Приятные дни во Флегре Pleasant days in Phlegre

We rested in the "Flegre" in July 2010. Viewing reviews are always of particular interest, whether the hotel corresponds to the declared four stars. Arguing about whether it is a solid four or not, I will express the opinion that this is a hotel of a moderate four. Those who rested in Egypt or Turkey should not expect a huge amount of pastries or cakes. But since I started with food, I will say that the all-inclusive system at Flegra Palace is decent, the main thing is that everything is fresh and tasty. Of course, the cuisine does not shine with a lush variety, but it is not monotonous, mainly the predominance of Greek cuisine. Constantly fresh young cheeses (of their own production, it is here in almost every home), fish, squid, lamb, pork, various types of beef, paella, various Greek casseroles (including moussaka) with vegetables, olives, fresh vegetables, various meat and fish salads dressed with mayonnaise, sour cream or olive oil of various kinds. From fruits there are a lot of watermelon, apples, orange, only sliced, but enough for everyone, a large selection of ice cream. The restaurant "Titan" only low-alcohol drinks: beer, white and red wine. Strong drinks at the pool bar from 10 am to 10 pm (after 22 bar is paid): brandy, whiskey, vodka, baileys, martini, champagne, and other cocktails from local products on the all-inclusive system standing in front of the bartender. All other imported drinks behind the back of the bartender for an additional fee.
The meeting party "Mouzenedis Travel" provided a meeting at the airport of Thessaloniki "Macedonia". The Greeks went through passport control rather quickly, seeing that two windows of the border guards could not cope, they quickly opened the third (this is not like in Domodedovo). The hotel is located at a distance of 100 km from the airport and the road in a comfortable air-conditioned bus did not strain. 60 km is a good European highway with two lanes in both directions with a dividing parapet. And the rest of the way, with a stop at other hotels along the Kassandra Peninsula, is a moderate serpentine along one lane along the coast among a gorgeous pine forest descending from the mountains. Travel time to the hotel is 2 hours. I studied this road well, then I drove along it to Thessaloniki more than once in a rented car, but more on that later. When we arrived at the hotel, we were not immediately checked in. I had to wait from 10-00 to 12-00 until the rooms are ready. And this is, perhaps, as it seems to me the only negative. As I noticed, everyone who came after us wandered around the hotel for about two hours (mostly they sat in the bar, since they put on leashes right away and you can immediately use the benefits of "all inclusive"). My wife and I took the Grand Suite (50 sqm). This is a double room. A walk-through large hall with access to a huge terrace of more than 30 square meters. On the terrace (overlooking the sea and the village) there are two sun loungers, an umbrella, and a seating area with a coffee table and a lantern with a candle for romantic evenings. The second room is a bedroom with a huge bed, a mirror in front of the bed! ? Just a bridal suite. The room, like the rest of the hotel, has a high-quality finish (you can immediately see the recent renovation), a good, individual design project during registration. Decent furniture, in the bedroom there is plasma with DVD, in the hall there is a huge plasma and a bunch of all sorts of lamps, a soft corner (you can accommodate the third and fourth family member). Each room has an individual split system. There is wireless Internet access, but it is paid. 5 € cards are enough for 90 minutes, it’s quite cheap for calls from Skype, even cheaper than calling from a local Q-telecom SIM card (bought 2 cards in a tobacco shop: calls to each other are free - 1000 minutes, the cost of connecting one SIM card is 5 € ). Large bathroom with hot tub. Towels were changed every day, but only if they were in the bathroom, if the towels were on the balcony or in the room, they were not taken away. Beach towels were issued every day for a deposit of 20 €. Cleaning was carried out daily, unobtrusively always in our absence. In general, the hotel staff is almost all Russian-speaking, so there are no problems with communication. Everyone is quite friendly and welcoming. Upon arrival, my back twisted, so they immediately called me a Russian-speaking doctor from the reception, he arrived within an hour, examined me, went to the pharmacy, gave an injection, gave me pills, and I got to my feet in two days, while they didn’t take me not a penny. Only a copy of the insurance was required, and a copy of the international passport. Huge thanks to them for this.
The territory of the hotel "Flegra Palace" is not too large. The hotel is compact, although it has 7 buildings, the territory is green, well-groomed, many flowers, palm trees. And all this was managed by one gardener, very hardworking constantly at work. He is also an electrician and a plumber, when everything was in time is not clear? On the territory of the hotel there are two swimming pools, a large one with a cascade and fountains, another for children, small, a little further. Very interesting is the location of the glass floor of the bar, located above the pool, in the evening all this is highlighted.

The path to the beach consists of crossing the main road (the pedestrian crossing is not marked, you need to cross very carefully). Despite the fact that there is a 40 km/h speed limit sign in front of the hotel, few people slow down. In general, having traveled 1000 km in Greece, I concluded that the Greeks are not very pedantic in following the rules of the road, for example, compared to the same “hot” Spaniards (I traveled almost all of Spain by car). For them, if you can’t see the traffic police, then there is no continuous one on a serpentine, pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing, and they exceed the speed limit quite often (this was noticeable because I didn’t exceed the speed limit). That is why there are plenty of roadside monuments (instead of crosses like ours) in Greece (see photo). But I think all this is mainly in such small villages as Pefkohori, next to which the Flegra Palace Hotel is located. And in large cities like Thessaloniki, for example (more than 1 million inhabitants), drivers are more disciplined. After crossing the main road, you pass the parking lot of the beach restaurant, another low-intensity road of local urbanization (not a frail cottage village, rather expensive development), and through the beach restaurant you get to the sand and pebble beach: travel time is no more than 4-5 minutes by slow step, distance 180 meters from the room. The coastal strip in this place is not very wide, but paid sunbeds (two sunbeds and an umbrella 5 € for a day, or taking a drink at the bar) are enough for everyone except weekends, when the Greeks themselves from Thessaloniki and their neighbors Serbs and Macedonians go to rest on the peninsula Kassandra is one of the cleanest beaches in Europe (by the way, our beach was marked with a blue flag). The sea and the beach are of course very clean (compared to the beaches of Spain). The purity of the sea, perhaps, can be compared even with the red sea of ​ ​ Egypt, only there are not enough fish and corals. I dived with a mask, you can see it deep, but there is nothing special to see. The entrance to the sea is not very pleasant: small stony, mixed with sand, a strip of about 1.5-2 meters, and then sand. The ground on the beach is sandy, with small pebbles. Throughout the vacation, the Aegean Sea was calm without storms and waves, the water temperature was 25-27 degrees. In general, having traveled many beaches in Greece on a rented car, we can conclude that they are not crowded, except for weekends (this is again a comparison with the Spanish coast).
There are no entertainment programs in the hotel. Except Saturday musical evenings at the bar. So, this hotel is not suitable for those who like to light up. But for lovers of a calm measured family vacation with children just right. In the evenings, you can visit the village of Pefkohori, 1 km away. It has several supermarkets, various shops for tourists, many taverns, and a city promenade for walking.
Having rented a car from Avis, my wife and I mostly visited other places. The cost of renting a Ford Focus with mechanics, climate control and insurance for 11 days was 420 €. The rental was arranged in advance at home via the Internet. The hotel at the reception will be more expensive. With the help of a car, we traveled around the entire Kassandra peninsula. Near Thessaloniki, we visited Orthodox monasteries: in Suroti, the female - John the Theologian (opened with the direct participation of the Holy Mountaineer Paisios of Athos), the male - St. Great Martyr Anastasia the Solver with the veneration of St. relics. We have been to Thessaloniki several times, with a visit to the Cosmos shopping center, there is nothing special there, in my opinion, small shops in the very center of the city are much more interesting. A fur coat was bought for my wife on the way from Thessaloniki to the hotel, in a town called Nea Moudania, there are many fur shops. We didn't go to Kastoria.
I separately, alone by car, made a trip to Athos, as women are not allowed there. In advance, at home, through Mouzenedis Travel, I ordered permission to visit Athos (Dimanterion). After driving about 200 km from the hotel in Chalkidiki, I left the car in the parking lot in the port of Ouranoupoli. On the ferry I got to the final destination of my pilgrimage - the Russian Orthodox monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon the Healer. And he stayed for a day in the monastery, carried out his novitiate along with the monks and other pilgrims. In general, the story of the pilgrimage requires a separate story, which, if I have free time, I will definitely do. I will say one thing, after visiting the holy mountain, you are on an unprecedented spiritual upsurge. I advise the Orthodox, while in Greece, to find an opportunity to visit this "second destiny of the Virgin. "

The densely saturated days of rest in the north of Greece flew by quickly. Of course, traveling freely around the country is great. I advise everyone who has the opportunity to definitely rent a car, it will, oddly enough, save you money, even at the price of 95 petrol at 1.50 € per liter. After all, those tours in Greece that are offered to you locally are not very cheap. Judge for yourself for one person: Athens - 70 €, Athos with a visit to the monastery 150-200 €, etc.
Flegra Palace may be expensive for a group of four, but it has its own unforgettable charm of privacy and tranquility, so I advise you the Kassandra peninsula and the Flegra Palace hotel.