Crete, A Greek Island With Soul - I
As we fly over the northern coast of Crete, heading back home to Paris, I can’t help but wonder when we will be back to this beautiful island we have just spent ten days on viewing villa rentals. Crete had always been a destination that we wanted to get to and
when we found an opportunity in our schedule to come and visit and the island and see our Cretan villas and owners, we didn’t hesitate. Within the past few years, many low cost airlines have opened up direct flights to the island making it
an easy destination from Paris from March until the beginning of November. Of course May is part of the shoulder season which means less mass tourism, cheaper flights and beautiful weather. All were true! Crete is one of the 5 largest islands in the Mediterranean and an island not to be missed!
OLEANDERS, OLIVE TREES, JASMIN AND SUNSHINE
Yes, these words describe my first impressions. We chose to fly into Heraklion which is on the Northern coast towards the east. First destination, Agios Nikolas and Elounda. The sun was shining and we quickly made our way to the highway
where we found that drivers are very careful and drive rather slowly. We quickly learned the rule for taking over cars. Whether there is a double line or not, just move over to the shoulder and let the cars go by!
Corridors of pink, white and fuchsia Oleander trees in full bloom rolled out the carpet for our arrival. Elounda and Agios Nickolas are on the northeastern part of the island. This is one of the first areas to develop tourism. We have some very
nice VILLAS in this area and we found it is a perfect spot for families with young children because everything is very organised and kid’s needs have been taken into account. You can visit the peninsula of Spinalonga which was once a leper colony in the early 20th century. Today, you can take a boat from the mainland and explore the island where you will find an ancient Paleo Christian Basilica built by the Turks and Greeks. It was closed in 1972.
FIND YOUR CRETE VILLA RENTAL NOW!!
THE CRETAN DIET
Before our trip, I talked to a friend and mentioned our imminent trip to Crete. She immediately responded by saying that the Cretan diet is one of the best in the world. We were soon to learn why. The base of the Cretan diet is of course olive
oil. There aren’t many places you can go on the island where you do not see a sea of olive trees, sometimes hundreds of years old. This golden liquid is used to cook eggplants, broad beans, and green beans and is drizzled over tomatoes,
cucumbers, and onions abundantly. The oil is so rich and full of sunshine! Eating it on just about anything is a pure pleasure! Crete of course has wonderful fish and seafood and serves lamb, pork and chicken as the main meats. Grilling is a favourite way to prepare these meats. Our first dinner was at the Ferry Man in Elounda where we had one of our most memorable meals during our stay. We started the dinner with a bottle of red wine from Crete. Of course we needed to see what Cretan wine is like. Let’s just say we prefer the cuisine!
Our first course was a salad. There aren’t many countries where you can order a salad and be as pleased! Fresh herbs, lettuce with different textures, dates, pomegranate, tomatoes, and even fresh flowers; truly a delight to the taste buds!
This was followed by lamb and broad beans roasted in a wood oven for hours. The flavours melded together and everything melted in our mouths! We have had Greek food many times but right from the start we realized that there is something special about the Cretan diet! I can honestly say that all of our meals were a delight and the service was better than most places we have traveled. That said, if you Rent A villa, you can go to one of the many fresh markets and buy the amazing fruits and vegetables and cook at home.
