| t have travelled to Crete a hundred times; I go | | | | a beach is more effective than swimming pools: |
| more frequently nowadays. Eventually I started | | | | you get a glorious tan to keep for months to |
| to believe strongly that people like myself who | | | | come. To be on the safe side, ask for the |
| love the place, deserve to look for a more | | | | existence of jelly fish and wear plastic shoes |
| permanent residence to stay for longer periods of | | | | when you walk inside the sea. |
| time. At least getting a quality holiday house in | | | | The other way of doing excursions is to join a |
| Crete has become so inexpensive that can hardly | | | | safari group; ask your hotel for details. You will |
| be considered as financial risk. | | | | have a wonderful time, and you will be in a safer, |
| I still haven’t managed to see even half | | | | more controlled environment with people guiding |
| of Crete – it is a remarkable and complex | | | | you, and people from your own group joining you. |
| combination of places, landscapes, people, | | | | You will still see lots of places off the beaten |
| customs, smells – what can I say? I have | | | | track, and keep it all on a daily excursion mode. |
| more than enough in me to share with others, | | | | You should eat at the local tavernas; aim for the |
| and this is why I decided to write about it. All I | | | | one that attracts most of the crowd. Open |
| ask from you is to keep an open mind, get a fully | | | | yourself to local food: try Dakos (wet rusk) small |
| insured car, and decide to expand your eating and | | | | dolmadakia, fresh fish, oven food (like stuffed |
| drinking habits (after all you will be visiting the | | | | tomatoes and peppers), local pastries, and meat |
| World’s capital of what is known as | | | | on the barbeque. Always have a salad on your |
| ‘Mediterranean Diet’). | | | | table; ask for the local specialty. And always try |
| Firstly, think seriously before packing your bags: | | | | the local sweets with honey and white sugar. |
| do you deserve a good holiday? If yes, then: one, | | | | Except excursions, try and mix with the locals |
| switch off your blackberry; two, don’t sit | | | | getting the most out of your journey. The |
| next to a hotels swimming pool for two weeks | | | | unbeatable way of doing this is by sneaking into a |
| pretending you are enjoying yourself with a drink | | | | local wedding; the best weddings take place on |
| in one hand and a paperback on the other. You | | | | Saturdays at nearby villages. If you don’t |
| didn’t work hard for a year to deserve | | | | manage to get invited, just head for one uninvited |
| just this. | | | | in one evening of your first days, leaving it to pot |
| After landing, unpacking and taking a good sleep, | | | | luck. People will invite you on the spot, and it will |
| prepare to expose yourself to the place and get | | | | be a unique opportunity to get acquainted, eat |
| the most out of it. Remember: you are safe, | | | | fantastic wedding food and get lots of tips for |
| locals can help you anytime, thieves are practically | | | | your stay. If you have thoughts about a more |
| non-existent, and you are an arm’s length | | | | permanent stay, it will be good for you to start |
| away from an English speaker. | | | | making contacts anyway; in Crete people are |
| Hit the road with your family on a daily basis | | | | very social and you will soon discover the |
| leaving around 9am; make every day an | | | | snowball effect that this will have on you. |
| excursion somewhere on the island, no matter | | | | Keep the last couple of days to ease off; |
| where your location. Your hotel is for breakfast | | | | it’s time for swimming pool rest with |
| and sleep, for at least one week of your stay. | | | | plenty of reading, drinking and socializing with |
| I recommend places like Vai in Sitia, Agia Fotia in | | | | people from your group. Try to compare your |
| Ierapetra, Ledas outside Heraklion, Falasserna | | | | experiences with theirs and see what difference |
| outside Chania, Fodele and Panormo which are | | | | this will make. I can definitely guarantee you that |
| both close to Rethymno, and Skala village in | | | | when you go back home you will talk about your |
| Elounda. They all have beaches so take your | | | | holiday for the rest of the year. And maybe think |
| umbrella, towels suntan lotions and plenty of | | | | of coming to stay in Crete for longer periods of |
| water with you on every journey. Sunbathing on | | | | time. |