Tourist First: Greece: The Streets of Chania

Friday, August 2, 2019

Greece: The Streets of Chania

Some of Chania's well-shaded shopping streets
resemble bazaars, with shops offering a wide
array of goods, not just souvenirs.

Guidebooks and internet postings about Chania persuaded us to visit as long as we were on Crete anyway. In retrospect, I regret my reluctance to rent a car and explore more of the island, especially the south coast. Like Heraklion, Chania (pronounced KAN-nya) is on the north coast and like Heraklion has a history that includes conquests by Turks, Venetians and other powers over the centuries.

Chania is a lovely little walled city. Its narrow twisting streets, sometimes interrupted by flights of stairs, are as inviting as similar streets anywhere in the Mediterranean. It's not quite true that if you've seen one medieval walled town, you've seen them all, but you will notice a sameness. We arrived by bus from Heraklion and took a taxi from the bus station to one of the gates into the old town. From there, we had to turn at only one side street (think passageway) to reach our hotel, Casa Delfino (Dolphin House).

All the attractions of Chania, from restaurants to the harbor to its maritime museum, were within a few steps of the hotel. One popular activity, walking atop the walls of Firka, an old Turkish prison, couldn't be done during our visit due to repair work. We were here for two nights, and that's about the right amount of time for us. We met a British couple at our hotel who visit Chania frequently for stays of four or five days, spending their time relaxing and wandering the streets of the newer parts of town as well as the ancient.

Here are some photos.

The harbor front seems also to be
Chania's main street.

A lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor.

The harbor as seen from our room at Casa Delfino. Most of
the places under the big awnings are restaurants.

A minaret is a reminder of the role
of the Ottoman Empire in the history
of Chania.

This happy little red submarine takes adventurous tourists
beneath the waves of the Sea of Crete.

At the Maritime Museum of Crete, models of World War II
ships help visitors understand the sea battles that
happened near Chania. As a bonus, it's housed in
an old Turkish prison called Firka.

At the museum, paint is carefully applied as a new model ship is about
to go on display. These models are about as detailed as any I've ever seen.

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Argentine Patagonia

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Dominica

Probably the greenest island in the Caribbean, in terms of color and ecological awareness, is Dominica, just north of Martinique. It was named by Columbus, who sailed past it on a Sunday. The island nation is one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, but it is rich in friendly people and natural attractions, including a boiling lake, hot and cold waterfalls, a parrot jungle and hill after hill of dense green jungle. There is also a cable-car ride through the jungle canopy (http://www.natureisland.com/AerialTram.html). I wrote about Dominica years ago, and much of that article is still relevant: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/26/travel/winter-in-the-sun-an-island-where-less-is-more.html?scp=2&sq= Unfortunately, one of the hotels I mentioned, Petit Coulibri, has since closed. Fortunately, there's still a wonderful eco-resort called Papillote Wilderness Retreat http://www.papillote.dm/), four acres of lush gardens, hot-spring-heated soaking pools and modest cottage rooms.

Palm Springs

Palm Springs, Calif., is a great destination for nature lovers -- Mount San Jacinto State Park is a wonderful gondola ride (shown above -- click on it to visit its website) away, and Joshua Tree National Park is a short drive away. It's also a great destination for naturists; there are several major clothing optional resorts in the area -- and for fans of Mid-Century Modern architecture. For a dose of mid-century style, stay at the Orbit In (http://www.orbitin.com/), which does ask that you keep your clothes on.

Pompeii

If you're driving from Naples to the Amalfi Coast, and it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't want to visit the Amalfi Coast, you should plan to spend a night in the modern city of Pompei, adjacent to the ancient city of Pompeii. Above are the murals depicting an unknown ritual in what's called the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. If you can, devote most of a full day to exploring the site. Afterward, you'll want a good hotel. Click on the image for info about Hotel Amleto, a small and friendly hotel in the heart of the new town and an easy walk from the ruins.

St. Vincent

This is one of the "rooms" at Petit Byahaut, an isolated (access by boat only) eco-resort on St. Vincent, the largest island in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Bequia, mentioned above in this column, is one of the Grenadines. The photo above is of the living deck and doesn't show a relatively enclosed area that had a real bed. Did you notice I said "had"? That's because the place has closed. To read about the property in its heyday, click on the image for a New York Times article I wrote. The article has a link to a slide show with more images of the resort.