... and loved it !!!!!!
Let's just say for starters, we're not from the "raver" end of life (getting on for 60 each !!) and the last couple of hols we've had in Greece have been at the "quieter end" of both Corfu and Kefalonia - so Plakias was chosen for pretty much the same reason (plus it was - we thought - handy for the Samaria Gorge !).
Arrived at Iraklion on Tuesday afternoon - knowing full well it was a "bit of a transfer" (!!) - but we sat back and enjoyed the view (and at every stop said "Don't fancy that place" (especially Bali - brochures said "unspoilt" - uuuh
?). We got there in the end - Oasis Apartments ... we'd looked on Tripadvisor and seen various comments about "main road"/"petrol station" - but we got in late afternoon and "the girl" (as she seems to be known) put us right - and served me my welcoming Mythos plus some "nero metallico" for Mrs Smiffy - long day (left our house at 0400hrs) so we wandered down the hill (noting the lack of pavement for the first several hundred yards - awkward but we lived with it !) into town (noting supermarket on the way !). Ended up with "fast food" I guess at Kymia - my Pastitsio was nowhere near as good as I cook it (honest !!) but it filled the "journey gap" ...
Wednesday was "welcome day" down at Taverna Gorgona with Les from Olympic - ouzo at 1100hrs for me (!) - booked our excursions (Samaria natch plus the Phaistos/Gortys/Matala) - do we pay by card
"Cash would be better" was the (Scottish) reply -- we were prepared !!!! Followed by a stock up at the supermarket and a lazy afternoon by the pool (this so-called "noise" at Oasis was more than drowned out by the crickets !!!)
Two excursion days - Thursday to Phaistos etc and Friday to Samaria - one cr*p meal of note at Matala (we got there and were being pointed towards Minos Palace when another coach arrived and 50+ peeps headed straight in) - we went elsewhere and chose Lions Bar for the view - ended up with souvlaki and Uncle Bens microwaved rice !!! Samaria Gorge was something else mind - we're both walkers (me being a postie as well !) so it was a marvellous day out - seems it doesn't matter where you stay - it's just a (lengthy) bugger to get to the start !
Food-wise - we did all right from the supermarket at the bottom of the hill near Alianthos Palace - and with the temperature being 36-39C it was mostly salad anyway (what DO you call a Greek Salad when in Greece
). A couple of semi-lazy days - bought the "footpath map" from the Supermarket in town and did a few - ... wandered around the town (stopped for lunch at Gialos where I found bottles of Rethymnian Blonde (having spent all week drinking supermarket "Fix", it was a rare treat !)) plus me and Mrs Smiffy won the Olympic Hols "Quiz" on Saturday night down at Costas And Chrysoula - prize being a "free round" at Gorgona !!!
... and then the "wind" kicked in ... and that was probably the only downside of the whole holiday - walked to Damnoni Beach - they weren't opening the umbrellas due to the wind !! Meal out on Sunday night at Gorgona was superb - mixed fish really meant mixed fish (they were all winking at me !!) - what with the free round we both ate for under 30 Euros.
Wind continued on Monday - so we jumped on the service bus to Rethymnon - and that's a good day out as well - only 50+ mins (air-con bus as well) for 4.90 Euros each - the Old Town is a wonderful place to explore (until Mrs S found the leather handbag shops !). Monday evening saw a meal at Manoussos - once again excellent food (need to sort out the English translations on the menu mind !!).
And then it was Tuesday - and back to Blighty.
Loved it (apart from the wind !!) - and if you're interested a few pics from the week at:
http://mossleysmiffy.jalbum.net/Holiday2-Crete/I'd certainly go back ... but apparently our next jollie is Nepal ...
Maybe this blurb might tempt a few more ...
