Chania, Crete

Dinner in Hania
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Thursday morning, and thanks to Toni’s insistence of having curtains open, we were up with the birds again. A “quaint” breakfast was included with our room rate and we sat down to yoghurt and honey, bread and spreads, cake and biscuits, orange juice, and coffee – quite different to the cereal and toast expected at home. We also had the opportunity to breakfast with some of the other guests in the hotel, a real international mix of Danish, English, and Australian couples.

While Toni was typing up some notes for the blog, Dwayne was dispatched to get the hire car. However this was only after discovering that the car, booked for pickup in Hania, was actually located in Agia Marina, 10km to the west of Hania (yep, our travel agent will hear about that one too!).

Driving on the right hand side of the road was difficult enough, but the car also turned out to be a MANUAL...

Dinner on the waterfront, Hania
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It was an adventure of half hours. By the time D walked to the bus station and waited to buy a ticket (behind a guy who was either a) having a pleasant conversation with, or b) having a huge argument with, the cashier – hard to tell the difference), half an hour had passed. Waiting for the bus to leave took half an hour. The journey (on a public bus, stopping every six feet) to Agia Marina took half an hour. Waiting for a car to be prepared and ready to go took half an hour – D found, on arrival, that our original car had been given to someone else because we hadn’t arrived at the booked time of 9.00am (despite Toni having rung them at 9.00am to find out where the office was and the booking being checked…). Sigh.

Sunset, Hania
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Then there was the journey back to Hania. Driving on the right hand side of the road was difficult enough, but the car also turned out to be a MANUAL – like there’s not enough to worry about! (…and another tidbit for the travel agent.) From leaving the rental car company to finding a park back in Hania chewed up another half an hour. The great news, though, was that D did not kill anyone, dent the car, or have a nervous breakdown.

That very easily took up the morning and, to celebrate the start of the relaxing phase of our holiday, we drove out to a local beach and spent the afternoon on sunloungers (again, 3 Euro per person). Late afternoon saw us exploring the rest of the old harbour of Hania, including a fascinating Olive Oil exhibition, tacky tourist shops and (another) jewellery purchase for T….

Dinner was on the waterfront again, watching the sun go down (what are the poor people doing?!). A wonderful way to finish our time in Hania.