Day 8 - Fira / Thira

Our Room in Old Chania

We slept in until 8:30 (something I sorely needed), packed, checked for left belongings (so far we've lost some over the counter medicine, toothpaste, two toothbrushes, a 4 port USB charger, a sock, and I'm guessing a half dozen things I hanven't figured out yet) and headed to Fira / Thira. We shopped at jewelry stores. Andrea saw an awesome ring for $5,500 dollars. I fainted and came to conciousness only to find that for some reason she had passed on buying the ring. I begged her to reconsider but for some unfathomable reason she wouldn't hear of it.

Our point system is working well, but we keep giving the kids things without charging any points which is going to mess it all up. The kids got a kissing fish massage; 20 minutes of having small fish eat the dead skin cells off of your feet. The amazingly helpfull Greek people, when asked about luggage storage pointed us to a restaurant that let us leave our suitcases behind the counter for free. We ate lunch there and it was delicious. As we ate in the garden I pointed out to the kids that some of the plants around us were eggplant and tomato and Zachary thought it very cool that the restaurant grew its own food.

We were picked up by the travel agent to drive us to the Ferry and were pleased that Aida and her parents got on with us. Zachary played tag in the Ferry terminal with Aida and a grand time was had by all until our ferry (the highspeed 5) arrived. I wonder how Aida parents would have reacted if Ari had been wearing his Camp Gan Israel t-shirt.

After two hours on the ferry we were met by Kosmos car rental and started the long drive to Chania. The roads were better than on the mainland and the drivers seemed less crazy, but it was a dark drive on twisting unlit roads with drivers who were unafraid to pass in no passing zones.

By the time we got to Chania it was 11PM. We checked into out hotel and it is the most beautiful place I

Aida

Andrea in our room

Antique radio in our room

Rooftop garden at our hotel in Chania's old town

have ever stayed. There is a rooftop garden under a grape arbor and beautifully restored antiques everywhere. The rooms have been remodeled with an incredible attention to detail (the only other place I've ever stayed that has been built wtih this level of attention to beauty and design is the pocket house we stayed in in Portland).