Trip Report: Thanksgiving in Crete – 2023

Kelly — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 22:30:08 +0000

Who: The entire Seasoned Passports clan.
What: Traveling together. The answer will always be travel.
Where: Crete, Greece
When: Thanksgiving – 2023
Why: Family bonding fun increases the farther away from home you are. And when everyone is the host, nobody is THE host.
How:

Where and When

We had initially planned to go to Sicily in 2020 and we all know why that did not work out. I am a little annoyed we missed our chance to go before the White Lotus onslaught but bygones. We changed course to Greece after David and I had one of our best vacations to the Greek Islands in 2021 right when the country had re-opened.

Given that Thanksgiving falls in the offseason for Greece, we only realistically had two islands to choose from: Crete or Corfu. We really could not go wrong and there was strong interest in Corfu due to some of the clan’s obsession with the Durrell family but Crete edged out Corfu in the end. The culinary reputation, Knossos and it being located much farther south helped it in the polls. We are very happy with our pick but don’t worry Corfu, we are coming for you! I’m sure you can’t wait!

Why

BB (Before Bear), and before Covid for that matter, we traveled as a clan to the Loire Valley for Thanksgiving. I had also done this a few times with my mom and dad before David and I got married and we always had a wonderful time and it took all the pressure out of the holiday. I feel like traveling as a family over Thanksgiving really makes you focus on the important things and allows you to all spend some wonderful quality time together. Our immediate family is pretty small which makes things easier as well and if you can’t stand your family, well…maybe a Friendsgiving holiday away?

It is wonderful because you can all spend time together but nobody has the singular pressure of being THE host. And while you will probably have to make adjustments to your Thanksgiving menu you can shop local markets and make the meal truly special.

We did bring poultry seasoning and cornbread packets from home so we could have “traditional” stuffing but everything else was Greek. Honestly, we had chicken this year even though we could have had turkey. We just did not buy the frozen turkey in time and NOBODY cared. It’s all about going with the flow and enjoying where you are and who you are with which I think is easy to lose sight of with the potential stress of the holiday.

How

Day 0 – Athens

Bear, David and I were the last to arrive in Athens. We had bought separate round trip tickets between Athens and Heraklion and wanted to give ourselves some time in case our international flights went awry. Airline meltdowns due to weather, strikes, bad IT, bad juju have upped my anxiety level a lot as airports and planes have been packed.

Day 1 – Ariston in Athens for Breakfast

So, that is one reason for the overnight in Athens. The other reason…is the spinach pie at Ariston which is a couple blocks away from the Hotel Grande Bretagne. That is the real reason we trekked into town for our one night stay.

We first visited this family run shop back in 2021 and it has been on my mind since then. It really is that glorious. If you are in Athens, just go already! I will warn you they do not have tables and while you can eat standing up outside we had my parents with me and we went across the street and ordered coffees and ate our breakfast at their tables. I don’t love doing this but it was not super busy and they were okay with it.

We all checked out of our respective hotels and headed to the airport where we met up with the rest of the clan and got on our short hop flight to Heraklion.

Day 1 – Heraklion

The flight was blessedly short and uneventful. We got there, wrangled all of our bags and team members to our respective rental cars (automatic please!) and headed to our first rental house. I’ll let the view speak for itself:

We sent scouts for provisions and just hung around the house the rest of the day. The house was absolutely stunning and also enormous so it was impossible to get a total picture of it. It had 7 bedrooms spread over 3 stories and was built into a pretty steep cliff. Let’s just say the road to get to it was a little exciting and I am super happy our rent cars had more than 2 cylinders otherwise I am not sure we would have made it. As great as the interior was we spent the majority of our time outside but we did have some rain during our three night stay. Unfortunately, the pool was never warm enough to swim in but David did take a very quick dip on day two. He looked a little blue after so no one else followed his lead.

Since it was low season we asked our host Georgos for a recommendation and we had a wonderful dinner at To Limanaki where we ordered half the menu. But, before we headed off for our first festive group meal, we were treated to a wonderful sunset

Day 2 – Knossos

The Knossos Palace was one of the reasons the group picked Crete over Corfu for this trip. The site was an easy 20 minute drive from our house and was empty when we got there at 10am. I can’t stress enough how wonderful traveling during low season can be. You might be faced with a few closed restaurants and beach shacks but if you have heavily touristed sites on your travel wish list, not dealing with the crowds is worth the payoff. It did not disappoint!

Knossos is an ancient archaeological site that served as the center of the Minoan civilization around 2000-1400 BCE. This sprawling palace complex, with its labyrinthine architecture and vibrant frescoes, is believed to have been the mythical labyrinth of King Minos. Knossos played a pivotal role in the Bronze Age Aegean world and provides valuable insights into the Minoan culture and its advanced civilization.

The original frescoes and treasures are now kept at the Heraklion Archeological Museum in town which we did not have time to visit on this trip. This is a good real world example of not overloading yourself when traveling with a young child even if it means leaving things you really wanted to do undone. Next time!

Visiting archaeological sites with Bear is a huge win for everyone. We do take him to traditional museums but it’s always a mystery how long we will have before his patience runs thin and he starts getting loud. At a physical site he can run around and he had the time of his life at Knossos. And since the site did not have many other tourists while we were there he was able to do a lot of exploring without getting in other people’s way! Overall it was an awesome morning.

We did not have a guide for this visit but the site had wifi at the entrance where you could download their free app that had several tours you could follow. The site also had wonderful and informative plaques everywhere in English and Greek. What really impressed me though is that they had built a fully accessible tour loop so that those with limited mobility could enjoy the site as well.

It was Bear’s naptime when we left Knossos so the group split up with the adults grabbing lunch nearby and Team Bear heading back to the house for some R&R. We just hung out at the house the rest of the day and night and hit the easy button on dinner. Frozen pizza is a crowd pleaser no matter where you travel! We also were treated to the first of several rainbows of the trip which made an already spectacular setting even better.

Day 3 – Stilianou Winery

I did not want to overload us with planned activities but we are a group that loves wine and cheese so I had arranged for a half day wine tasting through the company that manages the house. I also wanted a designated driver. Everything worked out perfectly and we were picked up in a van and escorted to the Stilianou Winery in Kounavi. It was a wonderful afternoon!

This is a family run winery that specializes in Cretan grape varieties and also bottles it’s own olive oil. After a tour of the facilities and wine cellar, we were set up outside by our gracious host to commence the wine, cheese and olive oil tasting.

The wines paired perfectly with the local cheeses and we all had a wonderful time.

The sun was shining, the wine was excellent and everyone was feeling the gemütlichkeit spirit! We left with as many bottles of wine as the owner had left to sell us and some of the wonderful olive oil he produces. It was a really stellar day.

We stuck around the house after we were dropped off and ordered delivery from a place recommended by Georgos. It was a gorgeous day out and also our last night at the house so we just wanted to enjoy the rest of our time there.

Day 4 – Move to Chania and Lunch in Remythno

We piled ourselves and all of our luggage into the three cars we had rented and drove up that cliff side one last time before turning right on the national road. Our stay in Heraklion had been very pleasant and while we were sad to say goodbye to that house we were excited to see the next town and house. The drive is a little over 2 hours and we timed it so we could eat lunch in Remythno which is about halfway to Chania from Heraklion. I had been missing some of that charm and magic that had made our frist trip to the islands so special and Remythno had both in spades.

Rethymno, located on the northern coast of Crete, is a historic town with a rich and diverse history. Its origins date back to the Minoan era, and it has been influenced by various civilizations, including the Venetians and Ottomans, which is reflected in its unique architecture and cultural heritage. Once we got through the new part of the town and found easy parking near the fortress we were on our way to having one of the best meals of the trip at Raki ba Raki.

We sat outside under the arbor at a large table and they supplied a high chair for Bear. We ordered several rounds of appetizers and David got to have his first Taramasalata of the trip and it was spectacular. And when we could not eat a bite more…we had dessert and raki for the first time that trip.

After the raki and the heavy meal those of us driving needed to move around and wait a minute before we got back on the road. We wandered around Remythno’s old town some more and soaked up the off season atmosphere.

We hit the road again when we were ready and drove about an hour and a quarter farther to just north of Chania where our second house of the week was located. The house was absolutely stunning. The first house had been modern and an entertainer’s dream but the second house just had that rustic and charming je ne se quois when the perfect design finds the perfect plot of land. Everything was high end and gorgeous in a very Cretan way without being over the top.

We settled into our new digs and had a snack centric dinner given the huge lunch we had in Rethymno. The next day was a special day on an already special trip because it was my brother in law’s birthday and we had arranged a special surprise for him!

Day 5 – A birthday celebration!

My brother in law M had the good grace to have his birthday fall during the Thanksgiving trip this year. M is a beloved member of the clan who is an awesome uncle/BIL/spouse, expert mousse applier and very tall person (not necessarily in that order). He also does a lot for others and does not ask for anything in return.

Alex, the owner of this house, was extremely easy to communicate with and always had excellent suggestions. M is a foodie and we wanted to do something special for him. I had read some reviews that you could bring a private chef in who had received rave reviews. So with some sneaky planning my SIL set up a menu with the chef , Stefano, and he knocked it out of the park!

M was happily surprised and we sat down to a wonderful multi-course meal with the piece de resistance being the lamb and potatoes baked in a clay hull. That was followed by some of the best chocolate cake I have had in some time that I managed to not get a picture of. Sorry! Did I mention all of the wonderful Greek wine we had with the meal?

We had spent the day at the house and had discussed the cooking timeline for the next day. Thankfully the house had everything we needed pan and dish wise and now all we had to do was get the last of the ingredients and execute our Greek-ish style Thanksgiving the next day.

Day 6 – THANKSGIVING

It was finally THE DAY. The reason why we only had to take 3 days of paid time off for an entire weeklong trip.

Team Bear got up at the crack of 8 and set off for the Thursday market in Chania to get ingredients for Greek green beans and a few other items. The market was close to the old town parking we wanted to target for the next day when everyone was going to join us so it was a useful reconnaissance mission as well. It was a gorgeous morning in Chania and we found what we needed fairly quickly.

We were not the only tourists there but we were maybe three of ten. This was a lovely local’s market and the produce was beautiful. We picked up everything we needed for our sides and we trekked back to the house to get cooking.

We had decided to divide and conquer with my SIL D in charge of the protein and dressing and David and I (with an assist from my mom) in charge of sides and mezze. The kitchen was well outfitted but not large and we managed to get through meal prep without any injuries (emotional or physical). The final result speaks for itself:

Our Greek dishes included the green beans, spanakopita (Bear ate at least 6 of those), taramasalata, hummus, tzatziki, olives and homemade pita chips. We had chicken instead of turkey this year and made dressing with a few key ingredients brought from home. And of course we had several bottles of Greek wine. It was a lovely meal and the whole day was just a gorgeous reminder of how nice and lucky we were to just be able to spend time together. The view did not hurt either.

Day 7 – Chania

This was a bittersweet day as we lost D and M to the clarion call of London. They got up early to catch their flight back to Athens and then on to London. Now we were a party of 6 and the plan for the day was to venture into Chania to see the Venetian harbor and old town. And maybe find lunch and some wine. Spoiler alert: we did!

We parked in the same public lot just steps away from the harbor around 11 with zero issues. This would have been impossible during high season. We wrangled ourselves, got Bear set up for success and headed into the old town.

Chania’s old town is a captivating labyrinth of narrow winding streets and beautifully preserved Venetian and Ottoman architecture. The harbor, with its iconic lighthouse, offers a beautiful setting where you can stroll along the promenade, grab a beer, bite to eat or a coffee, and soak in the atmosphere of this enchanting town. We wandered the streets for a bit back in the old town and slowly made our way to lunch .

We meandered over to a place called Boheme that is one of the newer options in town. It is a wonderful bar that serves a focused menu of salads, sandwiches, brunch items on the weekends and other items that are all made from locally sourced ingredients. The interior is in part of an old monastery and it has a wonderful courtyard based around a tree that has seen several centuries come to pass. It is pretty idyllic if you don’t HAVE to be on the water. The food (and drinks) were excellent.

After a restorative lunch we wandered through the Topanas quarter a little longer and headed to check out the church. It was a beautiful day and we headed towards the harbor to check out the lighthouse and the serene offseason scene. The lighthouse was first constructed in the late 16th century during the Venetian era. Its modern incarnation was constructed in the early 20th century, serving as a guiding light for ships navigating the Aegean Sea. It really makes Chania’s harbor one of the prettiest in Greece which is not short on beautiful places.

We drove back to the house without incident and feasted on our assorted leftovers from M’s birthday and Thanksgiving, as is also tradition. This marked our last night on Crete so we also began the sad task of packing up and getting ready for the trek back to Athens.

Day 8 – Valley hike and flight back to Athens

Our flight wasn’t until later that evening so we had some time before we needed to leave for the Heraklion Airport. We had time for a little wander into the Avlaki Gorge before we packed up and headed out. At least, that is where we were trying to go. We definitely made it to the Holy Monastery of Gouverneto and walked as far as Bear’s legs could carry him.

We parked and entered through a gate and took a path through a charming garden until we passed the monastery.

We walked to the main hike and the sea stretched out before us. It was one of those perfect kind of mornings that was chilly in the shade but perfect in the sun. As a Texan I live for these kinds of days. Some of the local goats (or sheep?) kept us company on the path.

There are a lot of hidden churches and other paths in the gorge but we only went about a quarter mile at Bear’s pace. We got to a good turning place and headed back to the car so we could return to the house, pack up and head out. It was a fitting last mini adventure.

We made it back to Heraklion and turned in the cars without issue. Our flight back to Athens also went off without a hitch. Everyone had booked rooms at the Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel since everyone was flying back to their respective cities in the US the following day. We said a bittersweet goodbye before turning in for the evening and everyone made it safely to their home bases the next day.

What would I have changed?

I am a bit of a planner perfectionist so, yes. The main thing I would have changed when planning this trip is I would have had us fly into Heraklion and out of Chania which also has easy air connections with Athens. The Chania airport was about a 7 minute drive from our second house and the Heraklion Airport was 2.5 hours away. I had not booked our houses at that point so I made the best decision for the team given the information I had at the time. Oh well!

Conclusion

This trip was a very different trip than when we traipsed around the Loire in 2015. First, we have Bear now and are older and more tired. And everyone else is older now as well and we wanted to spend more time at the houses this time around. Last time we had multicourse meals at Michelin starred restaurants and this time we made frozen pizza. They were very different trips but wonderful in that we got to spend time exploring a new area together and it is a trip we will all remember forever.

Best wishes and bon voyage!

Trip Reports – Seasoned Passports

Trip Report: Thanksgiving in Crete – 2023

Where and When

Why

How