- TRAVEL -
Mark Nicholls visits the Greek island of Crete to experience the ‘healthiest diet in the world’, a challenging trek, ancient history and simply GREECE gorgeous scenery
04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 76 22/03/2016 08:53 04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 77 22/03/2016 08:53 Crete
- TRAVEL -
Mark Nicholls visits the Greek island of Crete to experience the ‘healthiest diet in the world’, a challenging trek, ancient history and simply GREECE gorgeous scenery
04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 76 22/03/2016 08:53 04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 77 22/03/2016 08:53 Crete
- TRAVEL -
TREWN ALONG THE water’s edge of the secluded CRETAN Elafonisi beach, billions of crushed shell fragments DISHES give the shoreline a pinkish hue. Yiouvetsi The outlook from beneath shady reed parasols is of Goat or veal meat clear warm water washing against the ne pieces of cooked in the oven with shell before turning a shade of turquoise as it drops to tomato sauce and olive waist deep. oil Elafonisi - quiet, secret and unspoilt - is one of Crete’s perfect beach treasures, tucked away on a Artichokes secluded corner of the island. With broad beans in STravel back towards the Bay of Kissamos with lemon sauce its spectacular views over the Aegean and you nd Horta and vegetable yourself at Falasarna, another beach of near-white dishes sand with rocky inlets and warm refreshing waters. served with olive oil and This is the pleasure of Crete; idyllic beaches lemon juice which contrast with the rocky backdrop of rugged mountainous terrain cascading down to a coastline Fava pocked with shing inlets, small harbours and Yellow lentils mashed postcard villages. and served with onion, lemon and olive oil Papoutsakia (small shoes) Oven roast aubergines Current in olive oil and tomato success rate sauce stu ed with vegetables Octopus 100% With green olives casserole Gemista Stu ed tomatoes and peppers Create value from your Cuttle sh With dill and green olives redundant agricultural buildings, Dakos Cretan rusk with tomato, goats cheese, oregano without any financial risk and olives Boureki A dish unique to Chania with layers of potatoes, Uplifts in value of up to £250k have been achieved, courgettes, goats cheese and pastry purely on the basis of a successful planning approval. Snails Casserole or fried with vinegar and rosemary A fee is only payable if there is a successful outcome. Rooster Casserole with potatoes Kalitsounia Small pies filled with cheese and seasonal greens Marathopites Dill pies For an informal discussion and free appraisal of your project, contact Vegetable briam Mixed vegetables cooked Nathan on 07780 362304 or email [email protected] in the oven with a rich 79 tomato sauce
04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 79 22/03/2016 08:53 One of the most Crete rewarding days you can spend on - TRAVEL -
the island is to GORGE SAMARIA tackle the 16km of the Samaria Gorge.
Your reward – apart from the satisfaction of reaching the end – is a cooling dip in the Libyan Sea and lunch in one of the village’s small tavernas; perhaps a traditional Greek dish of stifado or a simple Greek salad. Juicy gs are hard to resist, as are any of the local cheeses. And a Cretan herbal mountain tea (Malotira) with thyme or heather honey is more than welcome. In recent years, western Crete has become one Take any route along the coast and you can Accommodation of my favourite holiday destinations, helped along pause for wonderful seafood at tavernas huddled Mark Nicholls stayed at the by the knowledge that, since the 1950s, the Cretan in craggy coves, such as at S nari, to enjoy freshly- 33-room Mistral Hotel at diet has been widely recognised as one of the caught sh, a range of shell sh, wine, and the Maleme near Chania, which healthiest on earth. Stu ed cuttle sh, artichokes in lemon and dill irresistible Kakavia (one of Crete’s traditional sh opens from April to October. I like to stay at the 33-room Mistral Hotel at sauce and Cretan speciality kalitsounia (sweet soup dishes). Specialising in hosting solo Maleme, near Chania. Run by brothers Vassilis cheese pastries) are all excellent. Snail dishes are Crete’s enduring attraction is its diversity and travellers, guests book and Antonis Gialamarakis and their families, it has popular (with plenty of garlic) and occasionally while the beaches may be tempting, one of the the hotel independently two beautiful pools, quiet landscaped gardens and a whole lamb is spit-roasted in the garden. And most rewarding days you can spend on the island and arrange their own a welcoming bar area. It prides itself on showing Flights look out for the bergamot jam, served at breakfast. is to tackle the 16km of the Samaria Gorge. flights, though the Mistral Crete as it is through its food, wine, hospitality and Mark Nicholls flew Ryanair fly Sublime. The longest natural ssure in Europe, the arranges transfers. Themed some o -the-beaten-track excursions.The food direct from Stansted to Chania, In the evocative Venetian harbour city of descent is along pathways carved out of a river holidays are available, from is a highlight – four courses every night, with an visit www.ryanair.com Chania you can absorb the ambience of one bed through the rugged beauty of the White Greek Easter, Spring & emphasis on seasonal dishes sourced locally and of Crete’s magical gems, with harbour-side Mountains of Crete. Flowers week, Walking, and cooked traditionally. Vegetables, fruits and herbs restaurants, narrow backstreets with enticing Breakfast on strong, sweet Greek co ee – the Photography. For bookings are grown in the gardens, bread is baked every shops and a relaxed atmosphere that is Cretan to sort that feels gritty between your teeth - and the and further information, visit morning nearby and they hand press their own the core. ‘spanakopita’ cheese and spinach pies near the www.singlesincrete.com olive oil. And it shows! village of Omalos at the top of the gorge before In a di erent direction towards the island’s descending into the chasm. capital Heraklion is Knossos, the ancient seat The path meanders downward through pine of the highly-advanced Minoan civilisation and cypress trees before levelling out onto the which was at its peak some 1500 years before river bed with the water owing close by and Christianity. The palace, discovered in the early supplying regular fountains to ll bottles with 1900s, has been restored to o er a fascinating some of the sweetest water you will ever taste. insight into the way the early inhabitants of Crete Now a national park, the gorge was a wartime lived. For those enthralled with Minoan history, hideaway for Crete’s resistance ghters and also Crete has many other sites from the era to visit at hosts endangered species such as Crete’s wild Malia and Phaestos. goat, the kri-kri. This is a special island to visit, with a pace of Past the abandoned village and the 14th century life that entices you to relax, explore and simply church of Ossia Maria, which gave the gorge its wander the beaches, amble through quiet villages name, the track continues to the narrowest point or pause at harbour fronts lined with tavernas, a mere three metres across before nally spilling where colourful shing boats bob on the tide. Just out onto the black sandy beach at Agia Roumeli. don’t forget to try the Metaxa! ELAFONISI BEACH ELAFONISI
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04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 80 22/03/2016 08:54 04_Feast_Apr2016_v1.indd 81 22/03/2016 08:54 One of the most Crete rewarding days you can spend on - TRAVEL -
the island is to GORGE SAMARIA tackle the 16km of the Samaria Gorge.
Your reward – apart from the satisfaction of reaching the end – is a cooling dip in the Libyan Sea and lunch in one of the village’s small tavernas; perhaps a traditional Greek dish of stifado or a simple Greek salad. Juicy gs are hard to resist, as are any of the local cheeses. And a Cretan herbal mountain tea (Malotira) with thyme or heather honey is more than welcome. In recent years, western Crete has become one Take any route along the coast and you can Accommodation of my favourite holiday destinations, helped along pause for wonderful seafood at tavernas huddled Mark Nicholls stayed at the by the knowledge that, since the 1950s, the Cretan in craggy coves, such as at S nari, to enjoy freshly- 33-room Mistral Hotel at diet has been widely recognised as one of the caught sh, a range of shell sh, wine, and the Maleme near Chania, which healthiest on earth. Stu ed cuttle sh, artichokes in lemon and dill irresistible Kakavia (one of Crete’s traditional sh opens from April to October. I like to stay at the 33-room Mistral Hotel at sauce and Cretan speciality kalitsounia (sweet soup dishes). Specialising in hosting solo Maleme, near Chania. Run by brothers Vassilis cheese pastries) are all excellent. Snail dishes are Crete’s enduring attraction is its diversity and travellers, guests book and Antonis Gialamarakis and their families, it has popular (with plenty of garlic) and occasionally while the beaches may be tempting, one of the the hotel independently two beautiful pools, quiet landscaped gardens and a whole lamb is spit-roasted in the garden. And most rewarding days you can spend on the island and arrange their own a welcoming bar area. It prides itself on showing Flights look out for the bergamot jam, served at breakfast. is to tackle the 16km of the Samaria Gorge. flights, though the Mistral Crete as it is through its food, wine, hospitality and Mark Nicholls flew Ryanair fly Sublime. The longest natural ssure in Europe, the arranges transfers. Themed some o -the-beaten-track excursions.The food direct from Stansted to Chania, In the evocative Venetian harbour city of descent is along pathways carved out of a river holidays are available, from is a highlight – four courses every night, with an visit www.ryanair.com Chania you can absorb the ambience of one bed through the rugged beauty of the White Greek Easter, Spring & emphasis on seasonal dishes sourced locally and of Crete’s magical gems, with harbour-side Mountains of Crete. Flowers week, Walking, and cooked traditionally. Vegetables, fruits and herbs restaurants, narrow backstreets with enticing Breakfast on strong, sweet Greek co ee – the Photography. For bookings are grown in the gardens, bread is baked every shops and a relaxed atmosphere that is Cretan to sort that feels gritty between your teeth - and the and further information, visit morning nearby and they hand press their own the core. ‘spanakopita’ cheese and spinach pies near the www.singlesincrete.com olive oil. And it shows! village of Omalos at the top of the gorge before In a di erent direction towards the island’s descending into the chasm. capital Heraklion is Knossos, the ancient seat The path meanders downward through pine of the highly-advanced Minoan civilisation and cypress trees before levelling out onto the which was at its peak some 1500 years before river bed with the water owing close by and Christianity. The palace, discovered in the early supplying regular fountains to ll bottles with 1900s, has been restored to o er a fascinating some of the sweetest water you will ever taste. insight into the way the early inhabitants of Crete Now a national park, the gorge was a wartime lived. For those enthralled with Minoan history, hideaway for Crete’s resistance ghters and also Crete has many other sites from the era to visit at hosts endangered species such as Crete’s wild Malia and Phaestos. goat, the kri-kri. This is a special island to visit, with a pace of Past the abandoned village and the 14th century life that entices you to relax, explore and simply church of Ossia Maria, which gave the gorge its wander the beaches, amble through quiet villages name, the track continues to the narrowest point or pause at harbour fronts lined with tavernas, a mere three metres across before nally spilling where colourful shing boats bob on the tide. Just out onto the black sandy beach at Agia Roumeli. don’t forget to try the Metaxa! ELAFONISI BEACH ELAFONISI
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