Irida studios

[Barny]

I certainly dont go because Freddi is there! ? no offence meant!
I think with me it's a case of as soon as I am there I know where to go, what the beach is like and where to eat and drink without having to worry about what a place is like and will it spoil my break ETC.
But now, after 21 years of Plakias, sometimes twice a year I might just go somewhere else next year just to challenge my brain a little bit. I dont like the thought of not going to Plakias as I have grown so used to the place and the lifestyle there but this year I decided to change as I was getting into the same habit every time, day, breakfast, beach, antonis, beach, room, eat, kyma, room, drink, sleep! which i didnt have a problem with but........
We will see.
Your thoughts?

                          Barny.

[George]

I totally agree with all of that Barny, and I must admit your daily routine sounds very familiar.  

But why does one get into that routine, what is the attraction that brings people back the second, third, fourth consecutive time?
Most 'normal' people, like to explore the world, and some of us do, but why are we going back to Plakias after that first visit, year after year. I used to have an early holiday around May/June time, basically to find somewhere other than Plakias, but always ended up back there in September.
Is it just because we felt comfortable there, safe, liking and knowing that we will have an enjoyable holiday, and don't want to take a risk on somewhere new?
Beats me!  

george...
I liked the joke BTW!!

[Barny]

Is it just because we felt comfortable there, safe, liking and knowing that we will have an enjoyable holiday, and don't want to take a risk on somewhere new?
Beats me!  


Or is it pure laziness!!??
Ruth used to say, "why do you go there all the time? there are other places in the world" and I couldn't find a suitable answer!
Even writing this makes me want to be there next year! Strange.


                Barny.

[George]

''Ruth used to say, "why do you go there all the time? there are other places in the world" and I couldn't find a suitable answer!''

How many of us, have had that question asked of us? I know I have, and the answer was the same as yours Barny.

Lazyness? Sounds like a 'that'll do kind of place' Barny, and we all know different don't we?

george...

[Graham_and_Karen]

For us, there are several reasons why we yearn to return to Plakias again and again. I used to think that familiarity was what gives us the 'coming home' feeling that we get each time we return but I don't think changes in bar ownership, no doughnuts on the beach etc would make us feel any less at home. The approach to Plakias is the first thing that comes to mind: exiting either of the gorges above Plakias marks a transition from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or, more immediately, the airport. Next, we rarely have plans on what we want to do while on holiday but we know that Plakias has pretty much all we might want: decent bars and restaurants; hills and villages to explore; several beaches within walking distance and plenty of other places to explore by car. The one thing I'd like though, is a better bus service so that wider exploration wouldn't require hiring a car. So far, our 6 holidays have each been very different but not been disappointed so far.

[spottttttt]

Freddi wasn't George

[George]

For us, there are several reasons why we yearn to return to Plakias again and again. I used to think that familiarity was what gives us the 'coming home' feeling that we get each time we return but I don't think changes in bar ownership, no doughnuts on the beach etc would make us feel any less at home. The approach to Plakias is the first thing that comes to mind: exiting either of the gorges above Plakias marks a transition from the hustle and bustle of everyday life or, more immediately, the airport. Next, we rarely have plans on what we want to do while on holiday but we know that Plakias has pretty much all we might want: decent bars and restaurants; hills and villages to explore; several beaches within walking distance and plenty of other places to explore by car. The one thing I'd like though, is a better bus service so that wider exploration wouldn't require hiring a car. So far, our 6 holidays have each been very different but not been disappointed so far.

I totally agree with you guys as well, but the question I'm asking is why did you return for a 'second' visit? What is so different about Plakias, that made you return that 'second' time, instead of going somewhere else like normal people would.

george...

[Barny]

I know what you mean George. My first 'abroad' holiday was in1988 when I went to a place called Teneriffe, to me I had never heard of it and it was described as an island off the coast of Africa! sounded perfect ? it was a resort called santa cruz or something and well, you know the rest.
Next year I went to this place called Plakias on an unheard of, to me, island called Crete.
After the two weeks of just holidaying, you can imagine Plakias in 1989? ,I had to come back again, perhaps it was to prove that my last Plakias holiday was a one off and it would never happen again? This was not so and it proved to me that this place could offer me all I needed for a break. I got lots of comments from others about going every year but when they came back from various places with bad memories and medical problems, I just thought, "well I will not have to be like that as I know where to go" ETC.....
I promised myself a different place next year, but it wont be easy!

                          Barny.

[George]

You started late Barny, my first holiday abroad was in 1968 to some place called Lloret de Mar, Spain I think!    

I don't think that there will be any better answers than that Barny, kinda sums it up doesn't it? My first trip to Plakias was in 1993 after 'doing' Rhodes and many other islands (Greek) for many years and stayed at the Erato. Like you I found that it had everything I wanted. So basically, because I'm not that adventurous and I hate travelling, I thought when I left that the holiday had everything, so if my holiday is not broke so to speak, why try fixing it! I re-booked as soon as the Sunmed brochure came out that year and chose Galini Beach apartments, the now Alianthos annexe, top floor room at the front. It just kept getting better, year after year after... and hopefully it will continue!

george...

[Barny]

I was only eight in 1968!!  But then I see people at work and ask their date of birth and it's 1990 and some are 1989 ! how can you be born then!!

                       Barny (old fart)

[George]

I've got 10 years on you Barny so I was 18. Spain was full of gorgeous single German and Scandinavian women, and yes I did go back again!    
But only once more!

george...

[Barny]

To apologise?

          Barny.

[Peter&Dawn]

To apologise?

          Barny.

No. To pay the maintenance!!!!!!  

Peter&Dawn

[George]

To apologise?

          Barny.

Moi! Apologise! I don't know what you mean Barny!      

[Chris H.]

Interesting discussion....
After going on holiday to many, many different places in the world I gave in to the misses finally and agreed to try Greece for a change (the misses had been asking me for years to go there but I always refused, had this strange idea that most Greek men were of the greasy, secondhand cardealer type and all the Greek ladies were fat and moody. No idea how and were I picked up that thought.....
Anyway, I promised the misses we'd go to Greece on the condition that I could pick the destination. So I googled and googled and finally came across this site and was impressed by all the enthousiastic stories about this place Plakias. Oke, let's give it a go and indeed, we loved the place from the very first moment and did not quite understand what it was exactly, something in the air huh? So we came back the second year and still loved it very much but there was also something different in the air: WIND! My oh my, we were there for a month and could not go to the beach for at least half that time so we told each other: this is a bit much for our liking, let's check out another place on the south coast of Crete, so I googled and googled and scanned the whole south coast with Google earth and found this place in the east: Makrigyalos meaning long coast.  Ok now, funny thing is, we liked it just as much as we did Plakias (something in the air huh?) and there was no wind, we went back the second year and guess what? no wind! great!!  Moral of this story: Plakias may be quite unique but it certainly is not the only place on Crete with a certain atmosfere to it, I think we like Mak even a bit more because there is much less wind but also because there is no road between the front row of businesses and the beach. The people are just as welcoming and friendly as in Plak (here, take this raki home with you and also take this oliveoil) and like in Plak one has to chase them at the end of the holiday to pay for the rent and after leaving one has the feeling that one has spent time with family instead of just renting an apartment from someone....so we already booked for next year....