Crete, Day 8. Impressions.

16/10/2014 - Waking up at 8 a.m., heading to Heraklion airport. Once there, we easily found where we had to leave the car, and passed through the check in and security check without any queue. Nothing else to say. 
Some impressions, maybe?

First of all, this island is very beautiful but I'm pretty sure that if you come here in August it's impossible to survive. The streets are small, you cannot overtake and so if you have a lot of tourists it will be crazy. Even the prices are a lot higher both for the car and the apatment. I think you have to queue everywhere, and to share the sea/swimming pool with thousands of other people.

So, go there in September/October and you will relax and enjoy the place. And, last but not least, the food is delicious.

Crete, Day 7. Everything comes to an end.

15/10/2014 - Last real day on the island. We went to Heraklion to see the archeological museum, as there they have all the historical stuff from Knossos. We parked in a park called Central parking and we ended up spending 7,40 € (3,90 € for the first hour and 0,70 € for every hour after the first). It was quite expensive, but it was underground and safe, plus you don't even have to park as they do it for you! And you have to keep in mind that it's not so easy to go around to find another place. So, first we went to the archeological museum, that reopened after years its central exibithion. The ticket was 6 €, but for european students it's free (actually we had to argue bit because on our student card there isn't the expiring date). They have a lot of artifacts inside both from Knoss and from other places on the island. Then we went down Dedalou shopping street and we reached Venizelou square with Morosini fountain. 

We took a street on the left and we went into 1866 Market street, with some souvenir shops. At this point we were very hungry, so we came back till the square, but restaurants/tavernas here are very expensive. In the small ταγματαρχου τζουλακη Street there were some stairs (on the right side if you come from the square)going down and at the end of the alley there was a taverna. It was one of the best place where we ate here in Crete. 

We ate a dakos (similar to the italian bruschetta, usually bread but in this case a flat bread with tomatoes, olive oil and feta cheese on top), a huge dish of french fries, a pork in lemon sauce (I put the flat bread inside, it was so delicious) and a pork souvlaki. We drank a bottle of water and we spent 21 €, right in the centre of Heraklion. After this, we went down till the port and the castle. I stopped just few minutes in a Starbucks in order to buy a new cup and drink a Chocolate Frappuccino. We bought some souvenirs and came back home. We stood there for a while, but as we still had a lot of fuel  in the car we decided to go to Agios Nikolaos. The city centre is very small, with a very nice lake and a port. Around the lake there are some restaurants and cafes, and a very nice souvenir shop/jewelery. I didn't feel like eating at all, so Alessio ate a gyros. We sat in a cafè, called cafè du lac or something like this and I drank a milkshake (4,5 €) on a balcony on the top of the lake. Then we came back to our apartment, and packed our luggage. We also had a walk in the old city of Malia, which is very nice with two or three restaurants. Our holiday is over.

Crete, Day 6. Where the pirates left their dates.

14/10/2014 - Today we left for Vai beach. It is far from Malia, but it defenitely worth it. It took us 2 hours and a half to get there, plus an hour of stop at the Toplou monastery. This monastery looks like a fortress (3€ entrance) with a small church inside and a museum. Just not to forget the toilet, in this monastery there are the most uncomfortable squat toilets ever. I think that stopping behind a bush is 10.000 times better. The street to get to the monastery was amazing, with no cars except some tourists here and there. Vai beach is amazing as well, but a little bit expensive (2,5€ for the car park and 9 € for two sunbeds with umbrella). There was some stands with local products like olive oil, but they looked very touristic. There were also a snack bar and a restaurant on the beach. I didn't go into the sea, as I got a nice cold two days ago. We took some pictures from the top of the cliff and then we went back home. We ate spaghetti with butter and we just slept soon after.

Crete, Day 5. Going to the East.

13/11/2014 - Time to leave Kissamos and moving to Malia, where we have our second apartment ready for us. It's a little bit far, but it's closer to Heraklion so we can reach easily the airport when we have to go back home. We stayed in the Theoni apartments, nex to the old city of Malia. We spent 10 € a night a person, and actually the place was nothing exceptional. It was clean, but it was more an hotel than an apartment (there wasn't all the necessary for cooking). We ate a gyros for few euros in a place on the main road. In the afternoon we decided to go to the Knossos palace and we found out that it is free for student. The only problem was that I forgot Alessio's wallet in the apartment, so I had to pay 6 € for his ticket (you have to show your student card for the reduced ticket). The palace was big, but we didn't understand that much actually, as it was almost just ruins. In the evening we had a walk on the road of the night life, looking for a restaurant. Everything here was closed, as the summer season is over. We ate in one of the few places opened, that was an English pub called The Red Lion Pub. I ate fish and chips (it was one whole BIG fish) and Alessio some BBQ ribs. We spent more or less 10 € each. Malia looks like a ghost city in winter.

Crete, Day 4. Fish!

12/11/2014 - Again Elafonissi. This beach is too beautiful. Actually, we also had two beautiful beaches next to Kissamos (Balos and Falasarna), but in the north of the island it's very windy and kind cold, so you cannot go into the sea. We spent a beautiful day there. Coming back, we stopped on the street after Elos to buy some olives from a woman (not the same one where we bought some honey the day before yesterday). Greek olives are very tasty, and this woman also sold marmelade, honey and olive oil as well (and was way cheaper that the other one). 
In the evening we tried the taverna next to the Villas to eat some fish. It's called Porfira, and it's on the seafront. We asked the waiter which fish was fresh and he answered that that day he found octopus, sardinas and whitebait. We chose the octopus and the sardines, but another table had already ordered five octopus. Shit. So we had some courgette flowers stuffed white rice as starter, then a tomato soup with feta chees and shrimps and some grilled sardines. Not satisfied, we also ordered a portion of fried whitebaits. At the end they gave us for free some raki and greek yoghurt with rose marmelade on top. 
Everything was fresh and delicious, because the waiter himself went fishing that day. And the marmelade was special, I've never tasted something like this before. We spent about 30 €, but we ate a looot and drank beer. Last day here on the west side of the island, moving tomorrow to Malia.

Crete, Day 3. We were wandering...

11/10/2014 - We decided to go to Chania today, as it was very charming the night we were there. We parked again near the fortress, and then we had a walk in the small pedestrian streets of the old town. Every corner is so beautiful. We went to the Agorà, that now is a very touristic market with food and souvenirs. We have to buy some souvenirs, so I decided to buy a magnet for my fridge in a shop where they had a cat. There were other shops with those magnet, but I'd rather buy them there just because in this way they can feed the cat (hopefully). It's a very nice glass magnet with an olive on it, and it was 2,5 €. Then we reached a small square where there was a traditional strange shop that sold a cream which should be first created by Ippocrate. I bought a small pot (actually you need a very small amount of it) for 5 € and a heart-shaped handmade olive oil soap for 2 €. For lunch, we stopped in a restaurant called Semiramis, a very nice place in the old town. We ate a potato salad, some greek pies and a baked feta cheese (absolutely gorgeous) as starters, then a souvlaki and I think something else (cannot remember now) and we spent about 30 €. The food was not amazing, but it was tasty and kinda cheap. 

In the afternoon we wandered around, we went up to the old walls and down to the port, stopping next to Agios Nicolaos church for an ice-cream in a place called ChillBox. They serve the frozen yogurt in a square box, so sweet! We came back to our apartment, and we ate in the same place in Kissamos, where they have that yummy gyros pita. Tomorrow we will go again to Elafonisi beach, it was too beautiful to spend just few hours there.

Crete, Day 2. The most beautiful beach I've ever seen.

10/10/2014 - Today we left for Elafonisi Beach! It took us a looot of time to go there, as I had to stop every metre to take pictures of everything. The landscape is amazing: you go into the mountains and pass through a lot of towns of the Innahorion. In this towns, along the street, there are some farmers who sell olive oil, olives and honey. When we reached the sea, instead of going to Elafonisi, we turned right and just had a look around. 
The wind here was so strong! We went to Elafonisi and...the paradise. We rented two sunbeds and an umbrella for 7 €. At the entrance of the beach there was a shop which sold beach stuff, and I absolutely wanted a big donut to swim with. It was just 5 € and I got a green one. Soon after, Alessio wanted one too, so I gave him my green one and bought myself a yellow one. The sea was perfect. We laid in the water on our donuts for a bit, then we walked till the island. It wasn't cold at all. We stayed at the beach till 5 p.m., then we came back home. On the way back, soon after a town called Elos, there was a woman who sold honey and oil, so we stopped and bought some thyme honey for 5 € (the jar was not that big actually, but I wanted a real jar of Cretan honey). In the evening we ate some pasta with butter, and then we went straight to bed. So tiring being on holidays.