In case you are fed up with programming and reading several books or manuals, this could be something of a break. This is a brief description of travel experiences in eastern Crete, or Kreta for German speaking people, that is Malia, Ag.Nikolaos, Neapoli, and finally Chersonisos. You can see the map on your left hand side, the position of the island of Crete in the Greek territory. If you have read, watched on television, or even heard of a book called 'The island' authored by Victoria Hislop: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Victoria-Hislop/dp/0755309510 printed in many editions, this is the place mentioned in the text!
You can reach Crete by air, which is more convenient and a shorter trip, and by ship which can last for 8 hours. Once you arrive, you certainly need a vehicle, because the island is big and there many places worth visiting, starting from...
Ag.Nikolaos
It is a crowded city, full of shops, traditional pubs, dancing clubs, restaurants etc. There is a fantastic salty lake and a bridge linking the two parts of the city, which I very much enjoyed walking on. There is plenty of real estate property available here for sale. Pensioners or investors may make bargains. The place is most suitable for families and people who prefer a quiet vacation. In case you 'd rather a more hectic life, what follows might interest you more.
Malia
It is a small notorious village in Crete, resembling rather more an English one. That is, it is full mostly of Britons having fun by the beach during daytime, or dancing, getting drunk and raving during the night. Please bear in mind that drunkards often cause riots there and the police arrest many people during the night. Apart from the nightlife, one can visit the archeological site of Malia and see the remains of the ancient palace, near the beach. You can see another picture of its beach below. As you can see part of it is sandy, while another part is rocky.
Chersonisos
This the place most loved by northerners. It is full of Scandinavian and German people wandering in its streets, visiting the jewelery, leather, pastry shops and of course the beaches. The beaches there are mostly sandy and rather crowded. During the night the pubs are full of young people dancing and having fun. The nightlife is here more quiet and peaceful compared to Malia mentioned above.
Neapolis is a provincial town with old, traditional buildings, made mostly by stones. Its streets are narrow, there are only less than a handful of cars crossing them, so this is a chance for you to exercise, by walking or jogging. There are naturally many old fashioned shops and modern department stores as well. The night life in Neapolis is quite peaceful and quiet. On your left hand side, is the view you see every morning outside the window, when you wake up. In addition to all the mentioned places, one can also visit the more high society, aristocratic Elounda and at last what so many people have been longing for: local authorities have announced that the island of Spinaloga will be now open to the public! Finally, as far as prices are concerned, some goods such as food and fuel are slightly more expensive than in Athens. On the other hand, fruit, vegetables and olive oil are fresh, of high quality and at reasonable prices. Besides, the healthy Cretan diet is famous around the world. The people are hospitable, always obliged to the British commonwealth foreigner troops who helped them, all those having fought against the N.A.Z.I. invaders back in May 1941, organizing yearly memorials for the living, now over 90 years old soldiers to remember the ones who have fallen and express their gratitude. Furthermore, there are plenty of ancient sites to see, lovely sea for sailing and swimming, fisheries and warm climate... Thus, visiting Crete might be an alternative suggestion one has to consider, before booking the next summer holidays!
