Cruising the Greek Islands

As if cruising the Greek Islands in June 2019 wasn’t exciting enough, we booked an introductory scuba diving lesson for our day on Crete, and we were excited to see a school of dolphins greeting us as we sailed towards port.

The drive from the ship to Omega Divers for our theory lessons, and then onto the secluded cove, gave us a glimpse of some of this huge island (the largest by far of the thousands of Greek Islands): very scenic with all the flowers in bloom, the White Mountains dominating the horizon against a cloudless sky, and the brilliant colours of the sea below.

It was great to have 1-on-1 instructors, and Tony was a natural, but I found putting theory into practice a little challenging with so much to remember, and struggled with the 20kg tank constantly trying to flip me over like a stranded turtle, finally deciding to simply ignore the water collecting in my mask and give myself over to enjoying the underwater experience. (At least my meditation practice made the controlled breathing a breeze, and I even held a sea urchin in my hand.)

That still left us the whole afternoon to explore the historic city of Chania on foot (pronounced Han-ya), hopping on a bus from the cruise port (the Red line conveniently running every 10 or so minutes between port and city).

The large covered municipal market is almost opposite the bus stop in town so we started our exploration there (always loving the atmosphere of a market), before heading towards the old town: through cobblestoned streets and alleyways full of old-world charm, lined with countless tiny stores and cafes, and down to the Old Venetian Harbour – not referencing the city of Venice as such, though very picturesque with pretty coloured buildings lining the port, but rather, referring to the 400 year occupation of the Venetians of this island from the 13th century, when Crete was known as the Kingdom of Candia.

Breakfast on deck of the Pullmantur Horizon cruise ship the next morning, with a view of the famous 16th century windmills of Mykonos in the distance, with whitewashed square houses cascading down the hill was just perfect. With no tour booked, we were in no mad rush and patiently waited (at the bar) for our tender to the island.

Once on land, it was an easy walk from the Old Port of Chora (aka Hora or Mykonos Town), right around the coastline, via the cluster of small 17th century churches Panagia Paraportiani; enjoying a leisurely stop in Little Venice (so-called for the houses jutting over the water’s edge) for some refreshments and a view of those iconic windmills (aka Kato Mili); before getting up-close-and-personal with them for more (almost obligatory) photo opportunities. Then we wound our way through back alleyways to the port. It was all so idyllic – the water a gorgeous turquoise, the sky so blue, and the glorious weather holding, until the moment we stepped back on board, when clouds rolled in right behind us – a real testament to the fickle weather of these beautiful islands, making us feel all the more blessed for this fabulous day.