So now it’s time to do a summary of my 2016 trip to Crete.
First, it was a good trip and I had a good time. There were some definite highlights that I’ll remember for a long time, and no real bad experiences. As usual, however, there were some things that I could have done better or other issues which affected the holiday:
- the flight times weren’t helpful. Arriving at 9pm meant that I had to have a night in Chania before moving on to Paleochora, and I didn’t get there until 3pm on the first full day. By that time I’d been travelling for over 24 hours, so it wasn’t surprising that it took me some time to relax. The holdups and delays on the M1 on the way to East Midlands airport added to the stress load, of course. On the way back the flight was at 9pm and I had to check out of my room in Chania at 1pm, so I was left wondering what to do. In the event the hotel let me hang around their public areas all afternoon and I had a film to watch so I was able to pass the time, but that last day was very long;
- the heat on the two days in Chania was an issue – 40º on the Sunday. That affected my plans that day, and in the event I simply spent the afternoon in my room. However, the weather isn’t knowable in advance, it’s something you just have to deal with.
Communications worked well thought the trip. My phone package includes includes free calls from the EU back to to the UK so I was able to call Val every day and spend as long talking as we felt like without worrying about cost. The free wifi in all the hotels was excellent, and I also paid the extra money for data roaming on several days – I have an ‘EU data add-on’ (£2.50 a day for 500Mb, I think, which is plenty for casual browsing, Facebook, emails, etc.)
The highlights were these:-
- the walk through the Samaria Gorge. This was an incredible day, one that I’ll remember for a very long time. I also feel quite pleased with myself for having done it;
- the following day – the hours I spent on the beach and in the sea at Paleochora. In the end I ‘got’ Paleochora – it’s a quiet, charming, relaxed and very laid-back place with good facilities;
- arriving at the Casa Delfino, and the spa treatment – a first for me! Again, a memorable experience.
Here’s a link to the whole archive for this trip.