Our original itinerary was visiting Santorini today but Princess changed it on the day we embarked. It was a total disappointment.
Since we did not plan anything in Crete, so we attended one of the Princess excursion to Rethymnon which is one of the most well-preserved Venetian old towns on the island of Crete. Its 16th-century buildings are stunning examples of ancient architecture, and the monolithic Fortezza reflects both European and Moorish influences.
First we traveled on a steep and windy road to the edge of the Psilorítis Mountain, where the Monastery of Arkadi dominates the landscape, one of the most exceptional churches on Crete. The monastery played a significant role in the Cretan resistance to Ottoman rule, and our guide provided details of its history and the functions of this multipurpose monastery with extensive grounds.
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| Monastery of Arkadi |
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| The powder room of Monastery of Arkadi |
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| The century-old cypress tree at Monastery of Arkadi |
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| Monastery of Arkadi |
Then, we had free time to explore romantic Rethymnon, which delights with preserved medieval architecture and a lovely harbor area presided over by an impressive fortress. We wandered its maze of alleyways and peered into artisan shops. We also did some olive oil shopping with recommendation from our tour guide and got some premium extra virgin olive oil with acidity level of 0.2% at a local store. Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oils are the ones with an acidity between 0.1 and 0.2 % . Most likely you will not find these at a regular store. There are very few olive oils with such low acidity.
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The Egyptian Lighthouse at waterfront of Rethymnon |
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| Rethymnon Old Town |
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| Rethymnon Old Town |
After the Princess Tour, we took the shuttle to Chania for a couple of hours to checking out the town. Since we did not prepare to visit Chania, therefore we just followed the crowd to the pier area for scenery. We walked by the Chania Municipal Garden and through Emmanouil Tzanakaki street, through the Chania Old Town and finally arrived at Old Venetian Port of Chania area to view the scenery. Took some photos by the Yali Mosque (the mosque of the Venetian Port of Chania), and the port area. On our way back, we purposely walking through some small alley to admire the old town houses and their yard. It was a very interesting couple of hours in Chania.
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| The Venetian Port of Chania |
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| The mosque of the Venetian Port of Chania |
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| Chania Old Town houses and their yard |
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| Chania Old Town houses and their yard |
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