Tuesday, 28-04-26: day eight and home sweet home.

(written on Monday evening)

Morning, all.  The very last morning at the Mistral Hotel in Maleme, Crete, has dawned.  We leave at eleven, Chania bound, for the airport and then Gatwick.

There's one more outing to tell you about and that was our visit to the Botanical Garden of Crete.  They are around 18km outside Chania, at the foot of the White Mountains, so called because they are snow topped for most of the year.

Not the best photo, taken through the coach window, but you get the idea.

Here's some info.  It is a blog (and there are adverts, sorry).
https://creteinsider.com/botanical-park-and-gardens-crete/

And another.  

It is such a very lovely place.  There's a 'Centre' with maps, a shop, food, loos, etc, and then there are the walks.  For a while the route is shared and then they split into a longer and a shorter walk.  The going isn't easy.  It is hilly, rocky, uneven and, at times, just a little bit scary, especially if one has any mobility issues.  Some of our group decided not to walk but to enjoy the views and chat from the café.  The rest of us did the shorter walk and felt very proud of ourselves.

I took some photos, of course, and, for once, my camera behaved itself.  Nevertheless, its days are numbered.

After a devastating wild fire (see the links for info), involving the destruction of so many olive trees, etc, Nature took over and things started growing again.  Most of the area was cleared but dotted around are some of the burnt tree stumps that were left as a sort of memorial.

Plenty of great views.

I didn't photo plant info but there were loads of boards with names, descriptions, etc.

I'd like this in my garden!

No idea what this is but it was so vivid.  The photo doesn't do it justice.

Dotted around were remnants of old buildings, art work and newer constructions to support wildlife.  

Some lovely inspirational quotes on marble slabs.

What's left of an old dwelling.

Plenty of insects, butterflies, birds, etc, and I spotted this tiny lizard sunning itself.

Crete is famous for its citrus fruit and I would dearly have loved to pull an orange from the tree but we had been told not to.
At lunch, dessert was chilled sliced oranges from their trees and, honestly, I have never tasted an orange quite so sweet and juicy before.  It was delicious.

There were different microclimates and, truly, at one point we could have been in an English country garden.

This was a cooling station.  Just before the end, after quite a steep climb, we came across this.  You sit on the bench, press a button, and get misted with cold water.  Not enough to get wet, just enough to refresh and cool down.  Perfect.

And, finally, right at the end, an amphitheatre.  It gave us a very welcome sit down to chat about the garden and the whole holiday.

That was the last excursion.

Come the evening we had the last cocktail, the last dinner (their own version of moussaka is to die for) and some Cretan music and dancing.

Now it is bedtime!

I'm now typing this early Tuesday morning (even earlier for you in the UK as we're two hours ahead here).  I'm pretty much packed with just last minute things to do, breakfast starts at eight, luggage outside our rooms at half ten and the coach arrived for departure from the hotel at eleven.

Thanks for following me on this holiday.  It's been an absolute blast, the experience of a lifetime.  The One Traveller group has been so lovely - everyone seems to have got on well and Heather and Marcela, the tour managers, have been the best.
But real life must resume.  I'm taking tomorrow to ground myself and get things back to normal and then I will pick up everyday life again!

See you tomorrow, back in the good old UK!!  xx

Monday, 27-04-26, day seven . . .

 . . . and last full day, woe is me!  :-)

Yesterday, we spent the day in Chania (pronounces h-arn-ya).  Here's a site with info about this  interesting town.   Chania, Crete: The Ultimate Local Travel Guide for 2026

And here's its history - I find it very interesting.  Chania - A City Of Many Tales

We hopped on and off the coach, were given a guided tour of the older parts, taken to the harbour and from there we wandered, shopped and enjoyed the Mediterranean vibe before meeting up for lunch.  It was a nice lunch, but very tourist-y rather than totally traditional.  
Once back home again, we chilled until dinner.

That's a quick resume.  Here's some photos.  :-)

Today we are off to some Botanical Gardens where we will be met by the owner who will show us round and then the more energetic can do a longer, more difficult walk around while the rest of us chill over coffee and/or gently meander around.  I will be one of the latter group as I'm feeling quite weary.

This evening is the party that was scheduled on a day where we had rain - it will be outside in the hotel gardens.

Before then, sadly, we will be packing for our return to the UK tomorrow.   Very mixed feelings here - I always like getting home again but this is such a very lovely place . . .  

Sunday afternoon, 26-04-26, day six

 I have a bit of time to put this together - please excuse any typos!

A few links for info.
Knossos (Wiki info)
The Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Day five was the one I had been looking forward to.  A tour of the historical site of Knossos and a look around the museum in Heraklion.
We were SO lucky with the weather.  It was teeming with rain when we left the hotel for the three hour(ish) drive across Crete to Knossos.  It poured all the way there which was a shame because the views would have been stunning had we not been in the low clouds much of the way.

As the coach parked, the rain stopped and held off while we had our tour with a guide who was absolutely brilliant.  Knowledgeable, highly qualified, excellent English and clear articulation.
While we were having lunch in a Taverna in Heraklion, it rained.
As we left the Taverna, it stopped and held off until just as we got on the coach to drive back.

The Greek gods must have been smiling on us.

Here's some photos without comment.  They've appeared in the wrong order (sorry) so the first few are from the museum and the last one is our guide (who stayed with us all day)

I don't have any of the really important photos from the museum, like the bull acrobat sculpture, etc, as my camera decided to play silly sausages again.  Its days are numbered, I can tell you!
I think the link should lead you to them if you explore.

No time for shopping as we had to whizz round the museum and get back to the coach.  No fridge magnet - what a shame.

I have no more time so I will post separately about Chania.  Just to say Knossos and Heraklion were absolutely fantastic and I will be back at some point.  I have promised myself.  xx

Saturday, 25-04-26

Morning, lovely people.

Day five begins.

It's an early start to the day as today is Knossos day and it takes three hours to get there (and three to get back again) so we're leaving at eight.

power failure, 

Yesterday started off with a bit of excitement - we had a short power failure around six this morning and learned later that there had been a 5.7 strength earthquake off the coast of eastern Crete, Heraklion way.  I didn't feel any aftershocks personally and I don't think there was any serious issues, but the power was off and on all day.  So that was an 'exciting' start!

Not quite so exciting was the fact that it poured with rain all day.  The farmer's market we were scheduled to visit doesn't happen when it is raining so we went off to Colymbari, to visit the Mother of God Monastery.  Nothing to do with food but it was something to do and the museum was very interesting.

I found a fridge magnet so I was happy with that!

The photo is the church in the middle of the grounds.

The view from the back wall.  Even in poor weather, it was lovely.

Then we piled back on the coach and went to Bee World where Dorothea talked to us about her bees before we tasted honey and went all spendy in the small shop.

I got some little olive wood bowls, some olive and orange soap and some beeswax hand balm.

Back on the coach again and off we headed, through some pretty heavy rain, up narrow roads with hairpin bends that made me hold my breath at times, to a winery, the name of which I can't recall.
The tour of the winery wasn't much to write home about but the wine tasting was!

After a brief talk, we were let loose.  There must have been around twenty five just opened bottles down a long table, with notes and glasses - proper glasses not shot glasses, and some finger nibbles to help us along.

With an awareness of luggage weight, I didn't buy any wine but I did buy a titchy bottle of honey raki.  Whether it gets as far as being packed remains to be seen.

Finally we got in the coach and headed home to the Mistral Hotel where Diane and I had coffee before I went to a fairly impromptu jewellery making session, making a bracelet that I wore in the evening.

Because of the poor weather, the Cretan party will happen another evening but that's OK, it was still a great evening.

A bit unexpected too.  We were expecting baklava for dessert but instead the lights dimmed, the music started and out came not only a birthday cake with an indoor firework, but all the staff, a cloak, a crown, a sceptre, a Happy Birthday banner and a birthday song.  Great fun but somewhat - er - well, not me usually!  But so kind and it was enjoyable.
I know someone else has a birthday today so now they know what to expect, don't they.

As mentioned at the start, today is Knossos day.  It is somewhere I have wanted to go for decades, ever since reading Mary Stewart's The Bull From The Sea.

It is going to be a long day.  Breakfast is early, we leave at eight and, probably, won't be back until around seven this evening.
So tomorrow's post will probably be later because I won't be processing any of the photos this evening.

Friday, 24-04-26

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to day four of my Cretan holiday.

Yesterday, day three, was a less energetic day in many ways.  If Wednesday was all about the olives, yesterday was all about the food

My breakfast - Greek yogurt (definitely NOT 0%) with fruit, a slice of Maria's banana bread and half an amygdalota (almond cookie) and how you pronounce that is beyond me!!

Then we had a quiet morning doing whatever we chose.  Diane and I grabbed some reading material and had a pleasant time reading and chatting now and again.

For lunch we walked down to Taverna Maleme - the link is to Trip Adviser - for an amazing cookery demo followed by a feast of all the things we had seen how to make plus lamb cooked on the spit.
and wine!
And raki.

We had Cretan dakos (Cretan rusk bread topped with a tomatoey salsa type thing, tzatziki, kalitsounia (spinach and goats cheese mini pasty type things), dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), a salad, the lamb, pilafi, a sort of Cretan roast potato, loukoumades (mini doughnuts with honey and nuts), the raki and, finally, some fresh fruit.  I think most of us positively waddled out of the place!

We also had Cretan music and a couple of other customers did some impromptu dancing.

Oh, it was such fun.

I'm going to have a go at making  the Cretan rusk bread.  It's made with barley flour (which Dove does) and wholemeal flour and it's a twice baked bread/rusk.  

Back to the hotel and Diane and I had a coffee each before a much needed snooze in our respective bedrooms!

I didn't take my camera down to dinner so you are spared yet more food photos.  It was all lovely - taramosalata, the usual bread with evoo and balsamic vinegar, something tomatoey, beetroot, apple and walnut salad, chicken and pork gyros and a yogurt pie to finish.
And wine!!

Today will be both busy and interesting.  Weather permitting, we will be heading off to a local farmer's market, weather permitting.  If not, they will arrange an alternative for us - we had rain yesterday so fingers  crossed.  Then we visit a local honey producer with a tasting session and finally to an award winning local winery to learn about their wine production followed by another taster session with snacks to soak it all up a bit!
Once back at the hotel, it's r&r time until dinner which sounds as if it will be quite a party with music and dancing.  A very nice end to a special day.  :-)  

Thursday, 23-04-26

Morning, everyone.  Do you like the new banner.  It is one of the views from the Astrikas Estate olive groves, run by the same family for over five generations.  The current owner founded the Biolea company in 1994, which specialises in stone milled and cold pressed organic olive oil.
More about that later.

First things first.  Breakfast was great - I went for yogurt and fruit and then some of Maria's chocolate banana bread which was to die for.

We set off in the coach to see possibly the oldest living olive tree in the world.  We were told between 2000 and 4000 years old - elsewhere it said between 3000 and 5000 - but what's an odd thousand years between friend, eh?

It's impossible to date it accurately because none of the heartwood remains and the actual fruiting part of the tree is a graft.

The trunk was very impressive though!

There's a small museum attached with historical olive production tools, old wooden machinery, etc.

If you enlarge this, most of the print can be read - I is in English.

A mock up but a very interesting one.

Pretty much twice my height, used for olive oil making.

Then we all piled on the coach and headed off and up higher, along twisty narrow lanes when I think we all wondered how the heck we were going to go further without going over the edge.
We didn't, of course.

At the small factory, a very pleasant lady with a clear voice that meant I could hear every word talked us through the method they use, modern equipment but a centuries old method, to produce some of the finest extra virgin olive oil in the world.

We had a good old tasting session and a look round the little shop

We watched a short video . . . this is the cold pressing.

Some of their olive groves.

And what I bought.  I also got a few things for Beth but I won't show them here, in case . . .

Yes, I found my first fridge magnet!  Woo hoo!  and I love the wee olive bowl.  I'll definitely be using that regularly.

Here's some links. 
The estate and what they offer

About the oil.  

Finally we drove to the coast and had an amazing lunch - like Tuesday's dinner, the food just kept on coming.  Plates are small and you don't have loads of anything.  It's very good, fresh cooked, easily digestible, non-ultra-processed and really doesn't sit heavy.

We had bread and evoo (of course), dips and dressings with a salad, some sliced aubergine in a light batter rather like a tempura, chicken strips and rice, mushroom risotto (or maybe a version of pilafi, see lower down) . . . it just kept coming.
I had a glass of rose that tasted like strawberries.  Delicious.

And while on the subject, all the wines we are having are very light and have little impact on the head!!!  Just as well really!

I can see that I will be mentioning food quite a lot - this holiday is called A Taste of Crete, after all, so I will make collages of the food photos I take rather than posting separate photos.  Posts will be photo heavy anyway!

Back at the hotel and we had a few hours to chill and freshen up before the cocktail demo.  The

bar staff did really well to make five different cocktails, share them out in shot glasses, a clean glass each time, to around forty appreciative elderlies (we are pretty much a retired group and mostly female).  
They were only tasters, of course, minimum alcohol, so we all trooped into dinner with pretty clear heads.

And the food was, again, sublime.  

I can't remember if I said yesterday and I'm too lazy to check, but we have all been given a cookbook, from the hotel and One Traveller, called Cretan Cuisine, with 'traditional Mediterranean recipes for eating healthy and living well'.  I will definitely be having a go at many of them once home again.  The flavours are just amazing!

After a good night's sleep, on to today and it's a more gentle day.
We're having a morning in the hotel when some are having spa treatments.  Then we head off to Taverna Maleme (the hotel is in Maleme) for a cookery demo of a traditional Pilafi followed by lunch with lamb on the spit.
Pilafi is in the book and I think it will one to make again, either with lamb or, maybe, with chicken thighs.
Then it's back to the hotel for more chilling before dinner.
Oh, this is the life.

Have a lovely day, everyone!  xx