Souda (Chania), Greece - October 26

We were supposed to arrive at 11 but we made good time crossing the Mediterranean and we were docked by 9:30. I wasn't sure when I would have lunch (often I wait to have lunch when I return to the ship) so I had a bagel for breakfast - make that half a bagel, it was so dry and tasteless I left the other half.

From there my day got much better and I had a wonderful time.  There was a shuttle service to Chania (the C is silent, han rhymes with "con", the i sounds like a long e, then "uh" has in "huh") from the port (Souda) that cost less than 4 Euros round trip.  I was on the bus by 10:30 and it took a maybe 15 minutes to arrive.

I was very surprised with Chania.  I was expecting a little fishing village but it was a bustling city (population over 100,000).  I did not have a map and I was worried I would get lost and not find my way back to the bus but within 30 minutes I knew my way around.

My first order of business was to find an ATM to get Euros.  I finally found one and after that there seemed to be one everywhere I looked (isn't that always the way?).  Now that there was money in my purse, it was time to explore.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking up and down the streets and alley ways and along the harbor.  It was very picturesque and by the time I was done, I had walked over four miles.

After looking at the menus at the numerous restaurants and cafes (I love the European way of displaying the menus outside), I finally decided I had to have a Greek meal in Greece.  I decided on a cute little restaurant right on the harbor and had a gyro.  French fries came the gyro, but I took them out and dipped them in the tzatziki sauce (try it, it's really good).  Strangely enough, the choices were pork or chicken (at all the restaurants I saw) but at the Greek restaurants at home it is always lamb.  It was delicious and under 11 Euros with a Coke.

Once I had eaten it was time for some more exploring.  I found some streets I had not visited and returned to some I had.  There seemed to be at least two ice cream places on every block and when I stopped at one, they had a "cinnamon biscuit" flavor.  I had to try it and it tasted like a cinnamon bun.  Best ice cream I think I have ever had.

It was time to decide what I was going to buy so I went back to some of the stores I had seen before and picked up souvenirs for friends and family and my magnet (which is now decorating the "freezer" in my cabin).

The shuttle bus took me back to the ship just after 4 and I talked with my tablemates, Judy and Bob on the way "home".  Judy and I tried to use the free wi-fi in the tiny terminal building but it was not working well and we both finally gave up.

Once on board I sorted out my purchases and then went to sit by the Lido pool and knit for a while before getting ready for dinner.

Sherry and Pete did not come to dinner, so it was just the three of us.  There is no show tonight only a movie in the theater and one on the stage.  I wasn't interested in either movie so I came back to my cabin to work on the blog until sail-away at 9:30 pm. There was another sail-away party by the Seaview pool.  Maybe 100 people attended (including HAL people) and one couple danced to the music.  The sail-away parties so far haven't been much more than a chance to sell more drinks.

We actually gain an hour tonight to put us on Egyptian time.

Sea day tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time!

                          Below are some pictures from the deck

any idea what this is?

twisty road leading up the mountain

bunkering ship

Scenes from Chania

lots of shopping

above and below the Church of the Virgin Mary

Below are pictures from the harbor area

the Venetian Lighthouse

 

a former mosque

the Maritime Museum (a former prison)

the water in the harbor is very clear

look carefully - the horse's mane is braided

the obligatory kitty picture (the only cat I saw)

part of the Byzantine wall

Surprisingly, I found a yarn store but did not buy anything