Crete Day 1: May 4 - Heraklion

After landing in Heraklion, we immediately went to pick up our rental car. Conveniently, the lady we booked the car with was already waiting for us in the arrivals hall with a sign. She greeted us warmly and took us to our rental car, which would take us around the island for the next two weeks. We had booked a VW Polo, which is all you need on Crete. The handover was quick and completely hassle-free. We filled out a form, showed our driver's licenses, and signed the contract. It is highly recommended to get comprehensive insurance with no deductible. This way, you are fully covered in case of an accident. We were also assured that we could call them anytime if there were any problems. And then we were off. Of course, Luke got to drive. He is the better driver of the two of us, so I thought it was a better solution to let him take the wheel ;)

Looking for a parking space in Heraklion

Driving in Heraklion was a bit chaotic, as the driving style of the Cretans was quite different from that of the Germans. And the streets here were quite narrow as well. So our first task was to find a parking space near our accommodation. This turned out to be not so easy, as parking spaces in Heraklion were hard to come by. In the end, we found a paid parking lot near the hotel, which cost us 10 euros. It was a rip-off, if you ask me! But we didn't have any other choice. So we paid the attendant at the booth 10 euros, parked the car, and walked to Hotel 'Lena'. Yes, Hotel Lena! :D

The island capital

Since we were a bit early, we couldn't check in yet, but we could leave our luggage there and explore the capital of Crete in the meantime. It was quite warm, but we managed to bear it in our jeans, which we wore for the flight. The weather was perfect, just the way I like it. Bright sunshine, nice and warm but not too hot. Fortunately, everything was within walking distance from the hotel. We reached the harbor in just a few minutes. Then we strolled through the city for a while.

Finally something to eat

Later, we got ready for dinner and that's when I noticed that I had gotten a nasty sunburn. And all from a little bit of sun! But it's no wonder when your skin hasn't seen any sunlight for months. We then found a nice restaurant at the harbor where we had a great meal. We even got a complimentary dessert! And plenty of Raki. It would soon be coming out of my ears.

Our destination for the next day: Rethymnon!