Do you see that island there at the bottom? That's Crete. We sort of chose this destination in January because we were hoping to find somewhere warm where we could feel human again for a bit! And let me just say, it was AWE-SOME!
Not all our little adventures are so rewarding. Sure, I may share some great photos of the kids amongst architecture, art, history, locations that are amazing. But that doesn't mean there wasn't whining, complaining, long days of walking, etc, that make those moments a bit less than memorable.
But not with this trip. This trip was sort of like going to Destin, FL back when we lived in Dallas. An easy, lovely, fun, rewarding trip, with some added history and a bit more adventure!
Not all our little adventures are so rewarding. Sure, I may share some great photos of the kids amongst architecture, art, history, locations that are amazing. But that doesn't mean there wasn't whining, complaining, long days of walking, etc, that make those moments a bit less than memorable.
But not with this trip. This trip was sort of like going to Destin, FL back when we lived in Dallas. An easy, lovely, fun, rewarding trip, with some added history and a bit more adventure!
This was just a short trip. We flew out late Wednesday, spent Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at three different beaches, and finally checked out the city on Sunday and caught our flight back to London.
Balos Beach
Balos is an amazing beach on the north westernmost spot of Chania Crete. It is accessed through a track road or by tour boat from Kissamos. http://www.greeka.com/crete/chania/chania-beaches.htm
This was our first adventure. And truly it was an adventure. We rented this 9 passenger van, no 4-wheel-drive, but let me just say, we could have fooled you! Jason used his mad skills to drive our family up a 6 KM dirt road. Most of which was fairly narrow and steady uphill, but there were a few tense moments when the road was particularly rough and the climb intense. Once we got to the top, we then had to park the car and hike over the mountain and down to the beach. Jaxon was a total rugged hiker, I was so impressed by his stamina! It was such a rewarding experience. The beach down below was beyond picturesque. I think the kids really loved the beach and the water, but I'm sure Jason loved it best. He was out snorkeling forever, and he and AJ saw the sea bottom full of old pottery. How cool is that?
Day 2: Elafonisi Beach
Elafonisi is a small islet with exotic water. It can be reached by boat from Paleochora as the road leading there is track and difficult. http://www.greeka.com/crete/chania/chania-beaches.htm
We got directions to Elafonisi Beach (famous for it's pink sand), and were off. The tunes were cranking, Jason was driving & singing with his famous microphone (or thumb), windows rolled down, wind in our hair, perfect! Without realizing it thought, this trip was almost as much of an adventure as the day before. The terrain was fairly rugged, and we were getting higher and higher into the mountains, once at the top, the road was closed. We took a detour that I'm not even sure how the wheels on our vehicle were narrow enough to get through. Through little towns, passed goats, and a few stops to ensure the kids didn't vomit in the car.
Our stops included:
1. A cave. It was dedicated to Athena; God of Wisdom.
2. A cute little town for lunch.
3. A montessori at the top of a cliff just overlooking the water
4. And finally Elafonisi.
This ended up being such a full day. We really had a great time on the beach as a family this time round. Maybe because we mostly stuck together. It was another amazing day and another adventure for sure!
The pictures are a bit out of order, but I think you'll be able to figure it all out!
Our stops included:
1. A cave. It was dedicated to Athena; God of Wisdom.
2. A cute little town for lunch.
3. A montessori at the top of a cliff just overlooking the water
4. And finally Elafonisi.
This ended up being such a full day. We really had a great time on the beach as a family this time round. Maybe because we mostly stuck together. It was another amazing day and another adventure for sure!
The pictures are a bit out of order, but I think you'll be able to figure it all out!
Falassarna & A.J.'s 17th Birthday
Falassarna is a lovely tourist resort with an extended, sandy beach. The area is filled with olive groves and other vegetation. Falassarna stands on the north western spot of Crete, pretty far from Chania Town. http://www.greeka.com/crete/chania/chania-beaches.htm
This was the easiest beach to get to. Granted we did make one wrong turn which resulted in some interesting reverse moves that concluded with a pretty large tree limb sticking though the passenger window. But all in all, the adventure on this day was not in the getting there.
We park and walk down to this gorgeous beach. We set up camp and relax. I'm thinking this day is going to be the calmest. Well, it was for me and the little boys. But it was A.J.'s birthday, and he was up for an adventure. And from the stories they all tell, they sure got one! There were reefs along the edges of this beach. Jason took AJ and the girls to go explore. They were gone the entire day. They found cliffs to jump. Unfortunately the journalist in the family wasn't there, so we have no photo evidence of this alleged day of cliff jumping. But AJ did come back with a knee that was pretty battered and bloody, so maybe there's some truth to their story.
So once again, an adventure was had.
By the end of day three we're feeling like, we saw, we came, we conquered! It was just such great fun!
We park and walk down to this gorgeous beach. We set up camp and relax. I'm thinking this day is going to be the calmest. Well, it was for me and the little boys. But it was A.J.'s birthday, and he was up for an adventure. And from the stories they all tell, they sure got one! There were reefs along the edges of this beach. Jason took AJ and the girls to go explore. They were gone the entire day. They found cliffs to jump. Unfortunately the journalist in the family wasn't there, so we have no photo evidence of this alleged day of cliff jumping. But AJ did come back with a knee that was pretty battered and bloody, so maybe there's some truth to their story.
So once again, an adventure was had.
By the end of day three we're feeling like, we saw, we came, we conquered! It was just such great fun!
Chania, Kania, or Hania. The Veneitian City
So now it's Sunday. We brought our church clothes with every intent of attending church with the local congregation. But to our surprise we learned that there is not a Mormon church on the island. In fact, there are only a few church buildings in Greece altogether. We contacted the LDS Mission President in Athens and learned that there are three members on the island, and no missionaries. This is our first time being in such a situation.
Instead of going to church, we put on our Sunday best and in our hotel before we checked out we had a devotional and testimony meeting as a family. It was a great opportunity for us to recognize and share some of our blessings, in particular the ones we get from being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After that, we packed up and headed to the main city before our flight home. It was a lovely day and it was so cool when you got lost in some of the little streets and shops. But it was clear to us then and there that our family is just not a go and see family. We are a go and DO family. We will just have to be sure to plan our next trips in such a way that we can explore and see while doing.
Next stop then: the Louvre on skateboards, bikes, scooters, and while paint-balling.
hmmm....maybe not.
Our next big trip we have planned includes Utah and Texas!!!!
See y'all soon.
Instead of going to church, we put on our Sunday best and in our hotel before we checked out we had a devotional and testimony meeting as a family. It was a great opportunity for us to recognize and share some of our blessings, in particular the ones we get from being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
After that, we packed up and headed to the main city before our flight home. It was a lovely day and it was so cool when you got lost in some of the little streets and shops. But it was clear to us then and there that our family is just not a go and see family. We are a go and DO family. We will just have to be sure to plan our next trips in such a way that we can explore and see while doing.
Next stop then: the Louvre on skateboards, bikes, scooters, and while paint-balling.
hmmm....maybe not.
Our next big trip we have planned includes Utah and Texas!!!!
See y'all soon.