I skipped writing yesterday because my eyes were closing as I tried to type last night. Yesterday was also a travel day, which is a guarantee for exhaustion, even when traveling without a toddler. And of course, WordPress has opted to change its entire editing process mid-trip. Hurray! Forgive any misalignment – I hope you know me better.

We flew from Athens on a short flight to Chania airport in Crete. The service on the flight was impeccable. While only a 50 minute flight, we were on a large plane with plenty of leg room and served not only a beverage but also cookies and mints. Aegean and Olympic Airlines have a special check-in lines for families (no wait), and bump you to the head of airport security screening. What’s usually our most stressful part of travel was a breeze.

Porto Veneziano, Chania, Crete

Our first stop in Chania was to see the Porto Veneziano (Venetian Port) where there are 17 dry docks dating back to 1597 when the Venetians occupied this part of Crete. Three of the original docks have been renovated and converted into a museum and cafe. We stopped to enjoy a cappuchino to offset our early start to the morning. They even made a steamed milk just for our daughter, which of course she spilled all over the stone floor.

After our coffee, we went for a leisurely walk along the harbor with the goal of finding a nice spot for lunch. The water is crystal clear despite the harbour being filled with active fishing boats and other commercial enterprise. We saw a few men fishing and others feeding the pigeons. It’s a warm and slow way of life here. Just what we’ve been looking for given the chaos of our past year.

The Maritime Museum of Chania is located on the west side of the harbor, an easy walk from the free, public parking lot. At only €3/person, it’s worth paying the fee just to gain access to the elevated view of the port and lighthouse. If you have the time, there is an indoor portion to the museum with displays explaining the history of the Venetian occupation, shipbuilding process and artifacts discovered during recent renovations.

After the Maritime Museum, we walked through the alleys of old Chania, just to make sure we didn’t miss any better lunch options. It’s cliche, but we always like “going off-road” in other countries because you can get away from the Tourist traps and see more local life. I often find this is where the photographic gems hide, too.

We’d spent the morning exploring what we wanted to see, so we knew our daughter would need to run around and let out some energy. Fortunately, along the walk from the parking lot to Porto Veneziano, there’s a small but scenic playground perfect for kids age 2-10 years.

Driving Southwest to Villa Irene in Livadia, Crete

After the playground, we packed ourselves back into our rental car for the adventurous drive to our AirBbB in Livadia, Crete. Amir has researched the drive well in advance of our trip, so he knew to expect winding, at times, trecherous roads. It’s definitely an adventure for daylight, and also requires an SUV.

The road is narrow, requiring one car to yield to another when two approach at the same time. Similar to our drive in Cornwall, England, there are many hairpin turns and near-misses involving livestock – in this case goats and sheep.

While the drive was heart-stopping, it was also breathtaking, with small moments of beauty revealing themselves with each turn. It’s most comparable to driving the Pacific Coast Highway in California, but with small villages, livestock and weathered townspeople dotting the way.

Villa Irene in Livadia, Crete

Our AirBnB was difficult to find given there are no street names or house numbers. Restaurants and homes are known only by their name, which is feasible when the villages and population are small. Our AirBnB host, Maria, had given us an address for our GPS, but unfortunately that plan failed as we rented a TomTom with our car, and she had meant Google Maps via a smart phone. We solved the problem by calling her on the phone the old fashioned way and reading aloud the limited signage and landmarks we could identify. Despite our navigational issues, we arrived without our projected one hour window, before sunset, and with time to relax.

We found Villa Irene though a simple search on AirBnB. The listing had an icon identifying it as “usually booked” – it caught my attention. At just $164/night off-season, it’s a bargain. You can check out the details here. The only negative mentioned about the place is its remote location. But, after just one day here I can say that while it is remote, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to do. If you want extensive shopping and nightlife, this is not it. If you want nature, amazing views and authenticity, Villa Irene is your spot.

At the risk of sounding like a promo for the place, here are a few more photos from around the property.