Arrival in ChaniaWe landed in Chania at 8:40am and took the bus into town. Chania is a colorful city with a rich history. Grand Ottoman buildings, a historic Jewish neighborhood, and light-colored churches are interspersed among flower-filled streets leading to the Venetian harbor. We stayed in an Airbnb studio apartment near the harbor, using the kitchenette to make Greek coffee (same as Turkish coffee) and the balcony to enjoy Cretan wine. Because of our early flight, we took it easy, and had a bite at Kormoranos Bakery, took a nap, and walked around town. Elafonissi Beach The next day, we had Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts on our balcony, rented a car, and drove to the stunning Elafonissi Beach, famous for its pink sand. We had a delicious seafood lunch at Kosmos, 10 minutes from the beach, and enjoyed a sunny afternoon of walking and swimming in the crystal-clear Mediterranean. We returned to Chania in the evening, and Alexa had roasted vegetables, while I tried lamb kleftiko (traditional Greek recipe, roasted with lemon, olive oil, and garlic), with complimentary orange pie and raki for dessert. Samaria GorgeWe woke up at 6:50 to take the 7:45 bus to Omalos, where we started our 11-mile hike through the Samaria Gorge, the longest gorge in Europe. After 2 hours of descending through rocky, steep terrain, we spent the next 4 hours crisscrossing the river, passing by tiny churches and village ruins, and taking in the incredible rocky landscape. We arrived in Agia Roumeli, where we stopped for a rest before taking a ferry to Hora Sfakion, where we caught the bus back to Chania. The trip took nearly the entire day, so we had a late dinner at Achilleas Fish Tavern. Wild Cretan greens, fresh calamari, and lemon garlic shrimp with avocado were all excellent. Layover in Heraklion To catch our ferry to Santorini, we took a bus to Heraklion, Crete’s capital, for an overnight layover. Although not as picturesque as Chania, Heraklion is close to Minoan ruins, remnants of the civilization that thrived on Crete 4600-3100 years ago. We had a fantastic Cretan dinner at Peskesi, an innovative restaurant that prepares local dishes using exclusively local ingredients. According to some studies, Crete has the lowest mortality rates from heart disease and cancer in the world, which locals attribute to their diet, rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, and legume. After a complimentary beetroot yogurt dip with fried garlic, we had a Cretan cheese plate, lamb fricassee, palikaria salad (Minoan recipe for chickpeas, beans, and wheat cooked with onion, parsley, and sour honey), and manarolia (“forgotten” Cretan legume that is now rarely cultivated). The restaurant served some of the best local wine in Greece. We got back to our hotel at a reasonable hour to get some rest before our early ferry to Santorini.
2 Comments
Lauren Klein
6/4/2018 06:53:26 pm
Nice shirt in the beach pictures Alexa!
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Alexa
6/5/2018 03:49:05 am
Thanks, it was a gift from someone really cool ;)
Reply
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