I think my puns may be getting worse as the anniversary cruise posts continue, but that won't stop me from raving about our time in Crete, Greece! After Italy, our ship stopped in Chania, a town on the northwest coast of Crete. This trip, I tried as much as I could to alternate highly structured days with unstructured days. So because on our last stop in Italy I did a tour of Pompeii on my own, we decided to take Chania in a more laid-back way (which always makes things easier when you're traveling with a little one).
I could've spent at least a week in Chania. From the picturesque streets to the bustling waterfront and fascinating history, I was hooked from the moment we stepped off the ship. In Old Town Chania, I visited so many historic buildings but the one that stood out to me the most was St. Nicholas Church. I learned that the church was built in 1320 as part of a Dominican monastery.
Then, Turks came to the city and in 1645 the building was converted to a mosque, complete with added minaret. In 1918 it was converted back to an Orthodox Church, and they added a bell tower. One can't help but be struck by the mishmash of architectural features, a testament to the history of the place.
We passed by a few other historic churches and adorable gift shops and cafes on our way through the old town, and eventually the streets just opened up to a massive plaza and a view of the ocean. We'd made it to the Venetian Port Waterfront. The weather was gorgeous and every table outside every restaurant was packed with people enjoying a beautiful day by the water.
We strolled along the waterfront (the first photo of this post) and visited the Ottoman Mosque, also known as the Kucjk Hassan Mosque. From what I read online, the mosque was built by the Turks after they conquered the city in 1645. I also read that when Nazis bombed Chania during World War II, it destroyed one of this mosque's minarets. I'm no architecture buff, but I was amazed at how much history was held in the walls of these buildings.
We were exhausted from walking so much and decided to return to the ship for our main meal, but I couldn't leave without trying bougatsa (phyllo dough filled with custard). Thankfully, there was a well-known place that specializes in bougatsa called Bougatsa Iordanis right next to the stop for the shuttle bus that would take us back to the ship. It was delicious! It was warm and had the perfect mix of creamy custard and crispy phyllo with a hint of sweetness. I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day.
One day wasn't enough for Crete, but it was such a lovely introduction for our family to this beautiful island. There is still so much history, culture, food, and more to experience - I'll have to save it for our next visit. That's all for now, until I get around to blogging about our next stop in Istanbul!
