Chania, Crete, Greece, Stop 4

June 22

We pick up a rental car in Heraklion and jam all of our bags in the very small trunk, spilling over to the back seat. It’s a stick shift so Dmitri has to refamiliarize himself with that while also navigating the streets of Heraklion. Also, they gave the car to us nearly empty so we have to find a gas station. Ah, Greece. Luckily the gas station is full service so we are on our way. The air con leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s all good. We drive to a little village called Argyroupoli, which is very cute and nice and cool thanks to the natural springs. It’s a quick stop and we have lunch at a taverna while we admire the springs before heading on to Chania.

After about two hours of driving time, we arrive in Chania and the parking lot where we are to meet our Airbnb host is not really popping up on google maps. Luckily, Dmitri’s great sense of direction gets us there and we meet Vasilis, who shows us where to park. He then takes us to the Peach House, where fresh fruit and wine await us. Vasilis is incredibly nice and very eager that we like his place and have a great time.

We find a grocery store and stock up on some basics since we will be here for the next four nights. We return home and there is a faulty lock on the kids’ bathroom door and Mia is stuck in her bathroom for a good 30-40 minutes. After some MacGyver action, Dmitri gets her out. It’s always an adventure! We walk to get yet another Greek salad for Cindy, and some more souvlaki for Dmitri and Mia. Jack stays in to eat leftovers.

***Mia: When I first got stuck in the bathroom, I called out to Jack for help. He fiddled with the door handle for a couple of minutes before informing me that he needed to return to his video game, leaving me still trapped inside until finally my parents came up to help me escape. Gotta love little brothers!***

June 23 Happy 20th anniversary to Dmitri and Cindy!

We start the day wandering the Splantzia area for a bit and up by the harbor. It’s a sweaty walk and so we stop to get some goat milk ice cream that hits the spot. After doing some exploring, we head back to cool off.

Later in the day, Dmitri and Cindy walk around the Old Venetian harbor area. The harbor was built by the Venetians in the 1300s and in this area of town, it really does seem like a little Venice, with windy alleys and charming little houses. It’s very picturesque and a wonderful place to stroll, have a drink, and people watch while sitting at a little place by the water. This we do and are very amused to hear excited shouts across the water. Turns out that Sweden is playing Poland in soccer and it’s a very exciting game!

Dmitri and Cindy ditch the kids and head to a place along the water called The Five. https://www.thefivechania.com/ The food is outstanding and we meet the owner, a Canadian woman who was born in Greece but grew up in Canada. After attending hospitality school for the hotel and restaurant business, she moved back to Greece and married a Greek man and now owns this charming restaurant. It’s a beautiful setting for an anniversary dinner. We have probably the best tabouli we have ever eaten in our lives, ceviche, and shrimp grilled in a bourbon hollandaise. It’s a good thing we have a long walk home! The Greek tradition is for the bill to arrive with complimentary sweets or fruit and a shot of raki. We love the little desserts, but raki is VERY strong. A lovely tradition, though. After this happened the first few times and we realized it was a common thing, I started thinking of it a little like lagniappe in New Orleans. Just a little something extra.

***Dmitri: A very nice dinner and yes, the best tabouli I’ve ever had. Kudos to that lady owner. Canadians—like us, but just a little nicer. More importantly, a lovely evening with my wife of now 20 years. It amazes me daily that we have each other and that it works, but we do and it does. This was just another reminder. Wonderful setting, wonderful food, and of course, the best company I could ask for. ***

***Mia: Throughout the duration of our stay, there has been a little black kitten that sits on the third story balcony of one of the nearby abandoned houses. The first day we arrived, we saw it crying out and assumed it was trapped on the ledge, because the window shutters were closed behind it. After timidly walking up through the building in attempts to rescue this little furball, Jack and I discovered that there was a small hole in the shutters that the cat squeezed through and ran away the second we got close. I felt like we were the idiots in the horror movie walking through the creaky old scary house, anticipating a jump scare, but we were determined to help out this poor kitten! So much for saving the day, I guess the cat just likes to sit out and meow for attention. Which it did do, to the detriment of our sleep, all throughout the night without stopping.*** ***Dmitri: Vasilis shared with us that he’d called the authorities to come and take the cat, and that they had taken it to their shelter. It was still back the next day! Barcade claims $20 from me on junk games, but fun is had. Mia nearly beats me at air hockey. Youth must be served. Sweetburger is an insane mix of dessert forms with the potential to induce an insulin coma. We enjoy it thoroughly. We’re keeping costs reasonable by getting foods from supermarkets whenever possible. I also enjoy foreign markets just as a tourist. I find the labels and products endlessly entertaining.***

June 25 Laundry is the order of the day today. That and eating up the food in the fridge. Mia and I find a place where we can wash our clothes for 3 euros. We get the laundry started, then head to pick up some supplies from the supermarket. It’s very, very, very hot. We eat lunch in the Airbnb, as it feels too stifling to be out and about. Later in the day, Dmitri and Mia go out for one more meal in Old Town Chania, but mainly we have another day of taking care of business. We check in with the Swiss Air people yet AGAIN (4th time in 2 days, I believe) to make sure we can still fly to Switzerland from Greece with proof of vaccinations. These things are changing daily in Europe. We have a very early start the next day so we try to get to bed early. ***Mia: For our last meal in Greece, Dad and I ate Mexican food. Whatever place we visit, I still find myself missing tacos.***