I imagine that a lot of visitors to the nearby site of Knossos decide to skip Heraklion's Archaeological Museum. There's only so much history one can take! But this is a huge mistake. Not only is the museum an indispensable companion to Knossos, as home to most of its recovered treasures, but it's actually a more rewarding experience. We're not alone in our high opinion: Heraklion's museum is hailed as one of the premiere archaeological collections in…
If you look at any map of Chania, it's easy to locate the Municipal Market: just look for the cross-shaped building in the middle of town. Each of the four "wings" has its own entrance, all of which lead to the large hall in the center. This is a great place to come for fresh fruits & veggies, meat, fish, and restaurants serving up local specialties. Try to visit the market as early as possible. In fact,…
Our stay in Loutro was short but sweet. We had just a single day, not even twenty-four hours, to bask in the quiet beauty of this tiny village. There are only two ways to access Loutro: either by boat, or by foot. And since we had taken the ferry in, we decided to hoof it out. A brilliant coastal path of about two hours connects this town back to Chora Sfakion, where we'd be catching the bus…
After waking up in Loutro, we went to the top of our guesthouse, just to make sure the town was as amazing as we remembered, and that yesterday hadn't been some vivid dream. Clutching mugs of coffee, we watched the morning sun pour in over the cliffs, bathing the bay in a soft, warm light. Yep, Loutro's beauty was an objective reality. This was a perfect beginning to the morning, but we couldn't linger too long: we…
Because of its Venetian Harbor, Chania doesn't have a beach directly in town. But you don't have to go far to reach some. In fact, you can leave your car at home -- given the city's chaotic parking situation, it's likely you'd need more time to find a spot, than you would to walk the entire distance to any of these beaches! Koum Kapi Beach We'll start toward the east of the city, with tiny Koum Kapi…
Before tourism staked its claim, Chania was leather territory. For years, this had been the place to buy the famous tall, black leather boots of Crete, especially along Stivanandika Street. There's still plenty of leather being sold on this street, but the workshops are gone, replaced by an unbroken lineup of identical tourist shops. If you want to find something more traditional way, you have to leave the Old Quarter. Stivanandika, or Leather Street, was actually the…
Even if you've never been to Greece, chances are you know these kinds of woven chairs, because they're found in Greek restaurants around the world. We love seeing traditional crafts being made... but we never expected to open our front door and see a guy weaving a chair, directly across from us! I was sitting in the kitchen of our Chania apartment, working with the door open. Although I was absorbed in my work, I could feel…
On the last day of my short but intense trip to Germany, I arrived in Wuppertal, to finally fulfill one of my childhood dreams: riding the city's famous suspension monorail, called the Schwebebahn. I recently wrote about the Skytram suspension train at Düsseldorf's airport, but Wuppertal's is on a whole different level. The Schwebebahn is the primary means of public transportation in this medium-sized city of 350,000 people. It runs from east to west, connecting the entire…
Having spent much of the day riding the suspension train at the Düsseldorf airport, I headed into town, to take a walk through the Altstadt, or Old Town. I had never before visited Düsseldorf, but had heard plenty about this quaint neighborhood, with its traditional houses, its promenade along the Rhine, and abundant bars and bugs which serve the famous local Altbier. I disembarked from the S-Bahn at Sternstraße, and approached the Altstadt from the north. After…
Airports have always held a certain fascination for me. It's no secret that I am spiritually dedicated to travel, and airports are like the cathedrals of my weird religion. So for a travel junkie like me, it was exhilarating to discover that Düsseldorf's airport is not only about airplanes, but that it's got another cool method of transportation: an incredible suspension train which connects the airport with the railway station. The main reason for my visit to…