The last week of April thru the first week of May, the girls were on holiday from school. We decided to try to find some warm weather in Northern Europe to spend some much needed family down time.
Being that it was left up to me, I decided that we were going to head to the Greek island of Crete! It ended up being a great decision (if I do say so myself)! I decided on Crete based on things people here had told me, reviews online, and their basic weather for this particular time of year.
But, like all of our other vacations while being here, I had to start from scratch as to where to stay and what to do. So began my extensive research. And people who know me…know I RESEARCH! Hahaha! My final decision was taking us to Chania, Crete!
My original plan was to stay in an apartment that had been suggested to me. It looked like it was going to suit our needs perfectly. Until I tried to put down our deposit, and the owner came back saying that it was only for children ages 8 and up…Because of her stairs and her rooftop terrace! I was like, Lady – I’ve taken my daughter hiking in in the mountains with straight cliff drops beside us alone when she was 3, we just stayed in a penthouse that had THREE roof top terraces that were on the 8th floor. I’m pretty sure your little 2nd story rooftop terrace and your insurance are just fine. If anything, it’s my 10 year old dare devil you need to be worried about – Not my 6 year old! But by then she had royally pissed me off, and I wasn’t going to give her my business.
So I decided to spend the money on a 5 star Hotel & Spa instead. Ahhh, money well spent.
We stayed at the Casa Delfino Hotel & Spa – and it was BEAUTIFUL! It was very close to the Venetian Harbor that is so popular, but a couple of “blocks” away so it wasn’t noisy at night, which was important since we slept with our balcony doors open at night because of the cool night air. The area we stayed in is called “Old Town” and it is very well known. Very eclectic shops and ethnic retaurants abound. And almost everywhere you go looks like a picture postcard.
The hotel used to be a house way back when. It had a beautiful courtyard that was a very nice place to have breakfast.
I do most of my hotel bookings on http://www.booking.com, which I have come to love. I really like the website because it lets me compare hotels and rooms, prices, etc. I can book and reserve the room without having to pay immediately (we paid at the end of our stay). And in most cases you can book several places if you are unsure and when you decide, you can cancel without penalty up to a certain date. It also keeps a history of the places you reserve, so if you go back, you can easily see where you stayed on prior visits.
We were in a Family suite, so the girls were able to have their own little space, and we could have ours. The room was fantastic. The bed was super comfortable. And the bathroom was HUGE. I think everyone in our family soaked in the bathtub at least twice during our week long stay! And they had the girls’ beds made upon our arrival!
And we were very close to the Venetian Harbor where you could find lots of shops and restaurants. The first night we ate at one of the restaurants on the Harbor, but quickly realized that those places were for tourists, and weren’t that good. So we asked our concierge their suggestions, and they did NOT disappoint! We never at along the Harbor for the remainder of our stay! But we did walk along it every single day!
MyMan and the girls checked out the water on the first day.
And of course we walked down all the alley ways and around cool shops that were nearby the hotel.
This is such a cool part of the city! Definitely worth a visit if you are vet over that way! And our trip was just getting started!
From Here to There - A Move Across an Ocean 