Bella Maris-Elegant Resort Hotel Hersonissos

... deck overlooking the harbor and old Venetian walls, as well as the Mt. Idi mountains. Not shabby - we even get a couple of chaises. Of course we won't actually be spending much time lounging around the hotel because we have to see the Minoans.

We went off in search of food and found a quiet taverna - crushed fresh tomatoes and olive oil on a baked brown bread; greek tomato, feta, pepper, and olive salad; and ...

We had decided to go to Knossos on our last full day (Friday) as it is close to Iraklio where Chris and Milly will fly from on Friday night. But it made sense to take the last day in a more leisurely fashion and visit the Minoan palace of Knossos on Thursday. So we did.

After a brisk drive through the usual nightmare traffic and narrow streets, and our usual lunch, this time just across the road from the palace, we entered the grounds. The entry fee is €6 ...

... flights) Where on earth would we find the patience to wait for 5 hours?? For comfort we recaived a £4.- voucher which we later spend on some lovely Marks & Spencer's salads & chocolate mouse =p. Although feeling rather stiff sitting on the wooden bench the time went quite fast while we where reading. (me Portraits by Cynthia Freeman, Eve 'Closer') and doing ...

... i want some new greek sandals!!! I am taking the over ngiht ferry to Athens on thursday arrivi9ng at 6 AM aghhhh I am going to ehad over to the hostel right away and leave my bag there I am so excited to walk down the streets I walked for 5 weeks and to smell the smells and to eat the food and to see if I recognize anyone!

I am getting so ridiculously excited to come home!!!! YAYYYY!!! I am ready now ...

... now! alright and he was just WEIRD from the beginning no one asked him to come no one invited him (NOT that we would not have of course any of us would have said hey come with us but instead your man freakily walked behind us and then started talking to us like we were all best frieds..)

So we go to the pool bar and let me tell you the pool bar is this GREAT place a nice pool the deep end has to be at least 8 feet and the water is crisp and clean where you ...

... on it before he can call me!@) he says HEY hows it goign I said GREAT hows it goingyourself ... I'M BORED where are you! I said Crete havinga BLAST why don't you come! he goes OK! I started laughing ummm ok? ok? OK!!!! AWESOME! let me just make sure there isroom for you! NOPE no room so not the next day but the day after I almost threw myself on the ground PLEADING with Chris the hostel manager/owner PLEASSSEEEEEEE ok.. we will amke it work he says. call davey ...

... down while snoaring away? head against the wall behind you which you cannot conceal your open mouth (tell me WHY everyones mouth has to pop open like that we all look like idiots!) head on the back of both hands slumped over your suitcase drooling and then inevitably ONE of your dam legs goes to sleep adn its nto just to teh knee it's all the way up to your **** so you then try adn stand but the pins and needles are so bad your dancing around ...

... sought off on their own and we did run into them at the open market. It was quaint but we didn't have enough time to see the island. Samantha Brown mentioned on her travel show that the port town was nothing to write home about and she was correct. The beauty of the island according to her was on the other side. Someday we may get there but if we don't it won't be the end of the world.

Through a series of unfortunate events, this is the sole remaining picture of our magical day in Crete. In all of my genius I deleted the Crete and Turkey photos by accident and boy was that ever a sad day. Of course the first thing I did after getting home from the cruise was upload the Sbux series to Facebook, so now the Starbucks photo is the only one left of Crete :(

... night, but there was something odd about the place that I couldn't put my finger on. Then it dawned on me. EVERYONE was speaking in Dutch! The following day it became apparent that we'd perhaps drawn the short straw - this was not the Greece I knew and loved, or had hoped to spend a Summer working in... There was a beach, but it was narrow and rocky and overpopulated with tourists (99% Dutch, Hersonissos being a Dutch resort). The town itself basically stretched 1 mile in ...