Crete - Day Nine

Today's goal was to explore the world of public transport in Crete. Otherwise known as Seth drags Jamie on the bus. Again.

You may already know this, but Crete is a really big island. So big that during a stay here you pretty much need to rent a car if you want to see even a fraction of it. We decided to rent a car during the last three days of our visit here, so for today and tomorrow, we are either at our hotel or relying on taxis, our feet and the bus. Our hotel is situated on the beach about 5 km from Chania (pronounced with an H not "tch" as Seth was told (admonished) while Jamie laughed at him). Today we plan to explore the oldest part of Chania, otherwise known as Old Town Chania. Armed with directions and two bus tickets we stumble our way onto the bus and find ourselves dropped off in the center of the city. Its busy and confusing but luckily our map has street names this time. We find our way and head off to our first destination, the Food Market, an indoor market which houses more cheesemakers, fishmongers, butchers and olive oil purveyors than we thought possible in one small space.

We walked in to the market with the goal of buying olive oil to bring back. Jamie was quite calm and fairly intrigued by the number of vendors and wept a little at the sheer amount of cheese in one place (like seeing a White Snake reunion concert in Lyndhurst). Seth, on the other hand, had a religious experience upon entering the market. At first he laughed uncontrollably, fell to his knees and spoke in tongues (Swaggart like) then finally stood and declared he was never leaving. After brief but intense negotiations, we headed off to find the woman who sold the olive oil we wished to buy. We had read of an olive oil made at a monastery in Crete and only one woman sold it. We struck out at first but finally found her - this quest was reminiscent of Seinfeld's journey to purchase a marble rye at Schnitzer's. The woman selling the olive oil was so convincing that we also left with honey and other brands of olive oil as well. We spent another hour walking into each stall and inspecting the butchers (who did not shy away from displaying heads, organs and full animals, including rabbits with their fuzzy feet still intact), fishmongers (selling eels, live (yes live) crustaceans and other crazy fish we had never seen) and cheese makers (I can not do justice to the unbelievable smells coming from their stalls).

After we left the market we headed into the oldest section of the city (making a pit stop for sunscreen). We walked along the river and into a famous mosque that was hosting an art exhibition of all things. Except for the age of the building (dating back to the early 1600s), the mosque was not as impressive as most of the old city. The mosque, however, did put us near our lunch location, Karnadio, which was located right off the touristy strip that lay against the water. We indulged in a long lunch there, including teramusalata, a Greek version of a cobb salad called Minata Salad (this was much tastier and healthier), and stuffed peppers and tomatoes. The food was delicious, and topped with complimentary dessert (a polenta like cake) and raki (two shots for Seth, zero for Jamie, pattern clearly emerging).

After our long lunch, we made our way through the back streets of charming Old Chania center (think Venice) toward a very old synagogue called Etz Hayiim. Neither of us were in the praying mood per se, but this synagogue was surreal, tucked away amongst the plethora of shops in the old city's back alleys. The synagogue was vandalized and left in shambles by the Nazis in 1944 and stayed that way until a restoration effort in 1993 helped revitalize the synagogue. There were several artifacts amongst the sanctuary, and behind the sanctuary lay graves of 19th century rabbis and a mikva room. It was clear that this place was left for stray animals to roam for 50 plus years, but encouraging that the synagogue continued to be restored and preserved through the efforts of many (including several NY Jews of course). The synagogue has been placed on the top 100 most endangered monuments lists so hopefully it will continue to be preserved.

After leaving the synagogue, we walked to the archaeological museum (Chania center is really small and walkable). There, Seth toured around the premises, examining ancient Minoan artifacts and daydreaming that he was Dr. Jones. All the while, Jamie passed the time in the museum by using the restroom and resting in the corner of the museum while ancient Greek knowledge soaked in her brain like osmosis (welcome to our worlds).

We left the museum and found our way back to the bus while Jamie (im)patiently waited until the driver would open the doors and allow passengers to enter. We got back to the hotel (after a brief detour down the wrong street) just in time to watch the sunset from our balcony. After resting, it was once again time to eat. Our hotel recommended a place in Old Town called Tamam, which had a Turkish and Persian influences. We ate outside (after a quick stop so Jamie could purchase some jewelry - gasp, shocking). The streets are so narrow that only tables for two could fit and it felt like we were eating in a very quaint alley. We ate tomato croquettes (like fried bruschetta - not Jamie's fave), a lamb dish with pureed aubergine (eggplant) so tender it just fell apart and Persian risotto with dates, quince, and other fruits seasoned with saffron. The meal, including the service was excellent and was a nice change from our traditional Greek meals. Naturally, we were given Raki and a small cake for dessert. Once again, Jamie escaped the Raki while Seth pretended like he didn't enjoy it (his Raki issues will be further explored in next season's Celebrity Rehab on VH1). We walked around a bit after the meal and took a taxi (finally!) back to our hotel. Chania is quite charming and we hope to visit again before we leave, especially for the Raki.

Santorini to Crete - Day Eight

Today our driving adventure continues, subtitled Jamie and Seth get lost in Santorini.

We get up this morning, sad to be leaving Santorini but excited to see what is in store for us in Crete. We have decided to explore the Santorini beaches and a local winery. We also want to drive to the lighthouse at the end of the island to see the beautiful views from the cliffs. After our last terrace breakfast, armed with directions, maps (with no street names), water and assurances from the hotel that driving in Santorini is "very simple", we are off. Seth is driving, Jamie is purportedly navigating. In reality, Jamie is confused, feels angry at the map that only distinguishes roads by red and orange and Seth is strongly considering abandoning Jamie with the horses that are on the side of the road. After some "discussion", it is determined that we are finally on the right path and we make it to our destinations. The beaches are fascinating because they aren't white, but are red and black due to the volcano. Our favorite is the red beach, a small beach carved out of the mountain and requiring a bit of a hike to enjoy. The black beaches are unique but very touristy, which take away from their charm (think Seaside Heights).

The highlight of our driving adventure is Galavanas Vineyard, which makes wine both traditionally and using modern methods. This is where Giada actually went grape stomping when she visited Santorini with the Food Network and, sure enough, we were told that grape stomping is part of the vineyard's "traditional" wine making component and occurs once a year. While we did not get a chance to stomp on the grapes ourselves (instantaneous fermentation would likely occur should Seth's bare feet touch grapes), we did get to take a tour of the vineyard, try a few of their different wines and purchased two bottles to bring home (one of which we previously enjoyed at Vanilia restaurant in Fira a few nights ago).

Finally, with wine on our palates, we headed to Luckys in Fira, which was a "fast food" restaurant that served gyros and souvlaki. We had one of each in a pita, and the place was absolutely delicious. One can only imagine the business Luckys would do if situated near NYU after a Grateful Dead reunion.

After leaving Luckys and getting thoroughly lost amongst the very few roads that is Santorini, we finally returned to Anastasis to say our goodbyes, pack up the car and head to the airport (which, by the way, was one of the few uneventful Santorini driving experiences). Our flights were also uneventful (despite being graced with a mail order bride and her "husband" on the Santorini to Athens flight) and we finally made it to Crete in one piece. After a minor mishap with some luggage (ie, Europeans being Europeans), we found our driver and were off to Ammos Hotel, outside of Chania and about 30 minutes from the airport.

Crete was a big change from the quiet of Imerovigli in Santorini. It is a large island and very city like but luckily our hotel has a pool and is situated off the main roads and on the beach. Our room has a lovely view of the beach, a comfy bed, sofa and kitchen. The bathroom has some visitors which we plan to have removed in the morning by an exterminator.

Seth is hungry from the travel (or life in general) so we go downstairs and are pleasantly surprised to discover our hotel has a well known and regarded restaurant. We share salmon with lentils, a cucumber and tomato salad and an appetizer of tomatoes and feta and olives on crostini bread. The other guests are quite friendly and strike up conversation. At the end of the meal, we are of course offered shots of Raki, the local Crete liquor. Jamie runs the other way but Seth good naturedly shares one with our waitress and a French couple and yet another with just the French man. Isn't he so nice to take the free shots and save face for all of America?

Santorini - Day Seven

Mission: drive to dinner without careening off a cliff, crashing into an ATV (driven like a car on the main road of course), a Greek taxi, another tourist driver, and getting lost.

Mission accepted by Seth, navigation by Jamie (despite forgetting to put in her contacts) and mostly achieved.

Today is our last full day in Santorini. Jamie is currently chained to the lounge chair, hoping no one notices if she stays. We have decided to continue taking advantage of the weather and pool until dinner. We rented a car today so we can drive around the island tomorrow and return it to the airport, thus avoiding a transfer and seeing the cool beaches. Our hotel is genius! The car arrives around 3:30 due to some persuasion (screaming and arguing) by Despina, the hotel owner, since we won't return the car until the next day at 4:30. The extra hour is apparently quite a source of contention. All is squared away, we examine the car, sign our contract and resume laying by the pool.

Seth drags us back to our room around 6:00 to get ready and we head to Ammoudi Bay for dinner and views of the sunset. On our way to dinner, we successfully stop for gas at a Santorini gas station (although Seth is temporarily convinced that the gas station attendant short changes us on gas) and Seth managed to make only slight contact with a stationary shrub on the side of the narrow and winding Santorini roads (although admittedly, this shrub is neither situated on a road that is narrow nor winding). Ammoudi is at the northern most point of the island and is the port below the town of Oia. It is a traditional village and very tiny, consisting of one store, a bunch of restaurants all boasting THE BEST SUNSET ON THE ISLAND, many boats and some houses. We walk along the short pier, take some pictures and settle in at Dimitri's, as recommended by our hotel.

The owner is Canadian and we hear the first fluent english since we arrived (particularly helpful at this restaurant and we are grateful). The place is all about the fish, you buy whatever was caught that day and choose your unsuspecting dinner from a case inside the kitchen. Seth informs me he is HUNGRY so we settle on a 1.25 kg black sea bream (probably intended for a family of four) for the low price of 60 euro (this was a deal too!). We also order fava dip, a tomato cucumber salad and octopus. The food was quite good, the crowd was hilarious (including an australian couple, a gay couple from boston and a couple in their 50s from Iowa who tried to make friends with the entire place) and the views were beautiful. The Iowa couple informed us that they met just a few years ago after divorces and now the man only thought about sex when he saw his girlfriend. He might have also sang Sheryl Crow's "All I Want to do is Have Some Fun" and knocked over one of the many glasses of gin he was drinking. Throughout this entertainment, Seth managed to eat the entire fish himself as Jamie naturally filled up on appetizers (though truth be told, Seth probably took down the majority of those as well). While the view was fabulous, the food delicious and the setting picturesque, the sunset was not at its best tonight, likely because the sun was not used to us being anywhere beside our balcony when setting. After completing the meal with a cappuccino and espresso (Jamie and Seth, respectively), we managed to locate the car and drive back to the hotel with only one near miss accident (an oncoming car in a narrow street got awfully close to our rearview mirror) and inadvertently driving past the hotel only once (not bad given the darkness). All in all, success on the road and a great final full day in Santorini.

Santorini - Day Six

We woke up this morning with a sense of adventure and renewed by our day of sheer laziness yesterday. In preparation for our adventure, we ate breakfast as usual on our terrace overlooking the sea, except this morning's breakfast was Dr. Atkin's nemesis, consisting solely of corn flakes, pound cake, croissants and rolls. With sufficient carb energy intact, our adventure today was to consist of a trip to Oia, the town at the northern most point in Santorini. We had the option of walking, well, walking isn't so much the right word as is a 2 hour uphill hike through the mountains on unpaved road in 85 degree heat (which feels more like 100 degrees). So we took what we deemed the more adventurous route and took the city bus.

The city bus runs about once an hour. And seemingly everyone tries to take it. We were the last two passengers to board and we were jammed up against the people standing like sardines. Jamie had to stand on the stairs for a little while until the man collecting tickets jostled everyone and she snuck in next to a Japanese couple who didn't look too happy. The trip is only 15 minutes to the center of town, but imagine a bus careening around windy roads at the edge of a cliff and you get the idea. Our mothers would have collective heart attacks just thinking about it.

We safely arrived, Jamie a little motion sick, and we set off to explore the town. Oia has also been commercialized but not nearly to the extent of Fira. The streets are much quieter and more beautiful and the shops have better merchandise. Not to worry though, you can always find a dancing donkey marionette to bring home to an unsuspecting relative (the Santorini version of Billy the Bass). We wandered for a while until we found the restaurant for lunch recommended by our hotel called Skala. We had views of the sea and every half hour a pack of donkeys would walk down the stairs to the port carrying luggage and people. It was funny to watch all of the people run to take pictures, although of course Jamie was one of them. Also notable about lunch, were the number of cats that hung out with the diners and the other diners who had at least 30 years on us. One treated us to his view on politics for most of the meal until Jamie almost knocked him into the sea. Thankfully, the delicious mussels that Jamie ordered for lunch diverted her attention enough to save that elder diner from her angst.

After lunch, we wandered the town, did some shopping and decided to forgo the bus experience and find a taxi home. Some jewelry made by a local artist who was kind of enough to give us directions the night before might have been purchased. Upon arriving back at the hotel we headed straight to the pool and relaxed for the rest of the day only moving to our jacuzzi for sunset. Our hotel must have known we were celebrating our one week anniversary because they surprised us with champagne and sweets just about replacing dinner.

Naturally, Seth could not forgo dinner so we opted to try the taverna next door to our hotel around 10pm. The food was just ok, although we did try an outstanding appetizer of grilled feta and peppers. The owner's son brought us shots at the end of the meal, Jamie's was homemade including Metaxa and many spices like cinnamon (which predictably she could not finish). Seth became a man and did a shot of Raki with our waiter that I think he still tastes.

Happy one week anniversary of our wedding and one year anniversary of our engagement to us! Presents from Seth are always accepted (see the jewelry reference above).

Santorini - Day Five

Things to do today:

1. Eat breakfast on terrace

2. Lay by the pool

3. Read a book and magazines (for jamie, be sure to repeat)

4. Eat lunch (souvlaki take-out) in private garden

5. Re-apply sunscreen

6. Lay by pool

7. Nap

8. Put feet/lower body in pool

9. Re-apply sunscreen (jamie rules)

10. Move to jacuzzi to watch sunset and drink frappe (jamie) and beer (not jamie)

11. Move to balcony to see end of sunset

12. Shower (pee-ew)

13. Take scary taxi to Oia for dinner at Roka

14. Get very lost and ask nice shop owner for help.

15. Find Roka. Eat delicious mezzes.

16. Take scarier taxi home. Stop for random American college girls (no, seth was not dreaming).

17. Sleep.

Santorini-Day Four

We were woken up this morning with a phone call to bring us breakfast consisting of greek yogurt (delicious), pastries (also delicious), bread, coffee, fruit and freshly squeezed o.j. We ate breakfast on our terrace overlooking the sea. When we finally moved ourselves after breakfast we decided to take the 45 minute hike into Fira, the capital of the island.

The walk was some serious exercise. The road is windy, mostly uphill and not paved. Jamie tripped more than once and Seth laughed each time. We figured that Jamie should not multi-task while walking on steep terrain (or in general), and by multi-tasking we mean anything other than keeping her eyes on the trail. We walked through Imeroviglia (the town we are staying closest to and the most difficult to pronounce) which was beautiful and quiet. The houses are just like it is pictured in the movies, built in the cliffs formed by the volcano and overlooking the sea. In contrast, Fira, while looking similar and also quite beautiful is a combination of the Times Square and Canal Street of Santorini. The narrow streets are filled with shops for tourists and didn't sell anything we would buy. A few cruise ships had docked that morning and the streets were filled with Americans who fulfilled every stereotype you could think of. We actually overheard a woman ask a shopowner how to say Visa in Greek. Needless to say, we didn't stay very long and only ate lunch.

Fortunately, Katarina at our hotel had recommended a restaurant along the way (not quite in the center of Fira) called Flame and told us to ask for Raymond, the owner. We were greeted by Raymond, who we heard speak no less than 5 different languages while we ate and were treated to a lovely meal of tzatziki, the dip which has fish roe the name which we can't quite remember, gigantes (or elephant beans), meatballs, a tomato and cucumber salad and some fresh bread. Raymond is so friendly he sent us watermelon for dessert and two waters for our walk back to the hotel. He even let Seth use his bathroom after we had already left the restaurant and were walking around the town; talk about hospitable!

We got back to the hotel, very hot and tired, so we changed into our bathing suits and lounged by the pool until sunset, around 6:30. At that time, we moved to our jacuzzi and private garden to drink wine (Seth) and frappe (Jamie) and watched the amazing sunset. The sky was red and orange which couldn't be captured in a picture, although we tried. After the sunset, we cleaned up and headed to dinner at Vanilia, in the outskirts of Fira, known for fresh seafood. This restaurant was fancier than the tavernas we had been frequenting and was a nice change. Our server recommended a great bottle of local white wine and told us "the only wine here is dry!" when we checked to make sure it wasn't too sweet. We shared octopus marinated in red wine, which was different than anything we had previously tasted. We had a santorinian salad, consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, a soft mild cheese, homemade croutons and capers. We also shared the fresh catch of the day, sea brine (unsure of the spelling), a new fish for both of us, grilled whole in olive oil. It was the highlight of the meal, especially watching our server clean the fish and extract the skeleton in one piece. For dessert, we shared baklava (as recommended) and had coffees. Right before we left, the server brought us a shot of homemade liquor who smelled like strawberries and tasted very sweet. By the time the taxi showed up to take us back, we were sleepy and full.

Athens to Santorini - Day Three

On our final day in Athens we finally made it to the complimentary breakfast in the restaurant. It was lovely and gave us lots of much needed fiber. We knew we were flying to Santorini on a 7:00 flight so we decided to explore another section of Athens and do some shopping. We found out that the place to go for shops is Kolonaki, a 20 minute walk from our hotel.

Kolonaki was our favorite part of the city. The streets are narrow and beautiful and filled with loads of shops and cafes. Jamie bought shoes (seriously) and a t-shirt and Seth bought two t-shirts. We sat in an outdoor cafe in the center square, ate lunch and people watched. It was a gorgeous day, about 75 degrees and sunny. While we sat, many people approached us to buy things including lotto tickets and flowers. We graciously declined although winning the lottery would have been nice after our wedding.

After we shopped and ate, we headed back to the hotel where our friend George was waiting to pick us for our flight to Santorini. Little did we know, but we bonded with George so much, he gave us a CD of Greek music. It was a great ending to our stay in Athens.

Our flight to Santorini was easy, not even an hour. We even dealt with the smelly German man who kept sticking his belly in Jamie's face (not per Jamie's request). Sadly, Seth forgot he was carrying booze and was forced to check his suitcase. The suitcase was returned without its handle. A greek tragedy. The tragedy was quickly forgotten when we stepped outside and smelled the sea air. We were greeted by our driver, Emilio, who took us to our hotel, Anastasias Apartments.

Our hotel is pure paradise. We were greeted by the entire staff, including Despina (the owner) and Katarina who works at the front desk. They took our things, and gave us a tour, leaving the best part for last, our room. Our room is three floors and includes a private jacuzzi and garden. We have the highest room with a deck where we eat breakfast and look out at the sea. It was late so we got back to the room to find it decorated with lit votives and flowers. Despina sent us a bottle of wine and some food. It was the perfect way to spend our first night in Santorini.