Paradise place
We rested with my husband from September 8 to September 17.2017. For the first time in Europe and in Greece.
We had an early check-in (we paid 6.000 in advance, without which it was quite possible to do): we arrived at the hotel at 4 in the morning, and check-in at 14, but the Greeks do not keep people at the reception if the rooms are free and cleaned: our fellow countrymen checked in at 10 hours.
The flight is normal.
Great little hotel in Malia, a resort for English youth. Infrastructure nearby, excursions can be taken in a neighboring building, entertainment and cafes at every step! The sea in September is magnificent: clean, warm, transparent!
The hotel is very picturesque, clean, roses, bougainvilleas, palm trees are everywhere - extraordinary beauty!
The rooms are large (apartments), cozy, the interior is decorated with taste and love. Cleaned regularly, everything is fine. There is a refrigerator, stove, utensils for cooking and eating. We immediately bought groceries at the Halkidiakis supermarket - and prepared lunches, sometimes dinner parties. It is better to take dishwashing detergent with you (there is no such thing in the room), so as not to buy them for euros.
Breakfast is modest. Business lunch is very poor: if you don't have time for breakfast before excursions, take sandwiches and drinks with you, not hoping to satisfy your hunger with what will be packed in containers.
The hotel is very comfortable, quiet and you feel at home! No one enters the rooms (doors and windows are open for everyone, things can be safely left on the dryer, chairs, sunbeds - nothing will be lost! ). Music is a little lacking - we turned on our column. There is almost no staff, no one stands above the soul - delicacy, complete trust, attention and goodwill are everywhere.
We tried to see to the maximum what was possible in 7 days: we rented a car from the street agency of the neighboring building (in the same place where the tours are).
I share my impressions about the trip to wonderful sunny Crete - truly the land of Gods and pleasures!
We rested in Europe for the first time - so the delight is indescribable !!! ! No one closes anything (cars, rooms), no one hides anything - everything is safe, everyone is smiling and everything is very expensive everywhere, because the euro exchange rate is high.
We chose the hotel Malia Galini Apartments 3 * (breakfast included) Malia area. Small (probably 35 rooms in total) snow-white wonderful hotel! The hotel is very quiet and comfortable, clean, the rooms are excellent, the pool is small, it works only during the day, but at night it murmurs (the cleaning system turns on), the cicadas crackle.
Having settled in the area, on the third day we found a company and started traveling by car along the local serpentines and traveled for two days:
- everything on the way to the cave of Zeus (including a ceramics factory, where we had a free tour with a tasting of olive oils, pasta, wines and a master class in making clay vases, as well as a nunnery, an ancient temple, Bali beach, a bay without waves), the zoo and ecopark of the Lassithi plateau, where along the way they picked a bag of fruits (four varieties of apples, pomegranates, pears, walnuts, onions, white and red onions, grapes) - they ate with pleasure and treated everyone around, even brought home gifts from Greek gardens ;
- freshwater lake Kournas: we rode on a catamaran, looked out for turtles, swam - we saw three turtles, a herd of mountain goats, a flock of white ducks, more precisely, multi-colored duck-geese - curious birds unknown to us, walking along the shore of a lovely lake;
- the city of Agios Nikolaos - Cretan Saint-Tropez with a bottomless lake in the middle of the city - very beautiful;
- the town of Rithymno with beautiful narrow streets full of flowers;
- the fortress of Fortezza is very powerful - from there we saw how the sun sets in Greece in the sea.
In general, the car ride was great, but moving along the serpentine at night is tough, in the morning there was nothing to worry about! The roads are good, thankfully. We rode a quad bike.
We did not take any excursions from the tour operator "Pegas Touristik": in all countries we use only street agencies so as not to overpay.
I went alone to Santorini - the island of St. Irina: spectacular, snow-white, the liner is magnificent (for several thousand people + cars and bikes, prices are very high: I will never forget an eclair for 3.95 euros! ), But that kind of money (116 euros) is not worth it: in the heat you climb 580 steps along polished stones on the edge of the cliff, narrow streets, and around solid taverns and shops.
This is a place for couples in love, newlyweds - to swear eternal fidelity and endlessly take pictures of each other (not tired yet). A lot of rich people of various nationalities - it's interesting, and I also remember all kinds of human legs (with and without pedicures, nails, toes, all kinds of slates, sandals and sandals), because you look down all the time while climbing a rock))). Donkeys (a whole herd to roll tourists up and down) spoil all the romance on a cloud of love))).
The husband went to Spinalonga - to the leper colony where lepers lived. Not thrilled, but liked the barbecue prepared by the crew of the ship. It will be necessary to watch the 26-episode Greek series "The Island" - a film adaptation of the popular novel by Victoria Hislop "The Island. The Secret of Sophia" (2005), translated into 24 languages, created according to the book of the daughter of a woman who lived there, suffering from an incurable disease at the beginning of the 20th century .
We really liked the Cretan evening in the village of Kato Carusano: we ate all kinds of Greek dishes, drank wine, danced, enjoying the national music performed on unusual instruments, dances of professional and not so professional performers who endlessly surprised us!! ! Russians are very welcome there, because we are beautiful, cheerful, open, spontaneous and emotional, inexperienced and grateful spectators, active participants in any incendiary event!
We met different people from the cities of Russia - we had fun and rejoiced non-stop and from the bottom of our hearts!
The time of stay is very short, besides, we were cut half a day: check-out from the hotel was at 3.45 instead of the expected time of 12.00. And this happens very often: the day is lost and you just have to be ready for this nuance.
The trip is great! The Greeks are very delicate in all respects, friendly, hospitable and unhurried. We ate a year ahead of Greek salad, delicious lamb meat, well cooked lamb and veal. Soup for tourists only (locals eat soup in winter or when they are sick): I will never forget chicken soup for 6 euros! ))) In restaurants, always after paying the bill - a compliment (a decanter of crayfish, watermelon or ice cream).
In short, there is heaven on earth! Crete is one of those places!!!
