Yesterday Julia and I watched 'The Simpsons Movie' in our favourite cinema - the UCI MillenniumCity in Vienna.
This time we sat beside each other and the headphones worked, and least something positive about the way back home. The meal was also very good again.
At 03:25 am we landed at the Vienna International Airport - about 15 minutes before schedule. My father was so kind to bring us home from the airport.
Comming home is nice but never as great as going on vacation.
After the beauty of a greek island you are welcomed by the concrete environment around the airport and the boring freeway with it's noise barriers letting you see nearly nothing.
I would have loved to stay on Crete for some more weeks.
Worst day on each vacation is reached - the day of departure. :-(
We wanted to keep the room until 10:00 p.m. but it was only possible until 06:00 p.m., but that was better then nothing. It's always unpleasing to check out at 12:00 a.m. when the pick up time is in the evening or like in our case in the night.
After breakfast we started to pack our cases so we wouldn't have a hurry later that day. Then we went to the beach and just enjoyed the last day of this marvelous vacation on the wonderfull island of Crete.
After a little snack for lunch I made a little photo tour through the whole facility.
In the early afternoon we finished packing our things and went to the reception for check out left the luggage there and returned to the beach.
The sunset over Georgeoupolis is fantastic.
Just right on time a group of riders came along the beach and gave me the chance for a great shot.
After this wonderfull sunset we went to dinner and then waited in the lounge for the bus to the airport at 09:55 p.m.
On the way we couldn't keep back tears - like always when leaving such a wonderfull place.
At the airport everything was very slow. It took ages to get through check in. It was an organizational problem - first they had two luggage scanners running but then cut it back to just one. But in the end that wasn't so bad because we didn't have to wait such a long time for boarding and take off.
Right after breakfast I went to Kavros once again to ask if anybody had heard something about my wallet but had no luck.
We spent the day at the beach and enjoyed our last full day. In the afternoon we also went to the Jacuzzi for a last time.
Today at the dinner buffet I found grilled swordfish. WOW! Tastes great! I love it. Last week I had it too but then there was no label what it was.
For today we had planned to go to Chania by bus and visit some excavations and museums. But a quirk of fate crossed our plans - somewhere on the way from the ticket office in Kavros to a book store in Chania I lost my wallet including my Mastercard and the ATM card. We looked everywhere we had been so far but couldn't find it. People were very nice and everyone tried to help us. We immediatly went back to Kavros and searched there too. A lady from a ceramics shop even helped me to translate my problem to the guy in the ticket office. She said she will tell me if she heard something when I come back in the evening.
So we went back to the Hotel, I canceled my cards and we spent the afternoon on the beach.
After dinner we once again went to Kavros to ask the lady if she had heard something. But as I thought there was no trace of my wallet.
At this time it didn't matter too much to me. Cards were already canceled, and there were only two more days left, so money wasn't such a big problem.
To bad we couldn't visit Chania again but we will come to Crete again and then we will make it up.
After the strenuous trip to Santorini yesterday we got up just on time to reach the restaurant before breakfast was over. The hotel staff is really nice, they didn't even really mind if someone was sitting a little bit longer to finish the meal.
The day we spent at the beach - most of the time I slept.
In the evening was a 'Greek Evening ' again after dinner. This time there was only one man at a keyboard and the dancers didn't seem to have as much fun as the last ones - so we went to our room.
wonderful island - miserable cruise
Today we made the booked trip to the island of Santorini to which we were really looking forward to.
We had to get up very early to catch the bus to the harbor of Rethimno.
The harbor looks fabulous in the light of the rising sun.
Boarding the ship - the Golden Prince - took quiet a long time, because passengers were let in in smaller groups. Once on board we hurried to one of the upper decks to get a nice place for the four hours cruise but immediatly realised that the ship wasn't built for such an amount of passengers.
Julia and I waited for a rather long time hoping there would be an announcement about breakfast. I don't know if we just didn't hear it or they had forgotten about it but after a while we decided to search the restaurant. As we arrived there many people were already waiting in line. It was not organized well. I know it's hard to serve so many passengers in a rather short time but there have to be better ways. We had to put everything we wanted on one single plate and then balance it with a glass of orange juice to a table. Is it really so difficult to give out some trays? Would have made the whole procedure much easier!
The restaurant itself was nice but the missing service killed the ambience.
After breakfast there was a little briefing about the bus tour on Santorini in the ship's theater.
Right after that the passengers who wanted to make the tour had to buy the tickets for that in quiet a hurry.
So far we were already peeved by all the stress and that unpleasing way of treating people.
Landing at Santorini was a big relief. After a long wait at the ship's exit we finally had solid ground beneath our feet again. Now we thought everthing will be fine - yes we are sometimes just naive.
The island of Santorini is beautifull. All those nice white houses built on the mountain look fantastic - some of them just like flowing down the mountainside.
When we finally got on one of the busses we couldn't sit beside each other because we had to wait at another bus - witch wasn't big enough for the amount of passengers they wanted to put in - before and so we got the two last seats in that bus.
First stop was Pyrgos. A nice town near the harbor with narrow alleys and a lot of churches. On a holiday - to bad can't remember which - the whole town is only illuminated by torches what makes a very special and medieval ambience.
Some say that on Santorini are more churches than dwellings. That's because in the sailors that came into trouble out on the sea prayed to god and promised to build a church if they come home safely. And they did build the churches.
To bad we just had half an hour for that stop.
Next stop was Ia at the north-western end of the Island. That's the place were most of the photos for the famous postcards were taken. And again you can see a lot of those typical white houses built along the mountain's back and side.
From all the villages on Santorini you have a breathtaking look along the island and out to the sea.
Ia is one of the most expansive places. There are hotels with prices of about 1.500 Euro per night and grounds at prices of about 3.000 Euros per square meter.
Here we bought some postcards and had a little drink in a taverna and once again had to hurry to the bus.
Third and final stop was Thira, the capital of the island.
Here is the only Catholic church on the whole island.
In Thira we had planned to go to a nice taverna and have lunch but time was short and we were told that there are three ways to get down to the harbor.
Per feet (30 minutes), riding on a donkey (10 minutes) or by cable car (3 minutes, but a long waiting period). We didn't want to walk in open sun and there had been some accidents with the donkeys so we decided to go by cable car.
Well, we had to wait about 40 minutes - most of it in direct sun - and were pushed by other tourists who hoped to get along faster that way.
At least ride down was pleasant short.
Afterwards we know we should have walked the stairway down to the harbor. Wouldn't have taken longer than waiting in the sun - but would have been much more delightful with a few stops to take photos.
Now we had to get back to the ship by a small boat because only those could land in the harbor of Thira. The transfer to the Golden Prince was extremely sudorific because of the heat inside that tiny tender.
Back on the ship we were just tired and waited for dinner laying on the seats in the theater. That was at least so far organized as they had given out different colored cards so they could serve the passengers in groups.
It still was unacceptable. Again to many people at once and again no trays.
After dinner we watched the sunset. That was nearly the best part of the whole day.
Later we looked for a place to sleep for the rest of the cruise but all comfortable places were occupied. Finally we came to the lounge were we have been on the way to Santorini which was the only place with some free seats - no wonder it was just freezing cold in there. But we were so exhausted we just fell asleep and woke up being chilled through just before landing.
The harbor of Rethimno at night with all the lights dipping everything into a magnificant yellowish glow looks just as great as at sunrise this morning.
Back at the hotel we were very disappointed of that trip.
The long transfers on the ship from Crete to Santorini and then back and the hurry on Santorini were just not what we had expected.
The island of Santorini is great but don't visit it when you're on vacation on another Greek island - at least as long as it isn't one of the nearer ones like for example Ios and you have the chance to go to Santorini by hydrofoil. Then you could have enough time to enjoy this wonderful Island.
We will go to Santorini again for sure - but the next time we will go directly there and stay there for some days.
I can just recommend you to visit Santorini!
We spent the day at the beach. In the afternoon we went to the spa area to have a look at the indoor pool, the jacuzzi and all the other things there.
The water in the indoor pool is really refreshing - I guess it has about 21°C.
The jacuzzi is wonderfull - warm water a different jets for massage.
Today we had planned to go the the lagoon of Gramvoussa. We wanted to do that on our own because the guided tour would have cost 65 Euros per person and we didn't want to pay that much just for visiting a lagoon for bathing. Maybe we should have listened to the description of that trip more carefully, because going there on your own could be some different kind of 'fun' - afterwards you are always smarter.
So we drove down the national road to Kissamos once more and headed on for Balos. But at Kaliviani the paved road ended and all the way up to Balos was just a long gravel road.
With the rental car I was worried a little about the tires, having a flat one out in nowhere wouldn't be what I was hoping for. We asked greek on the same way if we were right. We were right. So we kept on driving on that (not what I would call comfortable) 'road' until we reached Balos - on top of the hills!
We expected a little mountain village from which we could drive down to the lagoon but there was just a taverna and the only way down was on a small gravel path by foot.
A two kilometer walk directly under the burning sun was not our idea of having a nice day at a beautifull lagoon. The man at the taverna told us that there is only the way by foot or by ship from a little harbor near Kissamos. (That's the way we would have gone there on the booked trip.)
So we just took some photos of that wonderfull view up there and went all they way back down.
Back at Kissamos we stopped at the beach and had our lunch. In the lunch box from our hotel we had rice, meat nuggets (similar to the chicken nuggets at McD's but different meat), tomatoes, bread and oranges. It was good and enough.
After the lunch break we went back on the national road and thought about what to visit next when we saw a sign to an excavation site.
The ruins of the former city state of Aptera as far as excaveted by now are well preserved. The city walls are still viewable and partly still up to three meters high. Aptera must have been huge. From up there you have a wonderful sight all over the Souda Bay.
We didn' get there early enough so the first part of the site was already closed and the other part - some kind of fortress at the end of the hill was closed for renovation.
But it looked very interesting anyway.
After that we just headed back for the hotel but took the old roads through some nice little villages.
The rental car was really worth it. After all it's cheaper than making a lot of booked trips and you can stay as long as you want at a place.
A sunrise is always wonderfull, especially when you can watch it on a beach. You will never regret having gotten up early to catch it on time!
When it starts you first can see the horizon becomming reddish and then the sun emerges out of the water - visually spoken - and grows from the little disk up to the big fireball that gives us all light, warmth and a lot of energy.
So we got up early - actually to early - and it was just perfect.
After sunrise we went to breakfast and started afterwards for todays tour.
We had planned to go to the beach of Elafonissi. We were told that it is one of the most wonderfull sand beaches on crete so we just had to check that.
On the way we stopped at Kissamos at the archeological museum. Very interesting and new. Must have opened just a few weeks ago. There was no entrance fee - we guess it will come when the museum is known better. It is built on an excavation site direct on old walls that were buried again to keep them save after examination.
Not far away from Kissamos we found a little chapel built into a cave. Really fascinating!
On the way over the mountains we once more had contact with a herd, this time not sheep but goats. Some of these animals are kind of stupid and selfish. They walk on the road directly towards the car and look at you just like asking 'What are you doing on MY road?'. Very funny!
After a long ride through the mountains we reached Elafonissi Beach.
There are no hotels and - as far as planned - never will be due to environmental protection.
Just sunbeds and umbrellas, one taverna at the beach, one near the parking place, a little shop and showers and toilettes. As we could see this way of regulation really works out. The flora is beautifull and there are a lot of different birds.
It was wonderfull allthough we caught a not so pleasing day, it was a bit stormy all the time with just a few pauses and sometimes it felt like you were sandblasted.
The beach is absolutely clean, the water is refreshing and clear. In the water there are some big rocks - just like little islands - and the water was shallow enough so you could just walk over to these rocks.
Like always I just had to go for a walk to see what's around. In the beginning the sand wasn't too warm so I left my sandals at the sunbeds. Big mistake! When I was at the other end I felt the sand heaten up more and more with every step. Although me feet were burning like hell when I reached the water again I really enjoyed the trip.
I also snorkeld a bit and took some underwater photos too.
The fish at this place are very curious and let you come really close.
*Pics will follow*
On the way back to Chania we stopped at another church and later at the archeological cave Agia Sofia's. It's a long way up, fortunately it's a stairway but it's still not too comfortable.
To be honest the cave is nothing special. It's very smelly and their is a lot of bird dung from the pigeons. There is a tiny chapel build in but there is nothing that makes the way up really worth it.
After the cave we went on to Chania.
In Chania we parked near the old harbor next to a monument built in memory of a ship accident in which many people died most of them from Crete.
The old harbor looks magnificent in the evening sunlight.
We went to one of the many tavernas for dinner. First we ordered Tzatziki as starter and then Julia had Pastitsio and I ordered Giouvetsi. Everything was excelent.
When we finnished dinner we continued along the harbor and Julia bought a new sd-card for her camera. Yep, she filled 1 gb within only seven days. Photography is a real passion of her. She also found a beautifull dress in another shop.
Finally we went to the same bar we visited on the booked trip around Chania and had watermelon juices and fruit salad with ice cream again.
Chania is very alive at night, the strets are crowded and the tavernas and bars are full with people.
Due to the plan to go to the lagoon of Gramvoussa tomorrow we decided to go back to the hotel to get some sleep. When we arrived at the car we were a bit shocked. Some Idiots had completely blocked us; no way to move out.
So, what do we do now?
Julia said we should call the police, but there was no public phone and we didn't have a telephonenumber and there were only tourists all around.
Suddenly - like a ray of light on a rainy day - a police car drove by and I stopped them. I explained them that we were blocked and they were very nice but they couldn't help us because they didn't have a crane that day.
Yes, he said: 'I am very sorry but we don't have a crane today.'
They don't have one 'today'?
I really had to keep myself back not to ask them: 'Does the crane have a day off??? Is it lying on the beach and relaxing???'
But it wasn't their fault so why argue with police in a foreign country.
All we could do was to wait and hope one of those a**holes who blocked us would come back soon.
Fortunately a father with his family came and drove away with a car that was parked next to one of the idiot's cars and there was than just enough space to get out.
If that parking problem wasn't enough we took the long way home.
Still filled with a little anger I left Chania in the wrong direction. When I noticed that mistake I thought it wouldn't be much of a problem - just stay on the old road until you can change to the new national road again.
Near to Kissamos I was fed up and took the next turn in direction to the island's inner side in faith of hitting the new road but we ended up in the mountains in totaly black night. It was nearly midnight and I was very tired and the stress level got higher by every minute.
After a long time out in nowhere we finally reached the new national road and got back to the hotel by about 01:30 am.
Even with that hell of a finish the day was wonderfull and we saw a lot!
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