theDIBB - Crete - the raki diaries. Travel Day.

So I am desperate to read a trip report and they are scarcer than hens teeth. So thought I would have a go.

I haven’t got a great track record in finishing them, so let’s just see how far we get.

We have had two hols cancelled this year, Crete in May/June for ten days and Florida for three weeks in August. So when it looked like things were going down the pan, I made an ‘insurance booking’ in the Easyjet sale.
It was fully transferable, so could have amended to some time next year. I didn’t book any accommodation that wasn’t cancellable.

I asked my two adult children if they wanted to come, but apparently Crete isn’t Florida, so just me and DH ‘R’.
My sister and family were also flying the same day to Heraklion, but with TUI. They took a taxi straight from the airport to Elounda, where we will meet up with them later.

We have booked flights for sixteen days to Heraklion, car hire and three different hotels.
I do like a good amount of flopping by the pool, but also like to get out and about too.

So the biggest stress before we flew, apart from the holiday actually taking place, was filling out the Greek PLF. The Greek government are very strict with their Covid regulations, which is why their infection rates are so low. A few days before the flight, the government announced a bar and restaurant curfew from midnight to 7am. No wild nights for me then ho ho.
Back to the locator form and as with all things Greek, it wasn’t clear how to complete the forms. Facebook forums were full of questions with lots of different answers, so I filled one in more than 48 hours before departure and hoped the magic QR code would arrive in my inbox and I wouldn’t have an airport drama like a certain celebrity from Love Island.

Went to bed in the rare stifling heat of a British Summer heatwave with the alarm set for 3am. Didn’t expect a wink of sleep, but to my surprise, was flat out until the iPad did it’s job in the early hours. First job, check emails. Yesss QR code received. Jumped in the shower, put last bits in the case and woke DS up who was driving us to the airport. To my surprise, DD appeared too and said she was coming along so DS wasn’t on his own on the way back. Do not be fooled dear reader, there is not always such harmony in the household.

We set off at 4am, right on target for the 30 min trip, with my sister about 15 mins behind in her taxi. It was strange that we were travelling to the same place, al be it different airlines and different terminals, but didn’t set eyes on each other.

Now I’m not going to lie, I’m a champagne, clubworld kinda girl, so didn’t have a clue what to do at Easyjet bag drop. What a breeze it was. Weigh your luggage, print your tags and off you go. Only minor heart in mouth moment was when Easyjet checked my Greek PLF and could only find my husband, not me. Frantic scrolling and downloading and there I was. Phew.

Off through fast lane security, which in all honesty wasn’t needed and popped out into the terminal.
Most shops were open, a few closed, but everything available that was needed.
Duty free was quiet. As an incentive it was buy 2 of the same brand and get the third free. I needed two Chanel products so got a bonus lipstick.

Bought sandwiches and water from Pret A Manger as I knew there was no food for sale on board, just snacks, and we had a two and a half hour drive the other end so wouldn’t be eating again until the evening.

Next stop the Escape Lounge. It was very quiet and table service only.
Now it’s only fair to tell you that I am terrified of flying.
Until fairly recently I could not set foot on a plane without diazepam. I know it’s the safest way to travel, I know turbulence won’t bring us crashing down into the sea, but it’s a phobia - irrational.
I’m telling you in the hope that you won’t judge me or my 4 glasses of wine at 6am. I ordered a full English, nibbled at it and my husband polished it off.
My sister texted from the escape lounge terminal two, to ask how many glasses were acceptable and we settled on 4.
Flight was called for boarding at about 7 am for 740 take off. No social distancing, but of course masks compulsory.
I was sat in row one and could hear the cabin crew discussing who was furloughed, who was flying etc. It was the cabin managers first flight back and he was obviously delighted to be there. He got a clap on landing!

Thank goodness it was quite a smooth flight, only one seat belt incident.
We were supposed to disembark by row, with each row getting up after the one in front and getting their luggage out of the overheads, but in Great British tradition, it was a stampede.
To be fair we all got on the same bus to drive the ten foot to the terminal building anyway.
I have to say, I thought it would have been more tightly controlled.
We went through immigration, up the stairs and showed our QR code again. No testing for us hooray!

Our baggage took an age to arrive. The belt kept stopping and the flight details were never displayed to show which belt was ours. I was in Greece, I’d made it. Awesome.

Outside the exit a twelve year old boy ( I jest, he just looked it or am I just old?) held up a card with our name on. He took my case and sped off up the hill talking non stop. I trotted behind and tried to keep up. DH was unable to speak by the time we arrived at the car hire.
“Save yourself” I think he said, but it probably wasn’t, as the twelve year old proceeded to demonstrate the finer details of a Peugeot and every speed limit of every road on the island of Crete.
He told us the car was brand new, indeed the milometer showed 2800 miles. The PEU E T badge told the story of hard Greek roads.
We finally left the airport for our destination of Spilia village in the West of Crete. It was basically one long road, with graffiti over the road signs at every junction making them unreadable, so you just exited when you felt it was about time.
It was about 260 km to our hotel, but well worth it when we arrived.
A tiny village with two tavernas, a pharmacy and the oldest olive tree in existence. It’s quiet and quaint. The hotel is a series of individual rooms with a terrace built out of stone overlooking olive groves.
We were greeted like old friends with a glass of fresh lemon and shown to our room overlooking the pool, which incidentally is guarded by three of the most evil cats I have ever met. There is a gorgeous dog who has free rein to go where the cats let him.

We unpacked what we would need for the next three days and walked up the hill accompanied by an orchestra of cicadas to one of the tavernas.
Tzatziki, chicken cooked in honey and feta, mythos and a carafe of wine. Delicious. All for 27 euros and free chocolates and icecream served with raki on the house.
If you’ve never experienced raki, it’s a clear digestive shot. It’s made by 90 year old women and sieved through their husbands old y fronts. Wouldn’t be without it after a meal!

That’s it. Travel day over. Still can’t believe we’ve made it.