The day needed to start with bougatsa and coffee – like a local of course. And we needed to determine the best bougatsa in Chania. Either bougatsa Chania or Bougatsa lordanis. Apparently there is a war between the two oldest bougatsa cafes in Chania. We’d tried Bougatsa Chania jus two days ago as it was sublime! It would be tough to beat but someone has to try right? However, Bougatsa lordanis has two flavors – either the original which is Mizithra cheese fried in super thin phyllo dough, or sweet which is custard friend in super thin phyllo dough. Oh the tough decisions made on vacation!
The verdict is in – Bougatsa lordanis is awesome but just not as awesome as Bougatsa Chania. There you have it.
Today was a travel day so we made our way to the capital city of Crete – Heraklion. I’ll be honest, I did not want to spend any significant period of time in this city. I had not read great things about it – just another larger city without a lot of Greek charm. But I’ll be honest again and say that I didn’t plan very well and Heraklion was the best place to stay given the rest of the things we wanted to do.
Tip for everyone – get to know the buses when you travel. It’s such a local thing to do. And they are easy and cheap and on time. We’ve really had good luck with them.
We checked into our hotel in Heraklion – the DOM Boutique Hotel right in old town. We’d decided to spend a bit more money and go with a nicer place. It was nicer and the service was great BUT it was boring. Not a ton of charm to this place – unlike both Naousa and Chania.
Regardless right away we were off to the Palace of Knossos. This was John’s number one thing to do in Greece so we were very excited.
Knossos is a large archaeological site just outside of Heraklion. It has been called Europe’s oldest city. The Minoan civilization used this site and it’s palace for over 2000 years beginning in the Neolithic period ( the Stone Age) through 5 AD. The excavation of the site began in the late 1800s and reveals a fascinating ancient world that includes legends and myths including the myth of the labyrinth and the Minotaur.
John had booked a skip the line audio tour instead of an organized tour and it really did work out. Except for the fact that part of the palace was closed off to tourists due to COVID-19. Again, eff-you covid! But it was fascinating seeing the excavation, hear how the legends and myths came to be and see the intact ruins of the Minoan world. The audio tour – although confusing to follow due to the closures – was a good look into the daily life of these people. This, like the history of Chania, is best told by someone else. If you’re interested…
After Knossos we needed to just wander around the old town of Heraklion. It was much less charming than Chania! Very focused on the tourists and tons of retail. Also a lot of tavernas which was nice. We picked a nice people-watching spot and enjoyed Cretan white wine and ouzo.
I still wasn’t satisfied with the gyro I’d had in Paros so we asked our sweet waitress for a recommendation. She recommended Hovoli which was just a short walk away. Two things…first I finally learned the difference between a gyro in a pita and souvlaki in a pita. It’s just the way the meat is cooked! In a gyro it’s shaved right from the chicken, pig, lamb, etc. In souvlaki it’s chunks of grilled meat stuffed into the pita. You learn something new and important every day! Second, this is my new favorite meal of the trip. I was served a humongous pita stuffed to the gills with meat, a little bit of tomato, yogurt sauce and piping hot French fries! Finally, a gyro I can brag about. It was soooo yummy.
We did not even scratch the surface of Heraklion unfortunately. I’m sure there is a ton to offer but priorities right??