CRÈTE ELOUNDA
Hello my birds!
I hope you are well, that you are sewing your Wanda trench coat ! As for me, I've been a bit flat, I think I've been terribly in need of sunshine, the Parisian greyness has literally made me want to hibernate. But after a week's complete absence of the most beautiful star, I think it's back in the Parisian sky! Let's hope it lasts, otherwise I think I'll consider relocating the lemonade studio to the South. If you have any tips on how to boost your vitamin D levels, I'd love to hear from you!
Today I'd like to tell you about Crete, which was the second part of our honeymoon! We stayed just 3 days around Plaka, Elounda, which is a micro glimpse of this magnificent island! We loved the small fishing villages, the fresh local cuisine and the peaceful atmosphere of the surroundings, a real haven of peace that almost makes me want to convert to the "slow life". But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Greece and its surrounding islands really are the ideal place for a real vacation, because it's not far away, there's only an hour's time difference and it's the perfect place to disconnect and recharge...
We arrived by speed boat from Santorini, which is easy to book via the Internet. A few months before, I had already taken care of the matter, and in less than 2 hours we disembarked in Heraklion. There are also domestic flights that shuttle back and forth several times a day, but to be honest, we're not big fans of heights! So here we are in Crete, which has nothing to do with the small islands of the Cyclades; it's barely smaller than Corsica, so it's still quite a place... So we leave the volcanic landscapes of Santorini for the Cretan mountains and head for the Blue Palaceaka "paradise on earth", aka "Jamais on rentre city".
It made me smile when I posted this picture of our room on Instagram, many of you reacted and said that this was also where you had stayed on your honeymoon, and that's when I thought we were exactly where we were supposed to be! The hotel is really huge, and even has a sort of funicular that goes down to a private beach of beautiful grey pebbles facing the almost island of Spinalonga. I've never stayed in a hotel as crazy as this one, extremely well decorated and with remarkably helpful staff. Go for it with your eyes closed!
Spinalonga, even Wikipedia says, is the main activity on this part of the island. It's a fortress island built by the Venetians in the 16th century, and the crazy thing is that it's in such good condition that I'm not even sure you can call it a ruin. You can get to Spinalonga with a small boat that leaves every hour from the small town of Plaka, right next to the hotel. I'd also recommend a stroll through the small fishing villages in the vicinity, to soak up the local atmosphere, and a seafood tasting at the port of Elounda...
I must confess that we didn't really explore the surrounding area, as we didn't have our driving license, so getting around is always a bit of an adventure. But these 3 days certainly gave us a wonderful foretaste, and we're already thinking of going back, as everyone told us about a heavenly spot, the Balos lagoon or the village of Loutros, which are just the opposite of where we were staying!
Here are a few Cretan treasures I found in a tiny shell store in Elounda! If you have any recommendations for Crete, don't hesitate to share them in the comments! And I'll leave you to it, I'll be back next week to post the end of this trip with a special post on Athens! In the meantime, I'll see you tomorrow for a treat!
