With great risk comes great reward, but should this proverb ever become operative on one's honeymoon (unless your honeymoon takes you to Midland and you find yourself craving raw bar)? Day thirteen was unlucky, and yet fortunate, in many ways, as we set out to Sweet Water Beach via car per the glowing recommendation of our hotel owner, Nikos.
To our credit, the journey through the rolling Cretan hills and picturesque countryside to Sweet Water Beach from our hotel was approximated to us at 1 hour 15 minute and, notwithstanding an occasional wrong turn here and there, we finally arrived at the point where we parked our car to set out for the beach after a 1 hour 30 minute drive. Not bad for a couple of New Yorkers. Of course that is where the adventure begins, as the attraction of Sweet Water Beach, its seclusion, is also the cause of its peril. We parked along side the highway and, per Nikos' instruction, ventured down a "trail" to get to the beach, armed with 3 bags of assorted snacks and water, 2 beach towels, 1 designer purse (not Seth's) and no sunscreen applied as of yet. And per Nikos' recommendation, our footwear consisted of good ol' American flip flops.
We crossed the street and followed the innocuous sign pointing us toward some cliffs. The beginning of the walk wasn't easy as there wasn't really a path but some rocks and dirt to follow, but seemingly doable with some effort. This "walk" was supposed to take about 25 minutes (according to a gentleman whom we had asked directions during our drive; Nikos failed to give us an approximation) and if the path would have remained as it was in the beginning it would have been just hard. But halfway through, just when we thought it couldn't get tougher, Murphy's Law reared its ugly head. We were very high up in the cliffs, with nothing to hold on to and only jagged rocks below us. The rocks we were scaling (yes scaling) were big, sharp and slippery. It seemed we climbed for hours in the hot sun with no shade. We came across no other hikers until the very end. It was at this point that someone cried (not Seth), someone sat on a rock in a cave and declared we could just stay here (not Jamie), both of us considered going back, and made deals with G-d and prayed. Three hikers (wearing hiking boots and carrying walking sticks) came towards us and told us we were very close to the beach. They looked at how we were dressed and what we were carrying and forced a smile at us out of pity. We silently cursed Nikos (at least Seth was silent) and finally got up the nerve to continue.
Obviously, because we are writing this, we survived and made it to the beach. This beach, we later learned, is supposed to be one of the best in the world. We also quickly discovered, it is a nudist beach. We walked across the rocks (the southern beaches in Crete do not have sand) and flopped onto two beach chairs. We each drank our weight in water. A man approached us for the fee to rent the chairs and Jamie flung herself at his feet and asked if there was any other way to get back to the car. He extracted himself from her death grip and indicated that he takes passengers back to the port by boat each day at 5:30. BOAT?? YOU CAN GET HERE BY BOAT?? We offered him our first born for a place on the boat and he settled on 4 euros a piece (note, however, that we are now contractually obligated to name our first son Kristos Lieberman). At this point, we took deep breaths, evaluated that all of our limbs were intact and finally relaxed.
Seth, at this point gracing the pages of Back Sweat Magazine, decided to abandon his shirt (and the rest of his clothes) and spent much of the time in the crystal clear Libyan Sea bucko. Jamie joined him (in the sea that is, not bucko), and we were able to see our feet, and the beautifully colorful fish that swam the sea floor. The beach was truly beautiful, virtually empty (except the occasional overweight European nudist, scant backpack hiker or stray mountain goat). Our time at Sweet Water Beach flew by, as does most time immediately following near death experiences. When 5:30 arrived, we boarded the taverna owner's speedboat and returned to the port, only to realize that we were now being dropped off several miles downhill from where we had originally parked our car. Realizing that, the taverna owner / speedboat driver took another step toward sainthood, docked his boat and personally drove us to our car. Good people do exist, not to mention karma was on our side as our car remained intact, undisturbed from the neighboring cliff's falling rocks and the meddling mountain goats passing by (the main damage only being a noticeable scratch / dent suffered when parking our trusty Hyundai Accent alongside the highway on the cliff). Looking at each other in disbelief, we entered our car having experienced one of the most harrowing, surreal and rewarding times of our life (think walking away from a ten-story elevator plunge with Henry Winkler, and then you will begin to understand).
You would think this would be the end of our day and story, wouldn't you? But it is not. Nikos has told us about a tiny village called Maza which contained a taverna and a church dating back 700 years with frescos made by "an extremely important artist" whose name translates to mean "frozen". We couldn't make this up. So we once again drive through the winding hills and cliffs towards our destination. I'd like to say we were successful in our travels and found this magical church but sadly we did not. Instead we drove on a "dirt" road for about 20 minutes that was so secluded the only signs of life we saw were a herd a sheep that obstructed the road. Our conversation went from "do you think this is right?" to "I hope our car doesn't break down" to "our Hyundai is not meant to offroad" until we came across a fence that stopped us in our tracks. So we turned around, gave up our quest to find Maza Village and actually found our way back to the hotel. Jamie was physically sequestered from Nikos for his own safety, and out of fear that he was going to suggest a dinner locale whose directions included a march through a waist-high, leech-infested swamp.
We took the best showers of our lives and went to dinner at a local grill (called Nikos - no relation to our evil hotel owner) only 2 km away. Nikos (the restaurant) was just what we needed. It was a restaurant run by a family who treats everyone who eats there like they are family members. Most of the people eating there were locals and the restaurant is clearly loved by people of all ages. Seth ate his weight in meat (pork, lamb, chicken and beef) and greens, Jamie fell in love with Saganaki (fried cheese) and we toasted with some lovely red wine that we lived to tell the tale of our trip to Sweet Water Beach. Surprisingly, the dinner ended with a Seth-raki love affair, and after the day's events and alcohol nightcap, we slept like Jenny returning to Greenbow, Alabama.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Crete-Day Eleven
Today we made some traveling mistakes and corrected some we made earlier in the trip. For example, Jamie drove and Seth navigated (instead of vice versa). Mistake corrected. We also finally found the supermarket and bought water to bring places with us instead of waiting too long and nearly dying of thirst. Mistake corrected. We also finally realized that eating only one big meal each day is more than enough. More food than that will give us big belly muscles we don't need (to quote our friend George from Athens). Mistake corrected. We did however, make some new mistakes. We ate pizza, thinking,"how bad could it be?" because we were trying to avoid yet another meal consisting of lamb and tzatziki. Big mistake. We also neglected to feed Jamie every three hours. Not smart: near fatal mistake!
We took our first foray into real Crete driving and exploring this afternoon. But before that, we had two very important appointments with Angelina, the hotel's masseuse. Angelina was an angel sent from France who kicked our asses and reminded us to relax more. Jamie commented that this was the most relaxed she'd ever been, which could be worrisome. Seth was ready to run a marathon but decided he was weighed down by feta cheese (Seth is currently on an "I Heart Cretan Feta" t-shirt quest: stay tuned). After some laying by the pool, we geared up and set off for our driving adventure.
We decided to drive south to see the mountains, explore some towns (a word used very loosely here), eat lunch and see one of the many gorges on the island. Note - there is a gorge you can hike through which is supposed to be lovely. It takes 4 to 6 hours and is hot. Shockingly, we are not walking this gorge but instead driving through a different one. Armed with a map and loose directions (and by directions I mean, follow the signs on the roads and hope we see a sign for a town noted on our map), we head off to our first stop. After arriving at the "town" of Meskla, we realize that a town in Crete literally can consist of three houses. Compared to Meskla, Hillsdale is New York City. We observe the three houses and continue on our way deciding that our new goal is to get to lunch. We are planning to eat at a restaurant known for serving traditional Crete food made only from ingredients found in the owner's farm and garden. We pass through two more towns, Zourva and Therisso, asking a nice man if we are headed the right way, and, after a precarious 9-point turn during which Jamie nearly careens our Hyundai Accent down a Cretan cliff, we finally make it to the town Drakonas, where will eat this famed food.
The town has two buildings, the restaurant and a house. We park our car and are greeted by the restaurant owner and are immediately taken into his kitchen. We are told by the concierge at out hotel that (1) the restaurant owner is "strange" but welcoming and (2) be sure to tell him that you are from Ammos Hotel and he will take good care of you. As for (1) above, the answer is a strong affirmative, as this guy is a hermit obsessed with food in a Tony Bourdain way, speaks little to no English, has a bit of a twitch and displays mannerisms like Bobcat Goldwait. Needless to say, Seth loves this man, as evidenced by his post meal bromance photo with the restaurant owner. As for (2) above, thank the Lord we informed him we were staying at Ammos Hotel, as we were welcomed into his kitchen, shown each and every dish he was preparing and Jamie was even given a sample straight from the pot. As for the meal itself, we (mostly Seth - Jamie was the DD) drank a homemade red wine which was not that red and not fully aged and/or distilled. Accompanying the wine was a 5-course tasting of all that was being prepared in the kitchen, namely: (1) homemade bread with homegrown olives, homemade olive oil and homemade cheese (see a trend here?), (2) shredded lamb meat over a polenta type grain (both homemade / raised), (3) dolemadas (stuffed grape leaves), stuffed white cabbage and a stuffed tomato (all homemade, grown, etc.), (4) goat chops (think lamb chops but from a goat of his that we saw on the side of the road) and (5) gigantes beans with their own sauteed edible pods (homegrown). The meal, and the whole experience for that matter, was lights out and nothing less than surreal, as we dined on this feast at an outdoor table overlooking the most picturesque mountain-filled Cretan countryside (while no more than a half dozen cars drive by on this the only road during that time.) Needless to say, this was an experience that neither of us will soon forget and was one of the best we have had yet.
We begrudgingly got up from our table about two hours later and headed back to the kitchen to pay. The owner asked us to wait 5 minutes and sent us away with a package of straight out of the oven bread. We floated back to our car and sadly made the trip back. When we got back to the hotel we sat by the pool and watched kids torturing their parents who were trying to eat dinner. We were acquainted with Joe and Ella (who played a rousing game of tag with their dad who was not voluntarily part of the game) and Archie and Max, who insisted on running as close to the edge of the pool as possible. There were shouts and threats of no pudding while we silently laughed. Since our lunch was so big, we kept dinner low key and ate pizza and salad at the hotel. As noted, pizza is not a wise choice in Crete but was a nice change from our regular food. We shared drinks (and chocolate ice cream) with our neighbors and the woman who runs the restaurant and went to sleep very happy.
We took our first foray into real Crete driving and exploring this afternoon. But before that, we had two very important appointments with Angelina, the hotel's masseuse. Angelina was an angel sent from France who kicked our asses and reminded us to relax more. Jamie commented that this was the most relaxed she'd ever been, which could be worrisome. Seth was ready to run a marathon but decided he was weighed down by feta cheese (Seth is currently on an "I Heart Cretan Feta" t-shirt quest: stay tuned). After some laying by the pool, we geared up and set off for our driving adventure.
We decided to drive south to see the mountains, explore some towns (a word used very loosely here), eat lunch and see one of the many gorges on the island. Note - there is a gorge you can hike through which is supposed to be lovely. It takes 4 to 6 hours and is hot. Shockingly, we are not walking this gorge but instead driving through a different one. Armed with a map and loose directions (and by directions I mean, follow the signs on the roads and hope we see a sign for a town noted on our map), we head off to our first stop. After arriving at the "town" of Meskla, we realize that a town in Crete literally can consist of three houses. Compared to Meskla, Hillsdale is New York City. We observe the three houses and continue on our way deciding that our new goal is to get to lunch. We are planning to eat at a restaurant known for serving traditional Crete food made only from ingredients found in the owner's farm and garden. We pass through two more towns, Zourva and Therisso, asking a nice man if we are headed the right way, and, after a precarious 9-point turn during which Jamie nearly careens our Hyundai Accent down a Cretan cliff, we finally make it to the town Drakonas, where will eat this famed food.
The town has two buildings, the restaurant and a house. We park our car and are greeted by the restaurant owner and are immediately taken into his kitchen. We are told by the concierge at out hotel that (1) the restaurant owner is "strange" but welcoming and (2) be sure to tell him that you are from Ammos Hotel and he will take good care of you. As for (1) above, the answer is a strong affirmative, as this guy is a hermit obsessed with food in a Tony Bourdain way, speaks little to no English, has a bit of a twitch and displays mannerisms like Bobcat Goldwait. Needless to say, Seth loves this man, as evidenced by his post meal bromance photo with the restaurant owner. As for (2) above, thank the Lord we informed him we were staying at Ammos Hotel, as we were welcomed into his kitchen, shown each and every dish he was preparing and Jamie was even given a sample straight from the pot. As for the meal itself, we (mostly Seth - Jamie was the DD) drank a homemade red wine which was not that red and not fully aged and/or distilled. Accompanying the wine was a 5-course tasting of all that was being prepared in the kitchen, namely: (1) homemade bread with homegrown olives, homemade olive oil and homemade cheese (see a trend here?), (2) shredded lamb meat over a polenta type grain (both homemade / raised), (3) dolemadas (stuffed grape leaves), stuffed white cabbage and a stuffed tomato (all homemade, grown, etc.), (4) goat chops (think lamb chops but from a goat of his that we saw on the side of the road) and (5) gigantes beans with their own sauteed edible pods (homegrown). The meal, and the whole experience for that matter, was lights out and nothing less than surreal, as we dined on this feast at an outdoor table overlooking the most picturesque mountain-filled Cretan countryside (while no more than a half dozen cars drive by on this the only road during that time.) Needless to say, this was an experience that neither of us will soon forget and was one of the best we have had yet.
We begrudgingly got up from our table about two hours later and headed back to the kitchen to pay. The owner asked us to wait 5 minutes and sent us away with a package of straight out of the oven bread. We floated back to our car and sadly made the trip back. When we got back to the hotel we sat by the pool and watched kids torturing their parents who were trying to eat dinner. We were acquainted with Joe and Ella (who played a rousing game of tag with their dad who was not voluntarily part of the game) and Archie and Max, who insisted on running as close to the edge of the pool as possible. There were shouts and threats of no pudding while we silently laughed. Since our lunch was so big, we kept dinner low key and ate pizza and salad at the hotel. As noted, pizza is not a wise choice in Crete but was a nice change from our regular food. We shared drinks (and chocolate ice cream) with our neighbors and the woman who runs the restaurant and went to sleep very happy.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Crete - Day Ten
Today we have decided to do nothing. No sight seeing, no restaurants in town, no exploring. Today we will sit on the beach, enjoy the sun and marvel over the fact that the sea is actually fairly warm (although this will not convince Jamie to go in).
While we may not have left our hotel, there is no way we could have been bored. We were treated to two obese mothers and 14 of their kids from Germany. Interestingly, many of the children apparently suffered from a serious allergy to clothing. We met a couple from France who were opera singers and could be cajoled into breaking into song if fed enough liquor (specifically Raki). We also observed the bold women over 60 who thought nothing of wearing a tiny bikini. And no, none of them looked nearly as good as Helen Mirren (more like Phyllis Diller). We spent some time talking to the owner of our hotel, Nikos, who wanted to reminisce about his time in New York. Jamie read a book (her sixth) and Seth took a nap on the beach until he turned a little red and was forcibly moved to the shade. We learned the Greek word for asshole and promised to bring it back to the States. If Seth calls you a malaka, just say it right back to him.
We ate at the hotel restaurant for all three meals and managed to eat something different and delicious each time. We watched a beautiful sunset from our hotel room terrace. At dinner, naturally more raki was poured (and drank - not by Jamie) and we saw pictures of the restaurant owner's son (who Jamie called a girl due to his enviably long curly hair). Seth thought the British woman eating with the opera singing French couple was smoking weed when in fact she was rolling her own cigarettes. We watched a couple in their 50s or 60s from the midwest get wasted on raki and talk very loudly to a young couple about their trip to Lisbon. And one of the gentlemen dining on the terrace was the likely twin of Danny Bonaduce's father. The characters sitting at the tables outside late into the new night at dinner could have been characters in a play and it was great fun to observe them. If given enough raki, Seth would've played the role of Joe Namath and Jamie the role of Susie Kolber.
While we may not have left our hotel, there is no way we could have been bored. We were treated to two obese mothers and 14 of their kids from Germany. Interestingly, many of the children apparently suffered from a serious allergy to clothing. We met a couple from France who were opera singers and could be cajoled into breaking into song if fed enough liquor (specifically Raki). We also observed the bold women over 60 who thought nothing of wearing a tiny bikini. And no, none of them looked nearly as good as Helen Mirren (more like Phyllis Diller). We spent some time talking to the owner of our hotel, Nikos, who wanted to reminisce about his time in New York. Jamie read a book (her sixth) and Seth took a nap on the beach until he turned a little red and was forcibly moved to the shade. We learned the Greek word for asshole and promised to bring it back to the States. If Seth calls you a malaka, just say it right back to him.
We ate at the hotel restaurant for all three meals and managed to eat something different and delicious each time. We watched a beautiful sunset from our hotel room terrace. At dinner, naturally more raki was poured (and drank - not by Jamie) and we saw pictures of the restaurant owner's son (who Jamie called a girl due to his enviably long curly hair). Seth thought the British woman eating with the opera singing French couple was smoking weed when in fact she was rolling her own cigarettes. We watched a couple in their 50s or 60s from the midwest get wasted on raki and talk very loudly to a young couple about their trip to Lisbon. And one of the gentlemen dining on the terrace was the likely twin of Danny Bonaduce's father. The characters sitting at the tables outside late into the new night at dinner could have been characters in a play and it was great fun to observe them. If given enough raki, Seth would've played the role of Joe Namath and Jamie the role of Susie Kolber.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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?
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?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, May 25, 2009
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).
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).
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