Note: Hania can also be spelled "Chania," (like Hanukkah and Chanukah) because we don't have adequate letters in our Roman alphabet to accurately evoke some Greek sounds. Many towns are spelled numerous ways.
Hania's waterfront was just as beautiful as we'd heard. Tyler and I both agree that Crete is a place we would like to return to someday on vacation. Even in February, the weather is warm and the sun shines, the people are friendly and hospitable, the scenery in remote places is second to none. Cities, which we don't normally enjoy all that much, are filled with character and quaint, winding streets.
There are churches, of course, whose bell-tolling rings can be heard throughout the city in pretty songs.
There are many narrow alleyways, and loads of interesting shops lining them.
The actual waterfront is filled with cafes, where people enjoy their coffees along with sea breezes. There are lots of cool rusty chains… (haha)
…beautiful views of town:
…and even a mosque gracing the water's edge:
Fishermen fish…
And water splashes up, wetting the sidewalk with its spray:
Hania exudes a lazy, relaxed sort of vibe, as evidenced by this dog zonkered out on the pavement. I can't imagine he'll be any different in the summer heat.
The mild climate here means that people can grow plants outside most of the year. Along every street, lining nearly every balcony, are potted flowers. Climbing roses grow on walls, geraniums are a popular, and lemon trees are ever-present.
After a very inspiring (I love collecting ideas about how I want to design our house someday) walk, during which we both commented "I want to live here!" and "I want to come back here on vacation!" and "I wish we could pack this whole place up and take it with us!" we said goodbye, hopped on our bikes, and headed ten kilometers down the road to the ferry port.
There, we bought tickets for the 9:00PM sailing, and settled in at a nearby internet cafe for the afternoon. There is a very popular beverage here called a "cafe frappe", which is an iced frothy coffee drink served with milk and sugar. I love how the liquid swirls and falls. It reminds me of being transfixed, staring at the car windows in the drive-thru car wash as a kid:
Tonight we'll sleep on the ferry, and when we wake up, we'll be in the port of Athens!