Eastern and Western Crete (1)

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It was already a little 'that we thought of going to Crete, and since this is our son that the baby of our friends have made six years, were sufficiently large for us to take less than 6 planes in 15 days, to be tossed in around from morning to night and to blow up every time lunch and dinner. In fact, these little explorers of the world, they adapt much better than us at every situation, the important thing is fun and find ways to make them involved and interested in what you are about to visit.
We planned the trip to Crete with a lot of advance booking flights already scheduled by March, so we got a best price of any charter flight for two weeks in August of power. The only problem? From Bologna not start direct scheduled flights, so .... with Alitalia ... Bologna - Roma / Rome - Athens / Athens - Heraklion and the same on return. Virtually a one day trip, but we made it possible to stay where they had planned: 8 days in the West and 6 in the East, by booking in advance an apartment for every area and doing day trips, not too long, so come back every time at the base. Apart from the flight, the rest (apartments and cars), we have given over the Internet to a Cretan agency that works primarily with Italians, with staff who speak Italian, but above all very available RETHYMNO TOURS sof. Venizelou n.64 - 74100 RETHYMNO - Greece. Mr. Spyros is very gentle - tel. 0030-2831022480.
Upon arrival at 15:00 at Heraklion we expected our car, a Multipla that we would then accompanied faithfully until the end of the holiday. From here began the journey to the west coast, with a stop to the agency of Mr. Spyros which gave us very useful information and addresses and planting to reach the apartments booked. At 19.00 we finally unloaded the suitcases in our studios to Eleana Villa Stavros approximately 14 km. from Chania.
The first day, because we are still tired, we take the day to know the immediate surroundings. The beach of Stavros is just 1 km. where to stay and is famous because here they shot the final scene of the film "Zorba the greek". E 'a beach can also be reached by bus from Chania for the weekend can be a little' crowded, although we must point out that in West Crete, the crowd on the beach is never excessive. The beach slopes gently and there is a small pier where the kids have dipped for the entire morning. In the evening we visited for the first time Chania. E 'lost in the delightful shops that sell items of all kinds, in this space craft items produced in the skin, so here the prices are the lowest of all Crete. We then sent in from the streets even with Venetian buildings six to eighteenth now turned into very nice restaurants where you can enter just to visit or photograph.
Our first tour day we decide to do a Falasarna. Not yet practical for the streets, we were unable to enter the highway to avoid crossing the city of Chania and unfortunately for 15 km. We took an hour. Along the way we crossed Tavronitis that there was nothing to believe we have continued to the monastery "Moni Gonia" which gave us the sarongs to visit the church and the monastery itself and lemons to pass the time by car to the babies who invented "Lemonful" ie a sort of Beautiful plant. We then continued to Kastelli Kissamous where we took a refreshing bath in the beach of the village and after lunch in one of the many tavernas on the beach for about 7 euros a head, we booked through a cruise for the day and after a Gramvousa Balos. Continuing west, we finally reached Falasarna. Coming from one sees a beautiful beach, but quite popular pink and we chose to stop in a cove on the right side of the beach, very quiet and small pool of clear water and low-perfect for kids. After the "tuna beached," I decided to enjoy the afternoon to the end we were up at sunset, which, with its colors, has inspired us to imitate groped Roberta in doing a yoga exercise called "the greeting to the sun" and we made it even more difficult to leave a place so beautiful. There are eight in the evening! We have 2 hours of travel! Plug the hunger of the children with ice cream and then home ..... ... dinner ... shower .... read! Tomorrow morning at 9 from the cruise to Balos and we travel an hour (if we find the highway) from Stavros to Kastelli Kissamous.
On awakening, after breakfast and after those 7 or 8 U-turns along several streets where the signs are after the junction and not before ... we arrived to board. Before you go to the island of Gramvousa, an ancient Venetian fortress and taking the advice here. If you like walking or rather of climbing, then the ferry when you download (around 11.30 - 12.00 approx) and started towards the fortress which is located at the top of the mountain but: IF YOU DO NOT climb the Sleepers Infradito and ask why a Roberta and for the rest of the day had to wear "flip flops style pedal." The view of the lagoon of Balos is beautiful from up there, but hold on to well-child because it is full of holes and slits for nothing reported. If you are not so fond of climbing style goat Cri-Cri, but then everyone started to conquer the strong get a refreshing dip in the beach in front of you in a beautiful clear water, before returning for lunch on the boat. The food was good but we were convinced that the lunch was included in the price and instead ....!!! However, it is not eating because statovmeglio at 14.00 we have downloaded the lagoon of Balos. Joy for the eyes, ears, for all the senses ... The lagoon is also reachable by car from the top of the mountain and a walk of 40 minutes, but very tiring, I do not recommend. Every day, two boats unload tourists and the place is so great that there is nothing to hear in a crowded place. You can sit or lie down in a vast area of water about 10 cm high and of course warm, or you can dive into a transparent blue sea and the water height belly for hundreds of meters or launch into the void in the open sea. Over two hours of swimming and sun with only drawback (but sometimes necessary) the wind, which was one of our fellow holiday sometimes a little 'too intrusive. Conclusion: Afternoon Caribbean!
After a day like that of Balos the next morning was relaxing in a beach not far from Stavros, called Hora Fakion Bay Kalatha. It 'very nice and since we arrived early enough we accapparrati beautiful places in the shade of one of the two trees of the beach. Dinner in Chania, a trip to the shops and then ........ the most entertaining of the evening and that is us in the car, with map in hand trying to move by sending Fabiano closely read the names of the streets during stops at traffic lights red ... "DOMO SFAATIKAATIROV ".... is like saying "VIA INDIIPEENNDEENZAA".
The next day we started out towards the south west coast through the white mountains. The route is very beautiful but very long, we stopped at Vrisses, we took a nescafe milkshakes l