Chania/Hania/Khania/Xania--A Picturesque Port, No Matter the Spelling!

Waiting for the bus in Anogia

G:  We began Saturday morning, Oct 2, with our new US friend, Peter, driving us from Enagron to the village of Anogia, seven kms from Axos, where we would catch the bus back to the city of Iraklion (or sometimes Heraklion or Iraklio), to the central bus terminal for all points west.  We had been in Anogia before, but were quite unsure whether the bus would arrive at 8am on this quiet Saturday morning,  And the fact that the bus would stop two feet from the outdoor cafe chairs, some of which already occupied by men having coffee,  left us incredulous...  What could we do but join them while we waited?  Jon ordered a coffee while we pondered our surroundings.  The attendant from the cafe across the alley came over to offer his helpful bit of English--yes we were in the right place--and then he told us that one of the men at another table had paid for Jon's coffee!  It was one of those moments that reinforces why we continue to travel to out of the way places....the bus came right on time--the driver loaded our bags underneath, and we were off on our way...


Once we changed buses in Iraklion, by mid-day we were on to Chania (on the NW coast of Crete)  which the guidebooks touted as being "charming". 

J: One big problem in Greece is translating Greek letters to the Latin alphabet.  The letter "X" in Greek alphabet  is translated as "H" or "CH" or "KH".  So maps and guidebooks will spell the names of towns completely differently based on which Latin letter they decide to use.

G:  And if we didn't mention, the bus system on Crete is amazing.  The drivers could not be nicer and more well trained for the winding mountain roads, narrow village lanes and harrowing city traffic, often compounded by double parked cars. Many times we would sneak past cars and motorcycles with less than six inches to spare.  The buses are new, comfortable coach-style, with doors for luggage on the outside. Small freight is also sent from village to village this way--at the appropriate destination, if no one is there to receive it, it is just left on the curb--no problem!

Chania harbor

Since we had not really seen "charming" since we arrived on Crete, we opted to spend two nights at a small family run hotel, the Alexis, on the edge of the port city and have a good look. We were not disappointed in the port--it had it all:  a Venetian fortress, a mosque on the waterfront which is now an art museum, a  Turkish prison, a lighthouse, a beautiful harbor/marina lined with a wide walkway and lots of outdoor restaurants..Chania was once the capital of Crete--it was here that Crete became part of Greece in 1913, after 200 years Turkish rule, but Iraklion is now the capital and its biggest port.

The harbor at Chania and lighthouse

Chania is where the tourists come--mostly Scandinavian and northern European.  Just behind the harbor walk is  a maze of alleyways--the original old city, built to foil intruders.  Small inns and homes, shops, etc.  After checking in to the hotel, we walked to the harbor, had lunch there of zucchini fritters, stuffed red peppers, and 3 small "pies"--typical  turnovers of herbs, cheese, and onions.  The we walked out to the lighthouse just as the afternoon sun was getting lower in the sky.  It produced some amazing light on the water.

Arriving at Balos Bay

The next morning we were picked up on the main road by a travel agency bus for a day-long adventure by boat to the unpopulated NW corner of Crete, which consists of two parallel  peninsulas with a huge gulf between them.   By the time we had loaded the rest of the folks from various hotels along the way, we were 26 in all, including our darling, well-spoken guide--and we were the only outsiders-- all the rest were Finns!  How these things happen, we don't know, but we were grinning all the way to the boat!  The open-air boat held many more tourists from other buses and soon we were all loaded and leaving.

Balos Bay with our anchored ship in the background

We sailed in the morning sun for Balos Beach on the far side of the most westerly peninsula to one of the most amazingly situated lagoons of shallow water.  It took only one hour.  This is the twin of Bali Hai or Bora Bora.  We spent three hours exploring and sitting in the sun and wading in the turquoise waters, enjoying the remoteness of this place.

Wading in the lagoon -- the Blue Lagoon?

A few miles across the bay from Balos Beach is a huge well-preserved Venetian fortress on Gramvousa Island, which must have been perfect to watch for invaders.  This was our second stop and included a walk to the top....but some of our knees were aching that day, so it wasn't in the cards!  Very disappointed!

Not the 100 year old Cretan who climbed to the top of the castle

On our boat that day was what looked to be 4 generations of a Cretan family.  An elderly man-- 90-100 years old, maybe his 70-year old daughter,  her daughter and 10ish great-grandson.  Back on the boat, we learned from our tour leader, the man had made it to the top!.  We had read and heard about  longevity on Crete and that their special diet plays an important part--as I looked at this man--I believed it!  Apparently he does this hike to the top every year.  He and his great-grandson shared a special bond, that was clear.  The women had stayed on the boat. What a day!















Our last night in Chania ended with a lovely dinner in the hotel's restaurant--son, Theo, is the chef.  We feasted on lamb chops and salmon brochettes with grilled veggies.  Delicious--our best meal on this trip!
















Next up:  we head by bus to the southern coast of Crete to the small port of Paleochora.  Did you know that the south coast of  Crete is closer to Libya than Athens?