[Europe's Canuck Connections] [Europe's Canuck Connections]
"It's All Greek to Me" (Pt.2)- by Travellin' Tony T


The history of Crete is one of battles won and lost. It's strategic location
between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Agean made it an ideal target
for early conquerors like the Venetians, the Minoans and those pesky
Romans. As a result, the people of Crete tend to feel that their island
is more of an independent state than a piece of Greece. Part of the
reason for this frame of mind is Crete's sheer size
(over 8,00 square kilometers).
Greek Fishing Boat This offers the traveler a lot more diversity in one locale than any of the smaller islands. Enjoy plenty of the much touted great Greek beaches, most of them relatively short and rocky, but still lovable. There's also breathtaking mountains, quaint fishing villages, amazing historic sites and loads of friendly locals. A "must see" is the phenomenal Samarian Gorge in the islands Southeast. It's too amazing to describe. Try it, you'll like it !

Iraklion (ear-ack-lee-on), on the North coast, is Crete's main thoroughfare. At one time, there can be up to twenty charter planes on the tarmac of the tiny airport. The main ferry terminal is also around the corner. Aside from that, the capital city has little to offer. From there, my journey took me and my travelling companion, Dimos (who spoke Greek, thankfully) West along the North coast in search of fun and frolic in one of the newer party meccas in the country, Aghios (eye-yose) Nikolas, or Saint Nicklaus. It was off season, so there wasn't much open. We managed to find shelter in one of the area's more posh hotels, The Mirabello (Beautiful Sea). This high quality complex, includes lots of cozy hotel rooms, several private villas, an outdoor pool, private beach, large lobby pool table and soothing indoor turkish bath style pool (scene of many late night skinny dips !) Our party plans, however, seemed doomed to failure, as we discovered that the rest of the hotels patron's were comprised primarily of two groups: the "Young At Heart Club" (vacations for the over 55 couples set) and the convention of Greek Orthodox Priests. Let's party !

The Bottomless Lake Considering our options, we decided to take the quest in to town, 10 kilometers from the hotel. Aghios at night rocks pretty good for a small community. Plenty of discos and late night eateries. Including a neat little cave-like bar totally enclosed in stone. In the daytime, the banks of the small, but nearly bottomless, lake in the center of town (just a few yards from the ocean) are bustling with locals throwing lines in to snag one of the tiny, but tasty fish that make their home there. A table in one of the many outdoor cafes lake side, is a sought after commodity. Enjoy a true Greek salad with fresh feta, scrumptious Mousaka or tangy octopus. Greek brewed, Amstel beer in the 16 oz. bottle is the economical drink of choice. Shopping is limited, but there are a few bargains to be found. After seeing, doing and acquiring the t-shirt in Aghios Nikolas, and meeting a couple of great British women (Sue and Sarah) who knew the area, we moved our home base  further West.

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Updated Dec. 16, 1997