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Messages - philj

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Plakias / Going it alone
« on: August 30, 2005, 08:49:29 PM »
Last time we were there the transfer took close on 3 hours with the driver going at some ridiculously slow speeds (it was his first transfer apparently).

Depending on how we feel when we get there we might try to some arrangement with the Olympic rep but failing that an air conditioned taxi will do just fine.

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Plakias / Going it alone
« on: August 29, 2005, 01:21:16 PM »
For our third visit to Plakias we have decided to travel independently for the first time. This is mainly because Olympic have absolutely no late availability for the week we want to go 27th Sept - 4th Oct.

However, I have booked a flight only with Olympic and plan to take a taxi from Heraklion. Have also booked via email at Kostas Chrysoula for a week.

Just wondered if there was anyone on here also travelling independently on the 0900 flight out of Gatwick on the 27th September? There are 2 of us perhaps looking to share the cost of a taxi across the island. If anyone is interested in such an arrangement then let me know.

phil

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Plakias / Unfortunately, we're back
« on: June 27, 2004, 12:55:23 AM »
Ahh, that terrible low feeling of being back after a visit to Plakias. I know it well.

It's looking less likely that I'll get the time to visit myself this year due to work etc. To cheer myself up I started looking back at some pics from previous visits. Some of you will have seen the majority of these before (sorry!) but there are a couple of new ones triggered by mention of the Castro taverna in another topic.

http://photos.freeserve.com/public/detail....?c_album=742300

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Where to eat...or not! / Good eating revival
« on: June 27, 2004, 12:45:41 AM »
I second what John says about Castro. Some of the best food and best views in Plakias.

My advice is to make sure you set off in plenty of daylight so that you can follow the signs and the road easily. If you time it right you will still be enjoying the excellent food and drink as the sun sets behind the hills. The change in light and colour as you look down on the bay really add to the experience.

Mention of Castro remainds me that I have a couple of pics of the views from the taverna. I have mixed them in with a few photos that I have given the link for many months ago...

http://photos.freeserve.com/public/detail....?c_album=742300

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Where to stay / some where to stop
« on: May 30, 2004, 08:44:17 PM »
We met Demitri when he was working at CC in the summer of 2002. When we were in Plakias last year (June 2003) he was working as a waiter at one of the tavernas on the front. I bet someone around here has a more up to date sighting!

On our first visit to Plakias in 2002 he really added to the holidy and we were pleased to see that he was still in town the following year. Currently we are in the first throws (and typically late!) of planning to return again this year. When you have found the perfect place why go elsewhere?

philj

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Plakias / Just returned from Plakias
« on: June 13, 2003, 11:15:57 AM »
Arrived back on the 11th after another great week in Plakias. The first three days were overcast but still warm giving us the opportunity to do something slightly more energetic than just sitting by the Costas pool.

A walk up the hill to Mirthios is certainly to be recommended, although possibly not as pleasurable in blazing mid summer. The views over Plakias are worth the walk up the hill and it is nice to spend a while just wandering around the narrow streets of the village. Also there is an interesting workshop/shop run by an (English?) man who makes all sorts of decretive pieces out of olive wood.

Another day we took the public bus to Rethimnon (costs just over 6 euros per person each way) to wander around the old town and fort area for a few hours. As you might expect, there are some quite commercialised areas of the town but it is easy to take a quiet side street and get away from it all if you wish. Getting the bus back is simple (check the return times before you leave Plakias) as the bus station in Rethimon is small and all announcements about departures are made in English as well as Greek and German. The two busses we caught left exactly on time.

John recommended we take a walk (actually I think he said a taxi!) to the Kastro taverna above Plakias for dinner one evening. This was probably the highlight of the week for me. We made sure that is was still light when we arrived so we could enjoy the arrival of dusk and night whilst we ate. The setting was good for the views and the feeling of being off the beaten track but the food (like much of the cooking in Plakias) was wonderful. I recommend the fennel pie to start and the lamb in lemon sauce (the meat fell off the bone) to follow for anyone considering a visit.

We stayed at the Dora Studios which were basic but fine if all you want is somewhere to shower and sleep for a few hours each night. Strangely, the room was cleaned each day up to and including Saturday but then was not touched for the next three days before we left. I actually preferred where we stayed last year at Costas but there was not much in it and it is not as if you go expecting/needing 5 star luxury.

If anyone is in Plakias when John is around it is easy to tell who he is. Sit on the Ostraco balcony at about 10:30pm and watch the people coming up the street. John is the one who takes half an hour to cover the 75 yards from the bakery to the door of Ostraco. This isn’t as a result of Mythos (well it might be!), but because of all the people who want to stop him, say ‘hi’ and have a chat. Seriously, when you read this next week John, it was good to put a face to the name. Hope you had as good a holiday as we had and thanks for the Kastro recommendation.

Phil

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PlakChat / Your last chance...
« on: June 02, 2003, 09:41:19 AM »
The fact that Plakias is relatively underdeveloped while still offering a great range of places to stay, places to eat and drink is the attraction for many visitors. It will be sad if larger developments make their way around the bay and spoil the 'untouched' air of the town.

However, I do feel that we (quite justifiably) want to pull up the drawbridge around Plakias. There is a thin dividing line between enough development to allow visitors to experience the charm of a small resort and too much development that obliterates that very charm. Also, I wonder how the local business owners would feel about further development. Would they welcome more visitors with their Euros or would they want to restrict development in order to keep their more regular visitors coming back time after time?
--

Last day at work before flying out tomorrow night. Can’t believe it is eleven months since we were last in Plakias. Looking forward to a relaxing week of good food and drink. Might bump into one or two of you out there?

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Plakias / Deciding
« on: May 14, 2003, 11:11:39 AM »
John,

I will make sure I find you. I have added a picture of myself to the collection on Yahoo. If you recognise me, say hello.

If we haven’t met before the evening of Wednesday June 4th we will very likely be on the Ostraco balcony at around 10:30pm for after dinner drinks and to watch the world go by below.

Ah, just the thought of it. I can’t wait!

Phil

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Plakias / Deciding
« on: May 14, 2003, 11:09:57 AM »
Alan,

The ‘Sunrise’ picture was taken in the early morning at around 5:30 am.

It doesn’t look it from that shot but it was so warm that night, and this, (or was it the food and drink??) meant that I didn’t get a good nights sleep. I got up before 5am and walked to the far end of the beach with my camera taking pictures as it gradually got lighter. I don’t remember seeing a sole on the walk to the end but the town was beginning to stir by the time I got back.

Phil

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Plakias / Deciding
« on: May 13, 2003, 02:14:34 PM »
Well John, I think I owe you a Mythos.

Having been into the local First Choice office at the weekend and come away disappointed (by the high prices and the reasonably unhelpful service) I decided to give Olympic a call. Five minutes of efficient and helpful service later I had booked a week at the Dora Studios for £219 pp including insurance. I know that is what some lucky people   are paying for two weeks in Plakias but I am more than happy with the price considering I thought I would have to pay £300 + with First Choice.

If it hadn’t have been for this site, and the information given about Dora, I would probably not have booked without seeing the accommodation in a brochure let alone going into a travel agents.

Really looking forward to being back in early June. Is that when you are in town John? No doubt we will bump into each other if it is. Would be good to meet up with an experienced Plakias connoisseur over a beer or two.

In anticipation I have been looking back at my photos from Plakias last year. I took something like 140 in two weeks, a good percentage of those at the alcohol fuelled Cretan Night. For anyone that is interested, a small selection (of the non Cretan Night variety) can be found at http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/philmj55

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Plakias / Deciding
« on: May 06, 2003, 09:38:57 AM »
Thank you to everyone for all your replies, they have confirmed that it is definitely the right thing for us to return to Plakias rather than ‘risk’ anywhere else. I have nothing but good memories of the place and am really looking forward to being back there to experience the sights, sounds and tastes all over again.

We intend to leave it quite late to book in the hope that prices will be lower the closer the date gets (3rd June). At the moment the lowest price I have found with First Choice is £325 pp for a weeks self-catering. This still seems a little high for 7 nights but I will willingly pay it if that is still the case in a couple of weeks.

Again, thanks to all for their thoughts.

philj

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Plakias / Deciding
« on: May 02, 2003, 03:48:25 PM »
We have a spare week at the start of June and intend to go abroad for a relaxing few days.

Despite having the time of my life in Plakias last year I always thought that we would try somewhere else just to experience a different holiday environment. I always thought that people who returned to the same place year after year were a bit 'unenlightened' and should venture to different countries/resorts to have different experiences.

However, over the last week (we are intending to get a late deal) I have come round to the idea of returning to Plakias. We had such a good time last year why risk a change and a worse holiday? Also, seven days is a short period of time - by the time you settle in and relax it is time to start thinking about going home. I now know Plakias well enough to immediately feel comfortable there and relax on the very first day. I know where to go and what to do. Plakias would be very appealing and comfortable.

On the down side, perhaps a second visit just wont compare to the first. What if I am remembering Plakias too fondly and it will never be the same. I have great memories, is it best to leave it at that. Should I now seek out and 'risk' a new destination.

Anyone been through this dilemma before or have any thoughts on returning to Plakias year after year. Is it as good the second time round?

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Plakias / Temperature and other queries
« on: April 09, 2003, 03:01:30 PM »
Hi Ian,

We were in Plakias 5th - 19th July last year. Like anywhere in the southern Med at that time of year it is going to be pretty darn warm. However, I am not one for too much sunbathing and no lover of really hot weather but I still managed to have the time of my life.

During the hottest part of the day we would retire to many of the tavernas along the sea front for a spot or two of ice cold refreshment and possibly a bit of lunch. This takes your mind of the heat and cools you down.

Then there is also the famous Plakias breeze. The gentle wind blowing off the sea sometimes takes the heat out of the air. A quick dip in the pool or sea and then drip drying (in about 90 seconds flat!) in the sun and breeze is a good way of cooling down.

Plakias in July is hot but not hot enough that it will spoil an excellent holiday providing you follow all the common sense precautions.

As far as water sports go, I don't think there is anything specially provided beyond what equipment and items you would take there yourself. I wouldn't worry too much about Plakias being 'sleepy'. It is what you make of it and there is plenty to do and see around the area and island as a whole. That is if you can drag yourself away from the atmosphere of relaxation and the satisfaction from the stunning scenery and amazing food and drink that Plakias has to offer.

Don’t know anything about the accommodation you mentioned but I’m sure others will be able to help.

Book the holiday and go. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

philj

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Plakias / Last summer
« on: February 07, 2003, 03:43:21 PM »
My girlfriend and I visited Plakias for the first time in July last year. Before the holiday I sought the (very helpful) advice of contributors to this site on what to expect, where to eat/visit etc and never got around to posting my own thoughts back here. So, with no particular organisation, here goes…

It is no exaggeration to say that those two weeks in Plakias last summer were the best two weeks of my life. Partly this was due to who I went on holiday with (this was the first time I had been abroad with a girlfriend) but the wonderful setting of Plakias was very important too. The town was exactly what we were looking for in a location. Not so quiet that there was limited choice of where to go and places to eat, and not to raucous that we were surrounded by clubs in some sort of 18-30s hellhole. Plakias was a perfect balance, small enough to be friendly and offer peace and relaxation whenever it was required but offering a large variety of tavernas, delightful places to eat and visit along with a spectacular landscape.

We stayed at the Costas Chrissoula (sorry about the spelling but you know where I mean) apartments. Being more ‘pool people’ than beach we found the accommodation more than acceptable as we were able to virtually roll out of bed and straight into the water. The rooms (as expected) were basic but very clean and all the staff very friendly (a special mention to the mercurial Dimitris behind the bar). The pool might have been a little small but this is clutching at straws when trying to criticise because there were rarely more than two or three people in it at most times of the day.

The main thing that will stay with me about Plakias is the wonderful food that we enjoyed there each night. We did not have a single bad or overpriced meal for the whole of the two weeks. Of course some places were better than others but all could be graded in the good to excellent bracket. I think it was seven or eight days before we went back to the same restaurant twice and we left at the end of the holiday still with several menus unsampled. Again from memory, the average price we paid for 2 starters, 2 main courses and a bottle/jug of retsina was around the equivalent of £13.

Our favourite establishment was recommended to us by Allan on this very site a few weeks before we went on holiday and were it not for him we certainly would never have ventured to the Secret Nest. Set back from the main front the Secret Nest is smaller and even more obviously family run than the other, more prominent eateries. I think it was our third night when we set off to find this place and it seemed to take ages to locate and involve an awful lot of wandering along unlit dirt tracks. (Upon later inspection in daylight I have no idea why it seemed such an effort to locate that first time as it is only a stones through from the main road and several signs point the way. I can only put it down to disorientation and a significant number of pre diner drinks). Two things particularly stick in my mind when thinking about the Secret Nest. I can still taste the amazingly tasty but simple fried squid splashed with fresh lemon juice that I enjoyed on both visits and the fresh, whole fish that I was called into the kitchen to select myself for grilling. There may be restaurants in Plakias with better views, comfier chairs and a wider selection of drinks but nowhere beats the Secret Nest for the quality and freshness of its seafood and its raw, basic charm.

It was amusing to read on this site about the departure of the First Choice rep before the end of the season. We did attend the (overlong) welcome meeting but were made to feel like criminals for not supporting a subsequent quiz night. We did our best to stay out of here way and thankfully were never in desperate need of her services. However, her bark was very definitely worse than her bite.

Plakias in July was hot. It wasn’t so much during the day when sometimes there was a slightly cooling breeze (none of the virtual hurricanes I had feared) but during the night. We had a ground floor apartment (no air conditioning, heavy curtain across the door blacking the breeze) and the nights were difficult to tolerate due to the discomfort that comes with perspiring while trying to sleep off too much good food and drink. A frozen bottle of water taken out of the freezer at midnight would be lukewarm inside a couple of hours. This is possibly the only thing I don’t miss about Crete although once it did cause me to get up at 5am and walk along the beech as the sun came up over the hills with not a soul around. A good experience that made the hot nights worthwhile.

Only on three days did we stray from the town. Once for a walk along the road to Souda Bay (can anyone tell me more about a war story an elderly acquaintance told me about a submarine that evacuated allied troops from there in WWII?) which was very quiet and picturesque. Souda makes a bit of a change from the Plakias beech and the walk is manageable (just!) in the Cretan summer.

In our second week we went on the organised trip to Santorini. The island is spectacular with hundreds of coulourful buildings perched on top of a sheer cliff face. Words cannot do the place justice but it is so far away and took over 5 hours to get there by boat. The ship was like a mini cruise liner and was a little to crowded for my tastes and it did sometimes feel like we were a large herd of animals being transported somewhere, being told when to eat and where to go. Once on the island we were able to get away by ourselves and the experience of being on and seeing Santorini made the journey there and back worthwhile.

The second organised trip was the Cretan night. I was not hopeful of an enjoyable evening and imagined more herds of people being force fed an American tourists perception of Greece. My fears were initially realised as we boarded a minibus and then joined others on a larger coach for an over long journey to the large establishment where the event was to be held. Again we were herded around and directed to a table of eight. My girlfriend and I joined six Germans who knew each other and spoke no English. However, large (and I mean large) amounts of unlimited red and white wine flowed, the food was good and eventually I was up dancing. Ultimately the experience was a really good one, even if I did disgrace myself (like others) by being ‘ill’ on the coach on the way back.

Looking back it might have been nice to do a bit more exploring and a bit more adventure. Getting a bus to Rethemon (spelling again?) was something we intended to do but never got around to but the sheer heat made us very lazy and the pool very tempting. From other posts around I know that July is not the month to go trekking around Crete on foot.

This post has already turned out to be longer than I imagined. As you can see, I had a great time in Plakias and have so many fond memories of the place and the whole holiday that come out when I start speaking or writing about it. Apologies if I have rambled a little. Plakias and Crete is about so much more than can be covered here and I have many more memories and little experiences that have not cropped up above. If anyone has a question or wants me to elaborate more on any of the above I will be happy to do so.

Phil J

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