http://www.crete-holiday.org/hersonissos-crete-tourist/
Dear David, a series of letters to an old friend in May 2008
Hersonissos
Crete
May 2008
Dear David,
Yes I know, not give him anything about the video of the fireworks, but I a little ahead of me and Easter, of course, being so late, no there really was when I sent your letter! This month I got a few photos I've put a link on the page so that you can see them, even if one months late. Taking pictures of fireworks is always hard, because just when you think you have the best and stop filming, the next bit is even more spectacular!
Over the last month has been a couple of trips to 'the city' (as we call it) to help someone to spend their money, which is always the best way shopping. Apparently the trips were to buy furniture, but of course we had to go grab a coffee or two, and so there was an opportunity to take some pictures new, particularly around the Plaza del León.
Now I like Heraklion, is compact and has several buildings in various states of preservation and restoration and can still walk along the wall almost intact, bypassing the doors of different and, of course, visit the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis on the reverse. Most visitors go there just to visit the Archaeological Museum, losing the interesting Museum of Crete on the road from the coast, and the churches of St. Minas and San Titos fine, and a good opportunity to sit and watch people in a outdoor cafe!
Platia Eleftheria, or Freedom Square, always seems to be a focal point for tourists is possible because it is near the museum, and there are plenty of cafes on one side, personally I avoid them because unless you manage to get in the front row can not be see anybody go, so the head of the network of small pedestrian streets between the museum and the Plaza de León where a large number of coffee shops in different styles and also some very nice 'boutique', souvenir shops along with a couple of "bad taste." Better still around this area who can not "Komaki" in a place against their will and the prices are often a little better, for example on a recent visit a frappe, a Greek coffee and a beer served with a dish of nuts, some crisps and some very nice cookies chocky came to € 6 and includes the essential glass of ice water with coffee. And what can be more fun than sitting in the street watching the people go by and wondering where we all go! While you are around this area a stroll through the shops can be very interesting as there are still a number of "specialist" shops, such shops that only sell Stockings and socks for men or how about a store that only sells rope, rope, and chains? There are a couple of good haberdashers where you can buy zippers by the inch and every conceivable type button as you desire.
If you choose a cafe behind the church of Saint Minas on the edge of the square, you can often get to see an impromptu five-football game room, and if you are going to take a look at the church of St. Titus, then a corner of the front yard of the 'find' Pagopeiion 'which supplies some "excellent Mediterranean salads and other dishes, they also have regular sessions of jazz late at night here. A stroll through the yields some interesting small erections, and I am always surprised at the lack of noise in that one is in the midst of a lively, vibrant yet ruined by pedestrianization excess!
A walk around the Plaza of the Lion is essential to note the glass plate slabs, as a result of the discoveries made during recent renovations. Fortunately there have been a terrible wrought iron railings around the fountain, of course, in the UK that would be the application of these in which nobody should fall into it!
From the square to the port is 25 August in the street you will find all of the shipping company offices and agencies travel, ideal to enjoy your day trip to Santorini or ferries and flights to many other destinations. There is also a good example of Greek pedestrian systems, and August 25th Street is closed to traffic along its length, but half is a road that leads through the same traffic, often resulting in traffic and pedestrian traffic jams, this is also a favorite street for trade union demonstrations, when they are on strike (or about to be, as they plan these things ahead here).
Now it is May, tourists are starting to come 'bulk', and in the end everyone seems to be open so that, as promised I'll try to explain the difference between kafenions, ouzeries, Meze houses, and restaurants although the lines can be a bit blurred at times.
As the name suggests kafenions ouzeries and is where they serve you coffee and ouzo, often only small places with fluorescent lighting and formica tables, home to more Greeks, usually men, reading newspapers and playing cards or backgammon, or simply to correct the mistakes of the world. Usually, the best Greek coffee is served in these places that make proper use of a true "briki ', a brass' pot' with a tin lining, over a low heat, and do not really boil It is a complete no-no, so it comes out with a good foam on top. For here say that the bulk of the foam will have better luck! Many of the modern cafes do not use the "Camping Gaz stove", but the milk boiler / steamer coffee machine, which is fine as long as not "overcook" , Which usually do! One of the best places to take a Greek coffee is a store here called "art of tea" in Koutouloufari, where they what is itself a 'hot plate of sand "that makes the coffee slowly and gently. It so happens that they also have a wide range of herbal teas and culinary herbs the sale and pepper mills and other top brass brass items for sale.
In most of these places are also achieved often a small plate of appetizers ranging from a few bits of tomato or cucumber chunks of feta cheese and olives, they will be periodically recharged if you stay a while, you can also get some interesting "wine and raki in these places!
A house is where you get Meze mezes! This is the traditional Greek eating out method where you order a number of small dishes and share them between the two. I mentioned one of these "Ta Filarakia 'in the March letter. The environment is often intimate, to the extent that someone busier nights in the following table will have its plate at the corner of his own, due to lack of space on its own table (a good sign that you have an excess of orders), the tables are made of wood or formica, tables cloths, and if there will be a paper or plastic on top of top so that no mud up. The paper towels will be (and please do not call napkins, the ladies are the ones that use once a month). The menu is usually a platform which marks the number of each dish he wants and is often only in Greek! Wine jars come in anodized aluminum, and not as water jugs used to get in the dining room "at school, or a clay jar, and may be slightly cloudy. You will also find things like cuttlefish in its ink and 'came back' in the menu, and the raki should be free at the end and served with whatever fruit is in season.
Meze houses are one of the cheapest places to eat, but I regret say that many tourists find a bit disappointing, although there is usually someone to help with the menu, so to lose a lot of Greek food! The experiment is the word that needs to be used.
FINE DINING restaurant A restaurant or market is up, until I get there when it becomes a house linen-Meze. Not only a joke really, but maybe not. The restaurants have an appropriate menu, usually printed (although by law the prices should be modified so that they often write by hand in a little bright, so they can be changed, or pencil), and are a little smarter. One of the problems you can get to places like this is too much food, as you begin by ordering a variety of mezes as headlines, but then when you ask the meat comes plated with salad, rice, potatoes, etc, when all I wanted was chops 4 lamb to share with you! If you know the meat they serve as a "main dish" and then only a Greek salad as a starter. One thing a little annoying could happen here too is the emergence of a basket of bread that have not asked but you charged extra, this is a bit like a "hidden fee's cover. I'm not sure but I was told that "the cover charges are actually illegal here.
With the season start, we have the number regular visitors who come looking to buy homes or businesses. I always find it quite funny because most of them seem to have done little research and many they have never run a business before, I'm thinking maybe I should add some more items to my blog with some useful suggestions. What do you think?
Easyjet new flights (but not really new as they used to be GB Airways) are proving popular with independent travelers, although some visitors have complained that they are paying a fortune in excess baggage charges, but on the other hand, are arriving with only one bag "as hand luggage when they could have had a 5 + kg luggage on board with them, carefully try to explain this, but I'm sure many of them completely miss the point! And, of course, Aegean Airlines are now regular flights from Heathrow to Athens with connecting flights to Crete, which at least saves to pick up your luggage in Athens, as can be checked straight through!
As baggage are gradually being reduced on all airlines worth considering a rethink they really pack in the suitcase too! For example, I've been unpacking visitors around 3 liters of fluid (equivalent to about 3 kg) of bags, comprising shampoo, conditioners, shower gels, skin creams, sun tanning oils, etc. Sometimes I think we do not have those things here and walk all smell horrible! Do not really think that your hair will fall, or skin of a sudden the age of ten in a week just because they have brought their favorite shampoo or moisturizer! Too much sun, while they are here will do it for them.
What would they have done when the soap was pink 'carbolic or' Wright 'Lifeline' tar? But of course, when that was all we had then we had no allergies, and even better than we were really clean and free of bacteria!
I saw the article you mentioned about prices throughout Europe and Greece is the most expensive, I heard about it though. As all price comparisons must compare like for like and very often this is impossible, especially with food. With an average per capita income of 800 € / month in Greece can not be as expensive or could not afford to eat! Not knowing if she would have a positive or a negative if I were to do a price survey commodities and put it on the website, but I'll stick my neck out and make a survey restaurant for you and put the results on the website, which only appears reasonable that most visitors end up eating out even if they do start 'car'!
That's your lot for this month ……. Except a link to some photos http://www.villaralfa.com/easter.html
Yours as ever,
About the Author
Born in England (in spite of the name!), in the last half of the last century when Sussex was Miss Marple country and you could leave yours door unlocked for days, the author is unashamedly gay and everyone seems to know in spite of the fact that he never ‘came out’He moved to Crete in February 2004 and opened Villa Ralfa as Crete’s first gay accommodation and lodgings in June 2004. You can find his web site at www.villaralfa.com
Hersonissos, The charm of contrasts – Part B