy of hiking!
Mind you I quickly lost the joy when I discovered that going down a mountain with my knee is actually much harder than climbing up.
By the time we got back to the hotel I was very happy we had purchased a litre and a half bottle of wine the day before because even though it wasn’t yet noon, I was in need of a medicinal glass or two.
The afternoon saw Lolly reading in the hotel courtyard while I ventured back to the beach to soak up some sun.
In the late afternoon the village was inundated with a strange assortment of people. Ladies in evening gowns, men in jacket and tie or open neck shirts and a small group of rather loud long haired guys in shorts and no shirts sitting at the table next to us. It turned out they were the groomsmen. Hopefully they cleaned up ok as, the village quickly emptied and the long walk to the Church began. I was distracted by my medicinal ouzo and kind of missed the departure. Lolly forced me into a walk around the village and we ran into the bride and her ladies leaving their hotel. They had a marvellous quirky antique car which was blocking the whole street, stopping traffic and pedestrians. The bride was posing in, around and on the car for photographs while her ladies stood around holding flowers. All this was topped off by a little dog running around and barking at all the hub bub. Fortunately I had my camera and got some nice candid shots. I noted it was now 6:30 by the time the bride’s party left. I was sure the church wedding was supposed to start at 6. Oh well such is life in a Greek village.
For dinner we went to Ancorage Taverna. We ate there last year and loved their stuffed mushrooms so had to return. They were stuffed with seeded tomatoes, soft cheese and herbs. We also shared a main of bacon wrapped backed chicken. Both dishes were excellent. Sharing, this was 20 e with wine.
By the time we finished dinner, the reception was in full swing and even though we had an invitation we couldn’t see two free seats so we went back to the hotel and a good nights sleep.
May 24 Encouraged by our successful hike the day before we decided to repeat the hike but to continue past our turn around point and try to reach the headland high over Sougia. We just had to see what was over the next hill. Noting all the equipment experienced hikers carried we took 2 bottles of water. As we climbed higher the road began to peter out and in many places was more like a stone strewn riverbed than a path. We eventually had to call a halt and were planning to turn back but after a short rest we decided to see what was around the next bend. We did that 4 different times and suddenly we were on a level ground and about 100 meters ahead we could see over the side and down the coast. What a beautiful site high mountains plunging into the blue Sea. This moment was worth all the effort. We thought that was quite the accomplishment for two out of shape, banged up, 60 something, first time hikers.
The afternoon was spent at the beach and the beachfront bar with the now habit forming ouzo, recovering from the experience.
For dinner we returned to Polyphilmos for shared fried peppers and a main of marinated pork on the spit. With a nice house Syrah for 24 euros.
Considering how small Sougia is, the three tavernas we dined at provided excellent food and all at a reasonable price. We will be back.
Here are images of Sougia
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57653311291723
Next the ferry ride from Sougia to Chora Sfakion.
May 21 We took the bus to Sougia. I have driven these roads in rental cars in the past but the bus trip is amazing. All those narrow mountain winding switchback roads. This is the first time I actually saw any of the scenery. When driving, I only saw the road in front of my white knuckles on the steering wheel. While the car gives us flexibility, the bus is more relaxing and only cost us 15 euros for two.
We arrived at our hotel Oceanis which is directly across the street from the beach. Our ocean view room had not been vacated by the previous tenant so we were given a suite at the back of the hotel. That was a bit annoying but the suite was actually less expensive and had two rooms and a kitchen. We only had to spend one night there but that got us thinking perhaps we should look for a different hotel for our next trip.
We took a stroll along the beach and I had a quick dip. Mid May is a bit early in the season to expect warm water and I can attest to the fact that the water is quite cool. I tried to trick my wife into taking the plunge by telling her that after the first minute or so the water felt fine. She told me that she was quite content to sit on my towel and see how long it would take for my face turn blue and my teeth to chatter. She timed me, it was 5 minutes.
For dinner we walked around the village and found what looked like a popular taverna which we had missed on our first visit. Taverna Polifimos which I think means Cyclops Cave. We had a lamb stew with eggplant and it was excellent. Total of 24 euros for salad, stew and wine.
May 22 Next morning we had our early morning coffee and decided to take a walk through the village to the little harbour. Just past the village we saw 4 women walking purposefully up a side road that climbed up into the mountain. Because they looked like they knew what they were doing we decide to follow them up. After about 5 minutes we caught up and asked what was ahead on the road. It turns out that there was to be a wedding the next day and they were just practicing the walk up to the church. They wanted to do it today because tomorrow they were going to have to wear high heels. On the way we passed a goat paddock and watched the chaos as their owner arrived with feed and water. There was also a natural spring and a view point. The church was a small one with a wonderful view over the Libyan Sea. What a great way to start our day in Sougia.
We returned to the hotel, transferred to our new room overlooking the courtyard and the beach. By then it was already 11 O’clock. That seemed to be a perfect time for a wee nap. In the afternoon we shopped both mini marts looking for the best produce, cheese, wine and Cretan rusks. I unsuccessfully tried to lure Lolly back into the sea but I ended up by myself again. While the water was cold the sun was warm and was hot, so the beach was still a good place to hang out.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed the parking area by the beach that was being transformed into a massive outdoor wedding reception area. There were hundreds of tables probably a thousand chairs with portable washrooms, potted palm trees, a generator, with light stands, a stage and apparently half the village working on the project. It turns out that one of the ladies we met that morning was the finance of the father of the groom and we scored an invitation to attend the reception. Apparently they had invited 600 but were pretty sure that 1,000 people would show up including everyone in the village and probably a bunch of the tourists as well. There is something oddly exciting to witness Greek organization in action. Lots of shouting and gesturing and more bosses than workers. I am glad we had reserved our room 10 months in advance as there didn’t appear to be an empty hotel room in the village.
For dinner we went to Ribitiko Taverna a pleasant tavern with a big wood fired pizza oven on the front porch. We shared their great beetroot salad, with shredded beets, carrots cabbage walnuts and apple along with a main of stuffed Eggplant. Total 23 e including a half litre of house wine.
For our late night entertainment we went back to the reception venue to watch frantic last minute activity, gaily illuminated with the portable lights. This was turning out to be fun.
May 23 Sougia is well known for hiking activity but I have a bad knee and have always preferred to walk on level ground for short distances. However the walk up to the church had encouraged us so we decided to try a small hike up the E4 hiking trail that started right beside the reception area. We had noticed a signpost with images of the area and apparently there was a Roman Aqueduct somewhere in the region so we thought we could find it. Armed with hats and a bottle of water off we went. Lolly only had a pair of Dawg open toed sandals but fortunately had quite sturdy soles.
From the odd looks we were receiving I suspect we looked a little inadequate on our walk up into the mountain as we were passed by unnecessarily fit looking people equipped with walking poles, canteens, bandannas, knapsacks and hiking boots. Undaunted we went, passing little farms, some goats and rooster, stray dogs, olive groves and hills. We eventually had to bushwack a couple hundred meters through an olive grove and discovered a strange circular stone artefact made of stones about 10 feet high: just a vertical circle that looked like a stargate. Encouraged and just a little bit lost we decided to take the road directly up into the mountains until we had a view of Sougia from a lookout. We never believed we could do something like this. We had discovered the joy of hiking!
Mind you I quickly lost the joy when I discovered that going down a mountain with my knee is actually much harder than climbing up.
By the time we got back to the hotel I was very happy we had purchased a litre and a half bottle of wine the day before because even though it wasn’t yet noon, I was in need of a medicinal glass or two.
The afternoon saw Lolly reading in the hotel courtyard while I ventured back to the beach to soak up some sun.
In the late afternoon the village was inundated with a strange assortment of people. Ladies in evening gowns, men in jacket and tie or open neck shirts and a small group of rather loud long haired guys in shorts and no shirts sitting at the table next to us. It turned out they were the groomsmen. Hopefully they cleaned up ok as, the village quickly emptied and the long walk to the Church began. I was distracted by my medicinal ouzo and kind of missed the departure. Lolly forced me into a walk around the village and we ran into the bride and her ladies leaving their hotel. They had a marvellous quirky antique car which was blocking the whole street, stopping traffic and pedestrians. The bride was posing in, around and on the car for photographs while her ladies stood around holding flowers. All this was topped off by a little dog running around and barking at all the hub bub. Fortunately I had my camera and got some nice candid shots. I noted it was now 6:30 by the time the bride’s party left. I was sure the church wedding was supposed to start at 6. Oh well such is life in a Greek village.
For dinner we went to Ancorage Taverna. We ate there last year and loved their stuffed mushrooms so had to return. They were stuffed with seeded tomatoes, soft cheese and herbs. We also shared a main of bacon wrapped backed chicken. Both dishes were excellent. Sharing, this was 20 e with wine.
By the time we finished dinner, the reception was in full swing and even though we had an invitation we couldn’t see two free seats so we went back to the hotel and a good nights sleep.
May 24 Encouraged by our successful hike the day before we decided to repeat the hike but to continue past our turn around point and try to reach the headland high over Sougia. We just had to see what was over the next hill. Noting all the equipment experienced hikers carried we took 2 bottles of water. As we climbed higher the road began to peter out and in many places was more like a stone strewn riverbed than a path. We eventually had to call a halt and were planning to turn back but after a short rest we decided to see what was around the next bend. We did that 4 different times and suddenly we were on a level ground and about 100 meters ahead we could see over the side and down the coast. What a beautiful site high mountains plunging into the blue Sea. This moment was worth all the effort. We thought that was quite the accomplishment for two out of shape, banged up, 60 something, first time hikers.
The afternoon was spent at the beach and the beachfront bar with the now habit forming ouzo, recovering from the experience.
For dinner we returned to Polyphilmos for shared fried peppers and a main of marinated pork on the spit. With a nice house Syrah for 24 euros.
Considering how small Sougia is, the three tavernas we dined at provided excellent food and all at a reasonable price. We will be back.
Here are images of Sougia
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57653311291723
Next the ferry ride from Sougia to Chora Sfakion.
Aug 6th, 2015, 01:12 PM
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Y'know, I passed up Crete this year because I wouldn't have a driver along. You have made me start a re-think. It can't really be a Grand Finale for me without a return to Crete. Keep persuading me!
Aug 6th, 2015, 01:42 PM
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More reports to come Jan.
Heck it was your solo bus tour of the Peloponnese a few years ago that got us thinking about doing it all by bus.
Certainly you know how well the bus system worked on Naxos in June
Heck it was your solo bus tour of the Peloponnese a few years ago that got us thinking about doing it all by bus.
Certainly you know how well the bus system worked on Naxos in June
Aug 6th, 2015, 02:49 PM
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Food for thought about using busses instead of a car. Then again, often we've stopped to enjoy a spot with views and watched the bus whizz by. Sougia, in fact the whole area east of Chora Sfakion and around towards Kissamos, is on our proposed route next month, so we follow with much interest .Rough seas stopped the ferry out of CS last time there. The hotel and restaurant information is most welcome too, thanks....
Aug 8th, 2015, 09:00 AM
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Here is the next installment.
From Sougia to Chora Sfakion.
May 24 We took the coastal ferry to Agia Romouli. It is a wonderful trip that highlighted the rugged mountains of South Crete as they meet the deep blue of the Libyan Sea. It is a short hop probably about an hour. We had a quick breakfast at a taverna at the harbour. We shared a Greek style omelette and since it was mid morning a beer seemed perfect for the occasion. I think next time we will spend a couple of nights in this quiet village and will try to hike up the Samaria Gorge to the iron gates.
The ferry from Chora Sfakion arrived and we were on our way again. We had a brief stop in Loutro, which is a charming seaside village. We had planned to spend a couple of nights there but the hotels we wanted to book wouldn’t take a two night reservation so we passed on that stop and remained on the ferry for the last leg into Chora Sfakion.
Chora Sfakion is one of those places where stuff seems to go wrong for us. Not to suggest that there is anything wrong with Chora Sfakion it’s just, if something is going to go wrong, this is where it happens. On our first trip several years ago we drove to CS as we wanted to experience the rush of people returning from the Samaria Gorge excursion. We found a nice room but had to negotiate to get the Air Conditioning controller and a fridge for our room. We sat at a taverna with a good view of the ferry dock and sure enough hundreds of exhausted looking hikers poured off the ferry. Much to our surprise virtually all of them trudged up the hill and climbed aboard buses. Instead of having an evening at a taverna surrounded by hikers and their storys we were left alone in Chora Sfakion with one other couple for dinner that night.
We booked into our hotel, Lefka Ori. While it was a bargain price at 32 euros a night it wasn’t quite what I thought we had booked. I thought it was a studio but wasn’t. It was said to have an ocean view and did but much of the view was blocked by an apartment building. Bad research on my part. But we were only there for 2 nights so we decided to make the best of it and explore the village. We climbed up to the chapel of Agios Antonios which is in a cave. It gave us a great view over the town and the sea. We walked into the harbour to get information on the water taxi for our trip to Sweetwater beach the next day. I felt much better about Chora Sfakion and really couldn’t recall why we didn’t like it last time.
We had a snack on our balcony but suddenly there was a monster thunderstorm with lightning flashes and continuous thunder for 10 minutes. We have never heard thunder for that long before. It was somewhat unnerving but then passed.
We had dinner at Obras Gialos. In the afternoon we had stopped there when one of the waiters offerd us a quick lesson in speaking Greek. Unfortunately none of it stuck with us but we decided to reward his efforts by eating there. We had a lovely place right over the harbour and ordered fried white bait (tiny little whole fish that you just eat whole) and Grilled lamb with wine 20 E.
We wandered back to our hotel to discover they were having a Cretan Night performance that evening. The music was incredibly loud. It was strident and sounded angry and it went on till 2 AM. Even ear plugs didn’t help.
May 26 Next morning we went to the harbour to catch the water taxi to Sweetwater Beach. The old guy at the shack didn’t speak any English so conversation was a bit limited but when we asked about todays weather the old guy scowled but young man sitting nearby indicated “it should be OK.” So we took the ferry to Sweetwater. It is a crescent beach under towering cliffs but its big attraction is the fresh water springs that create little pools of drinkable water right on the beach. Apparently someone was killed there a week before when rocks fell from the cliffs. There were engineers wearing hard hats looking very serious and pointing up at the cliffs. We took two chairs and an umbrella right at the waters edge as far from the cliffs as possible.
This beach is also the halfway point on the mountain hike from Chora Sfakion and Loutro. There were probably 50 hikers who passed by over the time we were there but none of them stopped for a quick dip. I thought that was a bit strange. Apparently these people at a more accurate weather forecast, as by mid afternoon big black clouds rolled in and it got windy and cool. Everyone on the beach headed for the little taverna at the dock. Remembering yesterday’s thunderstorm we asked them to radio for the water taxi. Even at 24 euros for the radio call we thought that was a bargain to get away. Fortunately another couple decided to share our boat so we shared half the fare. Just as we arrived back in Chora Sfakion the clouds blew away and out came the sun. Oh well.
In the evening we went to a taverna for dinner and noticed clouds coming towards us from the sea. They looked odd and there was a dark reflection in the water. The sky continued to darken and then the thunder and lightning started and to our amazement the sky turned orange and heavy rain began. Fortunately we were tucked in under the eaves of the taverna and stayed dry but the stairway beside us became a waterfall with all of that rain. It was an end-of-the-world kind of moment.
It turned out to be a sandstorm with sand blowing in from the Sahara desert
.Sorry this is a bit of a long album but the Chora Sfakion images are number 86 to 98 on the first page and number 99 to 131 on the second page. The album is actually of all the villages on the Libyan Sea taken over two trips
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57645487373222
Ferry trip Sougia to Chora Sfakion
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57653434073393
Next Rethymnon
From Sougia to Chora Sfakion.
May 24 We took the coastal ferry to Agia Romouli. It is a wonderful trip that highlighted the rugged mountains of South Crete as they meet the deep blue of the Libyan Sea. It is a short hop probably about an hour. We had a quick breakfast at a taverna at the harbour. We shared a Greek style omelette and since it was mid morning a beer seemed perfect for the occasion. I think next time we will spend a couple of nights in this quiet village and will try to hike up the Samaria Gorge to the iron gates.
The ferry from Chora Sfakion arrived and we were on our way again. We had a brief stop in Loutro, which is a charming seaside village. We had planned to spend a couple of nights there but the hotels we wanted to book wouldn’t take a two night reservation so we passed on that stop and remained on the ferry for the last leg into Chora Sfakion.
Chora Sfakion is one of those places where stuff seems to go wrong for us. Not to suggest that there is anything wrong with Chora Sfakion it’s just, if something is going to go wrong, this is where it happens. On our first trip several years ago we drove to CS as we wanted to experience the rush of people returning from the Samaria Gorge excursion. We found a nice room but had to negotiate to get the Air Conditioning controller and a fridge for our room. We sat at a taverna with a good view of the ferry dock and sure enough hundreds of exhausted looking hikers poured off the ferry. Much to our surprise virtually all of them trudged up the hill and climbed aboard buses. Instead of having an evening at a taverna surrounded by hikers and their storys we were left alone in Chora Sfakion with one other couple for dinner that night.
We booked into our hotel, Lefka Ori. While it was a bargain price at 32 euros a night it wasn’t quite what I thought we had booked. I thought it was a studio but wasn’t. It was said to have an ocean view and did but much of the view was blocked by an apartment building. Bad research on my part. But we were only there for 2 nights so we decided to make the best of it and explore the village. We climbed up to the chapel of Agios Antonios which is in a cave. It gave us a great view over the town and the sea. We walked into the harbour to get information on the water taxi for our trip to Sweetwater beach the next day. I felt much better about Chora Sfakion and really couldn’t recall why we didn’t like it last time.
We had a snack on our balcony but suddenly there was a monster thunderstorm with lightning flashes and continuous thunder for 10 minutes. We have never heard thunder for that long before. It was somewhat unnerving but then passed.
We had dinner at Obras Gialos. In the afternoon we had stopped there when one of the waiters offerd us a quick lesson in speaking Greek. Unfortunately none of it stuck with us but we decided to reward his efforts by eating there. We had a lovely place right over the harbour and ordered fried white bait (tiny little whole fish that you just eat whole) and Grilled lamb with wine 20 E.
We wandered back to our hotel to discover they were having a Cretan Night performance that evening. The music was incredibly loud. It was strident and sounded angry and it went on till 2 AM. Even ear plugs didn’t help.
May 26 Next morning we went to the harbour to catch the water taxi to Sweetwater Beach. The old guy at the shack didn’t speak any English so conversation was a bit limited but when we asked about todays weather the old guy scowled but young man sitting nearby indicated “it should be OK.” So we took the ferry to Sweetwater. It is a crescent beach under towering cliffs but its big attraction is the fresh water springs that create little pools of drinkable water right on the beach. Apparently someone was killed there a week before when rocks fell from the cliffs. There were engineers wearing hard hats looking very serious and pointing up at the cliffs. We took two chairs and an umbrella right at the waters edge as far from the cliffs as possible.
This beach is also the halfway point on the mountain hike from Chora Sfakion and Loutro. There were probably 50 hikers who passed by over the time we were there but none of them stopped for a quick dip. I thought that was a bit strange. Apparently these people at a more accurate weather forecast, as by mid afternoon big black clouds rolled in and it got windy and cool. Everyone on the beach headed for the little taverna at the dock. Remembering yesterday’s thunderstorm we asked them to radio for the water taxi. Even at 24 euros for the radio call we thought that was a bargain to get away. Fortunately another couple decided to share our boat so we shared half the fare. Just as we arrived back in Chora Sfakion the clouds blew away and out came the sun. Oh well.
In the evening we went to a taverna for dinner and noticed clouds coming towards us from the sea. They looked odd and there was a dark reflection in the water. The sky continued to darken and then the thunder and lightning started and to our amazement the sky turned orange and heavy rain began. Fortunately we were tucked in under the eaves of the taverna and stayed dry but the stairway beside us became a waterfall with all of that rain. It was an end-of-the-world kind of moment.
It turned out to be a sandstorm with sand blowing in from the Sahara desert
.Sorry this is a bit of a long album but the Chora Sfakion images are number 86 to 98 on the first page and number 99 to 131 on the second page. The album is actually of all the villages on the Libyan Sea taken over two trips
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57645487373222
Ferry trip Sougia to Chora Sfakion
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...57653434073393
Next Rethymnon
Aug 8th, 2015, 04:53 PM
#18
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Benicia I have to do Rethymnon, Plakias and then Heraklion before I get to Paros and finally Naxos. I suspect that will take me a few days to get that far.
Mokka the daytime temperatures were in the high 20's low 30's but there was always a nice cooling breeze. It always cools down at night.
Mokka the daytime temperatures were in the high 20's low 30's but there was always a nice cooling breeze. It always cools down at night.
