Crete - Platanias

I could lie and say we made a last-minute decision and booked this trip to Crete over Midsummer but the fact is that we are not that "wild and crazy".

We booked this trip in October last year and I have been looking forward to it ever since.



We've been to Greece before like I said in my previous post, but never stayed at this hotel before. It was called Castle Suites and was located 45 minutes from Chania Airport in the village Platanias.

The villages along the northern coast seem to flow into one another and in places it's hard to tell where one ends and another begins.

Traffic is crazy compared to ours. The streets are narrow and scooters whiz by left and right. Another thing that makes it difficult to adjust to is that cars don't have the head lights on during the day like we do in Sweden. It can sometimes be hard to tell if a car is moving or not. And just as you think you're safe it shoots by with a honk of the horn.
When we travelled alone in Greece before it wasn't such a big deal, but with the girls in tow it felt a bit scary at times.


We spent the Friday (Midsummer's Eve) at the hotel all day as well as Saturday and Sunday. The girls enjoyed the slow pace a lot and I got lots of time to finish my book (A Dance with Dragons - but that is DEFINITELY for another post - Gah!).



We didn't want to spend all the time at the hotel though, and Isabel got pretty bad sunburn during the weekend and had proper sores on her shoulders and was pretty uncomfortable so we rented a car and drove to Knossos on the Monday. It took almost 2 hours to drive there and once we arrived the temperatures were climbing reaching almost 36C in the afternoon heat.



Isabel was very intrigued with Knossos and soaked it all up. She even made plans for a show and tell session in school this fall and asked us to take lots of pictures. It was fun to walk around the palace grounds talking to her about what it could have been like there 4000 years ago.



We had rented the car for two days so on Tuesday we drove to Elafonissi Beach which is a paradise beach with fine sand and clear blue waters. Both Rickard and I have been there before. One by ourselves and once with Isabel.
We managed to take a wrong left turn and drove over the mountains to Elafonissi via the scenic route. Prolonging the journey by at least an hour and forcing us to drive along very narrow mountain roads. It was very scary.



Here we've stopped along the way at almost 1000 m (3000 feet) and once out of the car it didn't feel so scary. The air was nice and cool so high up too.

The beach was as lovely as we remembered and both girls liked it. Sofia is very scared of seaweed so it was perfect for her.
Unfortunately there was a very strong wind on the beach so lying on a sun bed wasn't very enjoyable so we ended up leaving pretty early. Isabel's shoulders were starting to go redder again so that added to our early departure.

The last two days we decided to spend at the hotel again. Soaking up the sun and bathing. Isabel preferred to stay in doors playing at being a vampire. We even bought her a t-shirt so she could swim but she decided not to.

We flew home yesterday evening at 10:50 pm Greece time and landed in Denmark 40 minutes ahead of schedule, but it still meant we weren't home until after 2 am.

We can't wait to go back again. Maybe next year.

Leaving on a jet plane

In just a few days we are going to Greece for a week of sun and swimming. The girls are very excited - especially Sofia who has never flown before.

Isabel was not yet 2 years when she flew last time (when we celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday in Prague) and she has only faint memories of it from what she has told me.

I'm not a confident flyer. I kind of hate it but if it gets me to Greece I will bear it. I just hope there won't be too much turbulence as I will be sitting alone with both girls in row 10 while Rickard got a seat by the emergency exits in row 15. I was hoping to sit in the aisle seat but both girls expressed a wish to sit next to me at take off at least so I will have to squeeze into the middle seat.
I hope to find some kind of sewing project to bring, and I need to pack some pens and activity books for the girls. Isabel will be happy with her iPod if she can just listen to Harry Potter - but she will need a book as well. Maybe I can bring the chapter book we are reading. That should entertain more than us though :/

I've been to Greece before. I travelled to Rhodes with my parents in '88, Cyprus in '89, to Crete with a girlfriend in '91, then with Rickard to Corfu in '98, Santorini in '00 (Honeymoon!), Tenerife and Crete in '02, Rhodes in '03 and finally Crete again in '05 when Isabel was just over a year old. We haven't been since.







We took a flat near Rethimno but booked with breakfast included. This time we'll not have that but arrange our meals on our own. When Rickard and I travelled in Greece before we had kids we always did that. Breakfast on the balcony with fresh, warm Greek bread and yoghurt.




We rented a car and visited Elafonissi - The Maldives of Europe. We plan to do the same this time and I hope Isabel will like bathing there better than she did last time.




She got so tired in the car driving back from Elafonissi.




We went fairly late in the season (first week in September) which is why we could get away with a cardigan on her in the evening. It will be very interesting to see how she (and Sofia) deals with the heat. We had a few days of nice weather last week and she was very bothered by it.

Busy May

We've had a few busy weeks since late May. It's been filled with birthdays and work deadlines and visiting cousins and visits to amusement parks.



I work two and a half more days then I have five weeks off, and on Thursday next week we are leaving for a week in Crete, Greece.

I got new glasses, made a dress for Isabel's graduation, celebrated Sofia's 6th birthday, celebrated my aunt's 60th birthday.



Sofia learnt how to ride a bike.




IT doesn't seem like the rush will let up any time soon, so check me out on Instagram if you want to see what we're up to.