(Heraklion, Crete, Greece)

The above photo was taken outside our hotel in Heraklion. Crete has a large feral cat population and, as you can see, some of them have developed very particular tastes in furniture.

Speaking of the Hotel Kastro, the above photo shows one of my breakfast plates. The breakfast is buffet style and features a wide range of Greek and Cretan specialties. I particularly enjoy the fresh feta and fresh honey…literally right from the honey comb. I stir it into my yogurt with some walnuts and get my day off to a great start! The yogurt is a little different from the “Greek style” yogurt we get in Canada. It is whipped into a slightly fluffier form, and I think I prefer it that way.

We continue to experiment with mezes, the Greek equivalent of tapas. When we ordered grilled mushrooms at Siga Siga, we didn’t expect them to look like that. But it was delicious, with a squirt of lemon to round it off. We haven’t seen many lemon trees in downtown Heraklion, but you don’t have to get far out of the city to see a lot of them.

Pictured above is Dedalou Street, which we often find ourselves using to get to and from the bus station. We’re starting to come up with alternate names for some of the streets that we see frequently. This particular one is better known to us as Jewellery Street, as there are so many jewellery stores on it. But it is far from the only place to get jewellery. Jewellery stores, as well as stores selling formal wear, just seem to be very common here.

While Greece is known for grilled meat, we generally don’t each much of it. For the most part, we have been seeking out other local foods. However, we did go to the Kalamaki for a panini/pita with grilled chicken. It is a local fast food chain, and seems to have a predominantly local clientele despite the very non-Greek signage. Once again, taking yogurt sauce instead of tzatziki sauce constitutes a garlic-free win!

Just south of the Kalamaki take-out, the Morosini Fountain (a.k.a. the Lions Fountain) is a Heraklion landmark. Cafés, restaurants, and other attractions fan out in all directions. Alas, I fear that the fountain may be the victim of budgetary constraints. We didn’t see it operating once during out entire stay. Nonetheless, it’s a nice enough fountain and I’m sure it’s quite impressive when it is operational. Even when it’s not working, it’s still a very popular meeting spot.

One afternoon, we decided to stop into one of those small, cozy cafés a few blocks away that only non-tourists were visiting. We didn’t want a full lunch, but saw one café where some people were nibbling on bread rusks with plates of feta, olives, and vegetables. Once we sat down, we saw that was the only food offered…and the only real beverage options were raki, chocolate, and coffee. Well, we were committed, so we ordered some raki, some hot chocolate, and the only snack option!

I couldn’t make that part of my daily routine, but it was still interesting to truly “go local”…if only for an hour or so. Stay tuned for more from Crete!