Saturday, September 27, 2008

CHANIA AGAIN

CRETE - SEPTEMBER 2007

Of the four main cities in Crete - Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno and Agios Nicolaus, Chania is probably the most interesting. No wonder that after the 2006 visit, we got back there in 2007. And actually, only a technicality made it difficult to return in 2008...


"PEDESTRIAN - The small streets near the port, mostly pedestrian only, are pretty charming"


"PENSION ROOM - In case you're interested, some pensions even display a standard room right at the street level for you to choose..."


"TERESA'S BALCONY"


"MOSQUE OF THE JANISSARIES - The Turkish mosque (Hassan Pasha) was built in 1645. It houses now an art gallery. Posted to be compared with this one"


"CALECHE - The poor horse seems in difficulty to stand the hot sun..."


"CHANIA'S PORT"


"THE VENETIAN FOUNTAIN - Version two to be compared with version one..."


"MONASTIRI - A nice place for a snack break"


"PLAKA"


"THOLOS"


"PANAGIA TRIMARTIRIS - The Orthodox Cathedral of Chania was built around the 13th century. During the Turkish era, it is said that the church was converted into a soap factory but was still regarded as a sacred place... Another one to be compared with the 2006 version... You'll probably notice the effects of ShiftN!"


"NOSTOS HOTEL - It has a nice view towards the port!"


"TAVERNA SULTANA - Prepared for the night clients; dinner table booked for 11:00 p.m. is not surprising..."



"CHANIA MUSEUM - An addition to the 2006 visit..."


"CASA DELFINO - Another view of the elegant 17th Century Venetian mansion that is the only luxury hotel near the Old Venetian Harbour"

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chania is the most beautiful town in Crete. Our second time there just created the mood to return for a third time… ;)
Hope you enjoy the post and wish you a great weekend!

Photo Cache said...

beautiful photos. glad i bloghopped.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

La douceur de vivre transparait sur chacune des photos.

alice said...

On dit la Crète très abimée par le tourisme intensif mais, assurément, il reste de très beaux endroits! Bon week end!

Anonymous said...

Good stuff. The comparison with old version of your photographs makes it interesting. Have a good weekend Gill.

Ron said...

Amazing place, Wow! Very beautiful pictures once again. I am enjoying seeing the world from your lens.

Tinsie said...

Chania looks amazing! Great photos, well done and thanks for sharing them with us :-)

Miss Kim said...

As always...a lovely reminder of such a beautiful place!

alicesg said...

So beautiful. The houses looked very interesting and lovely. I would love to visit there one day. Thanks for sharing all these infomration and photos. I learn much about the world from your blog. Have a nice weekend. :)

lyliane six said...

Plein de bonnes adresses à retenir pour mes prochaines vacances. Les petites rues me font un peu penser à Obidos.Ici il fait un chaud soleil l'après midi, mais le matin c'est très froid j'ai attrapé un mauvais rhume qui me mets à plat.
Bon dimanche.

Ming the Merciless said...

Love the first photo of the narrow pedestrian street. It has so much character in it.

The room at the pension looks pretty good to me. I love the bathtub in the bedroom -- how decadent.

The restaurant scenes are amazing. We have a restaurant/cafe called Plaka in NYC too, in Astoria.

The place looks kinda empty. Was it off-peak tourist season?

Catherine said...

Vous êtes un insatiable voyageur, GMG! Et cette nouvelle destination est de celle qui présente tous les attraits que j'apprécie. En particulier, l'acceuil hotelier qui a beaucoup de charme. Cette ambiance méditerranéenne que j'aime.

indicaspecies said...

The pictures do confirm its a beautiful and interesting town. Have a lovely weekend Gil.

Anonymous said...

Love your photos! I'd really like to visit Crete.

Paz

Joy said...

The little streets are indeed lovely! Chania has so much to offer. But I don't like the horses being used in that way really. Loved the facade of the Nostos Hotel.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comments. Happy weekend!

joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Trotter

Cahnia is indeed very lovely. The mosque art museum and the church are wnderful old architecture.

I would stay in that pension room --very nice!

The blue chairs and trim on the restaraunt were my favorite!

Thanks!
Pat in NY

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

Very nice shots, very colorful--I agree with Pat, really liked the blue trim at the restaurant. What a great trip (trips).
Rhonda

virtualjourney said...

Two great posts. Neat idea having the sample apartment on the street!

Have linked to you from my main blog. Especially liked the 'against the light' beach shot on the last post. Very atmospheric.

Lara said...

another wonderful place. the summer looks so good :), the buildings are so romantic! thanks for sharing this great place!

Dina said...

Shalom Gil. Thanks for all the many nice views of Chania. I follow the blog of Mediterranean Kiwi, who lives there; but your photos show the beauty from a visitor's eyes.
I've never actually scene boustrophedon script before. What an idea! I remember learning once that it means "as the ox plows." Makes sense, eh?

My Unfinished Life said...

hi there....
i am getting to know about greece beyond the average tourist circuit.....
you seem to have visited lots of places in greece..and all of them seem so beautiful going by your pics!!!
have you ever been to india...if yes..please do a post on it....will be interesting for me...

Jules said...

Can't download your photos
my connection isn't good enough but I can say hi and thanks for popping in for a visit.

Mariposa said...

GMG Greece looks gorgeous!!! Just came back from watching Mamma Mia! the movie, and the setting was in Greece. Wiki said they shot at Skopelos and Skiathos..it was so beautiful..i really have to start saving up to get there!

NormanTheDoxie said...

Beautiful! Love the pedestrian walkway.... wish we had some of those in New York.

lv2scpbk said...

I love looking at other towns and the streets as in the first photo. Love all the colors they have there. I love to see color everywhere. The photo of that poor horse. He looks so tired.

adelynne said...

HEYA GMG! You make me wanna pack up and fly to Greece right now. The colours are dazzling - old architecture beautiful - and weather perfect!

Thanks for sharing, as usual! :)

Addy

S-V-H said...

As your visitor #27 I have to say: BEAUTIFUL Crete! Makes me wish to go there for real, more and more I see your blog!

Thanks for the comments to my blog, Gil!

Thérèse said...

Thanks for the visit. How many days a year do you happen to be in Portugal!!! Lol
A real geographic blogobook here, wondeful!

Marguerite-marie said...

j'ai comme toi beaucoup aimé la Crête et les Crêtois. Il y a des coins magnifiques et j'adore ce port coloré. L'hôtel paraît aussi très sympathique. Merci pour les vacances qui continuent (déjà chez Lyliane nous sommes allés vous rencontrer au Portugal).

Maria Verivaki said...

thanks for the wonderful journey from a tourist's eye - that pension room looks sumptuous. i could never get to see a place like that, as i have my own house here!
i've also been to gortyna and festos - great archaeological centres they both were.
you have fantastic photos, it really is splendid to see other people enjoying my town.

Anonymous said...

Gil you are allowed one cracker with a bit of the cheese and pear torte. That won't hurt you. :) As always I enjoyed my visit. Loved the little streets and that pension room...oh my. My friend just returned from the Greek Isles and had a fabulous time. ~ Lynn

Anonymous said...

The best part to come here is your pictures. They do tell a story.

Oman said...

hello.

first of all, hope you had a great weekend.

thank you for another wonderful and educational trip of chania. the place is really filled with amazing landscapes and structures that will surely lure tourists to come back to the place. great job again.

Pietro Brosio said...

I enjoy this post very much, Gil. Chania is really a wonderful city with its picturesque spots. Your pictures are amazing, as usual: from the beautiful view of the Port, to the interesting Venetian Fountain, the splendid Cathedral, the charming Nostos Hotel.
Have a great week ahead!

PeterParis said...

"... again"! Not only you have been "everywhere", but also several times! For sure, certain places are more worth a seconf, third... visit than others!

hpy said...

A visit to your blog makes this foggy day just sunny. I must continue to stare at your photos instead of looking through my windows!

Cergie said...

Le bleu du ciel,; l'ocre doré des murs et c'est le soleil qui entre chez moi en ouvrant ton blog.
Sans doute est ce la mer ou plutôt la présence proche de l'eau qui contribue à cette impression ?
Au bord du lac de Constance, il y a la même impression de douceur de vivre, à laquelle contribuent les plantes qui grimpent le long des façades.
C'est tout simplement superbe.

Dorothée said...

Bonjour Gil,
Je comprends que tu sois retourné dans ce petit coin de paradis. Cet endroit offre non seulement le regal des yeux mais aussi celui de l'esprit: l'art, l'histoire, l'atmosphere méditerranéenne avec le vieux port de Chania qui rappelle l'époque venitienne. On est comblé.

Tanya Breese said...

Amazing! I enjoyed my tour through your beautiful pictures! I can see why you returned! :)

Wendy said...

Thank you for this journey. Reading this is a great start to the week.

Anonymous said...

So many different photos: the blues are so attractive and it is very interssting to see that hotel/pension room.

Nikon said...

Great shots, Gil. I really like the shots of the pedestrian streets, the winding alleys - reminds me of some small Italian towns.

Louise said...

You are an excellent tour guide. Your pictures scream to me that I want to go to these places.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

here in this place....
I would feel like a PRINCESS, its a great place to be. LIVE like a queen is also my wish, oooow Neh I am happy as I am, just dreaming....

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody! Great to read you here! Thanks!

Photo cache,
Glad to see you commenting here for the first time. Thanks!

Daniel,
Douceur de vivre… c’est ça!

Alice,
Des touristes il y en a partout… ;) Mais il y a toujours des endroits secrets…

Priyank,
Thanks. Twice in Crete makes comparisons possible… ;)

Ron,
You’re welcome!

Tinsie,
Thought you had been there already…

Kim,
Glad to bring back great memories…

Alice SG,
Glad to know that you learn something here!

Lyliane,
Ah Óbidos! Belle ville! J’espère que ça va mieux maintenant que tu es en train de partir de nouveau… ;)

Ming,
The showroom is amazing!! Plaka is the name of an area in Athens, close to the Acropolis, full of bars and restaurants; no wonder there is a Plaka restaurant in Astoria… The place was empty because it was around 2:00 p.m. and the sun was burning… ;)

Catherine,
Vraiment méditerranéenne…

Celine,
A nice place to go!

Paz,
Start packing!

Joy,
Lovely place Chania!

Pat,
I wonder how would it be that room with such a bathtub… ;)

Rhonda,
I suspected you would love that blue!

Julie,
Thanks for the link!

Lara,
Careful; it’s not always summer in Crete!

Dina,
A Kiwi in Chania; nice blog!!

Shooting Star,
I’m a little late, but India will have its posts…

Jules,
Sorry for the connection; I wonder when will broadband be decently available for everybody…

Mariposa,
Mamma Mia in Skiathos? It must be great!

Lisa,
It’s amazing; there are very few pedestrian zones in Manhattan; remember Battery Park and Rockefeller Centre Promenades… and nothing more… ;))

Barb,
Warm Mediterranean colours, that’s what it is…;))

Adelynne,
Better rush; winter isn’t that funny… ;))

Sue,
Visitor #1; always present!! Thanks!

Therese,
Some years ago, I had an average of 160 nights spent abroad, with at least more than 30 trips a year… Now I’m stuck!! ;))

Marguerite-Marie,
La Crête je l’aime bien, mais si on compare avec Lyliane, je crois que Lyliane aime beaucoup plus le Portugal que moi la Crête; peut-être elle a raison… ;))

Kiwi,
The showroom is available for anyone walking one of the streets behind the port; I think it’s one close to that which has the back door entrance to Casa Delfino (I mean the door where you bring the luggage from the parking lot at the fortress… Thanks for taking your time to see your town in another blog!!

Lynn,
Everything seems to hurt my diet; probably because it’s always too much… ;))

Cuckoo,
Sometimes pictures seem a bit lousy to me, but the story, I always try to tell one…

Norman,
I was thinking that there is always a wish to come back to a place one visited, though there is a saying here in Portugal that means «one should never get back to the places where he/she has been happy…». ;)

Pietro,
Thanks. Chania deserves the greatest share of the success of the pictures!

Peter,
Again, as I was telling Norman might be in human nature, even if I agree with Chatwin on the proposal that humans are, by nature, nomads… ;))

Hélène,
Sorry for the fog! 27º Celsius on the 1st of October, 2008 in Lisbon… ;))

Lucie,
Les couleurs sont fantastiques! Au bord du lac Constance je me rappelle toujours de Lindau et Bregenz, vraiment jolies… ;))

Dorothée,
Le souvenir des Vénitiens à la Crête est vraiment magnifique!

Tanya,
My great pleasure to read you here for the first time! Glad that you enjoyed!

Wendy,
Thanks. Have a great end of the week… ;)

Ingrid,
The pension showroom is an amazing picture; first time I’ve seen such a thing… ;))

Paul,
No wonder it remembered you some small Italian towns. Chania is mostly Venitien, and kept its character… ;)

Louise,
Tour guide, a great occupation when I retire… ;))

JoAnn,
You’re a queen; the (Tulip) Traveller Queen; who else travels so much? ;)

Stella Bella said...

you just took me to another new place! :) Cheers!

Ashira said...

Thank you for your comment on my blog a while back! I must say, I am quite envious of all of your travels! I hope one day to be able to travel as much as you :)

These are all beautiful photos! My favorites from this post are "Pedestrian" and "Chania's port".

Anonymous said...

Stella,
My pleasure!!

Ashira,
You're welcome! Love to read you here, and will check your posts as soon as I can!

Olivier said...

j'adore la "Mosque of the Janissaries" elle est vraiment très belle et surprenante comme architecture. J'aimerai bien voir l'intérieur.

Anonymous said...

Olivier,
L'interieur est maintenant completement vide, sauf pour les objets artistiques que sont exposés; je crois qu'en expo temporaire... ;)

Rune Eide said...

Chania (or Xania or Hania as I have repeatedly been told) has a charm this habit-forming.

Anonymous said...

Rune,
Fully agree with you; I'll make it the basis to visit Elafonisi, next time... ;)