Минойские каникулы Minoan holidays

This year we got out only in September on vacation, so we wanted to combine the "attractive" part with the beach, we chose Crete, because Greece is history itself, and it is the sunniest island! So we are in Crete: air +30 on average, water 27 no less : )
Hotel: a good four, the only thing that spoiled the opinion about the staff was that the maid never put bath accessories in, but they didn’t make a problem, the benefit of olive soap and so on. everywhere in bulk) The rooms are standard, the furniture is good, nothing is broken anywhere, no complaints. The food is a buffet, and they chose it to have a lot of seafood, they were not mistaken: every day shrimp, mussels, octopus, cuttlefish, etc. ! My husband was delighted. I was pleased with the presence of Greek dishes and drinks, it is generally unrealistic to stay hungry! The beach is sandy, there is a strip of pebbles, but a small one, there are no problems with sunbeds, everyone always fit in and still remained free (there are a lot of them, and then people still drive around the island). The bar on the beach served drinks (carbonated, tea / coffee, there is also a choice for stronger lovers, Baileys was especially pleased), and you could also have a bite toast with cheese and ham, french fries and sausages - it really helped out a couple of times when we didn’t have time for lunch, climbing deep into the island : ) 2 pools, but we swam in them only a couple of times, why, when the sea is nearby? Nearby there is also a rental of sports equipment: water skiing, jet ski, parasailing, catamarans. .
After looking around and asking the hotel guide about car rental rates (minimum 140 euros for 2 days, the smallest car for 2 people), we rented a car from the local Greenways company: for 1 day Mercedes - 72 euros, 1 day Suzuki jeep - 52 euros , 3 days Hyundai Matrix - 52 euros / day. Everything went without incident, when returning the cars, they NEVER even went out to see if it was in order)) They just gave the keys and that's it. We traveled all over the western part of the island, in addition, they bought the only excursion from Teza on Santorini, for which they ripped off as much as 190 euros for one! saved in other sights with a car, then forked out . .

So by day:
1 day by car - Rethymnon, walked and examined Fortezza from the outside and from the inside: beautiful views of the city and the sea.
Day 2 - we went to Heraklion to see the famous Palace of Knossos. The road is extremely picturesque and interesting! Very interesting ruins, quite a large area, there is something to see! But by 12 o'clock it became very hot, it was simply impossible to walk under the sun, however, we managed to see everything and set off on the way back for lunch, and, having thoroughly refreshed ourselves, went to the Sfendoni cave. Gorges, cliffs and serpentines - all this caused a mixture of delight and adrenaline (I'm afraid of heights). I also really liked the villages that passed along the way. They go to the cave itself in organized groups with a guide, a ticket costs 4 euros per person. There are several halls in it, each with its own name, the guide tells interesting things, stalactites and stalagmites are highlighted in different colors, and because of the inclusions of quartz, some sparkle like snow in the sun! Impressed. On the way back, we turned at the wrong turn (we were led by a mobile GPS, which rarely, but failed) and instead of an asphalt road we drove onto a dirt road, and it looked abandoned . . it’s good that we had a jeep, because. we didn’t have a way back (we went down the hill and there were such steeps that there was nowhere to turn around and the car couldn’t climb up! ), And of course there were no slope fences either, the adrenaline was crazy, it was more only when traveling to Gramvousa. Everything ended well, and after this safari I stopped being afraid of serpentines in general, even Santorini ones!
The next day we had a break in our rally (we agreed on this at the office right away, and the payment was based on a 5-day rental, and not 1.1 and 3, i. e. any whim of the client for his own money; ) for it was necessary to sail to Santorini! A lot has already been said and written about this island, it really is something unusual and original, something that takes your breath away and blinds your eyes from beauty! Frankly, I thought that in real life Santorini is not as contrasting as in the photographs, and when everything turned out to be exactly the opposite, I could not tear myself away from this masterpiece. We walked around Oia, Fira, took simply magnificent photographs, admired, made a wish at the Black Stone of Lovers, bought on Kamari Beach in the Aegean Sea and tried Vinsanto, which seemed a little sugary, and the price of 30 euros for 0.5 is somehow too high (in Crete dessert wine, made like Vinsanto by natural fermentation without any technological interventions, costs 14 euros maximum! ) I was struck by the skill of the bus drivers in Santorini - how they fit into the turns. Santorini is certainly an unforgettable experience and for a lifetime!

Day 3 by car - we were so fascinated by the Sfendoni cave that we decided to see another one, this time Melidoni. It is located much closer to Sfendoni, has one hall, but a large one with beautiful stalactites. Known for the fact that in ancient times there was a sanctuary of various deities, and in modern history, Greek rebels suffocated here, who were locked in a cave by the Turks, and there is a monument-grave to them. The area around the cave is very beautiful - around the mountain and terraces of olive trees. And after lunch we went to the monastery of Arkadi, a well-known stronghold of resistance to the Turks and one of the most important monasteries in Greece. For some reason, the architecture there reminded me of Spain, I was especially impressed by the Greek bell towers - flat, and not like ours. A wonderful garden is laid out on the territory, heavy bunches of grapes hang on top of the pergolas in the gallery . . a fairy tale! There is also a small exposition - ancient church books, elements of the attire of clergy, and there are several items with a double-headed eagle - a connection with tsarist (and even today) Russia. And after the monastery we went to ride catamarans on the only freshwater lake in Crete - Kourno. We didn’t really see the turtles, but the lake is magnificent - the expanse of water, warm, mountainous shores . . The road to the lake is a bit deaf in places, but there are hand-made ceramics signs (also made by hand with a felt-tip pen), they also show the way to the lake, we are very grateful for this to the local craftsman  After the lake, we barely made it to the end of dinner, since at the hotel you can come to the restaurant at least 2 minutes before the official end, all the food will be and you can eat slowly.
Day 4 - we walked around the Old Town of Rethymnon (on the first day we couldn’t park, everything is busy, but you can’t drive on it): Venetian facades are adjacent to Turkish ones, a very colorful combination! Then they decided to rush to Gramvousa, and at first they wanted to get to Kissamos, and then sail on a boat, but already on the go they decided to drive themselves along that very difficult dirt road . . if I knew what was ahead of me, I preferred the boat and again boat! The road is very narrow, there are no obstacles, and when you go THERE you have to go just from the side of the cliff - your heart stops in earnest, and goats jump on the rocks nearby. When you get to the parking lot, you still have to walk in order, and you have a view of Balos bay and the beach and the confluence of the seas! Beautiful and unrealistic! Since we were in the evening, we did not count many shades, but still the sight is amazing! And there is still a way back, which turned out to be easier, because. we were already driving from the side of the cliff and there were almost no cars in the opposite direction.
Day 5 - Chania. We went shopping, and looked into the Old Town and the embankment. The city is even bigger and more colorful than Rethymno, the former capital of Crete. The waterfront is charming, and so is the lighthouse.
The remaining 3 days we spent on the beach, the sea and the weather were super, well, and then, on the 12th day of our stay in Crete, we went to the airport. And here Tez showed himself in all his glory: he connected 2 flights on 1 bus (apparently they saved gasoline), and not from our flight we had only 8 people out of 40 on the bus. The guide asked to give way to them at check-in, because. their departure was in 1.5 hours. It would seem that there were no problems, BUT then another Teza bus drove up and there were already 32 out of 40 people from this early flight, and they also rushed to check in, it turned out to be a dump of 2 flights, people they could not figure out which of the queues they should get in, and the Tez representatives just stood on the sidelines (except for one who really tried to help) and chatted about something of their own. We chose this TO only because only he had this hotel for the required dates, and once again we were convinced that Tez should be contacted as a last resort. But in the end, everyone took their seats and flew safely to Moscow. And I fell in love with Crete and Greece recklessly for the rest of my life!