Burning and drinking oil

Taking full advantage of the hire car that had no mileage limit and the fact that petrol is cheaper than in the UK (is there anywhere more expensive than the UK?), I decided to drive to Xania. There are many different ways to spell Crete’s second capital Chania, Hania or as I prefer Xania. It is pronounced from the back of the throat and takes a little practice to sound authentic. Taking the National Road west from Heraklion, the scenery changes to become more Italian with cypress trees and pine forests. Vast swathes of oleander are also a sign that the west is more fertile than the south and east.

The Industrial Harbour

The city curls around a Venetian harbour like Rethymnon. As you enter by road you drive down wide boulevards flanked by large villas built in the thirties when the town was booming. Xania seems to be going through a period of regeneration as several of these large houses have been refurbished but there are many left untouched and it creates such an eerie scene especially when you arrive on a Sunday and no one is around. Motorists be warned this town operates a pay and display system. This is the first I have seen in Greece and I can imagine the opposition there was when it was introduced.

There is a limited choice of good hotels in the centre of Xania. I stayed at the Irida which has nice views of the bay but it is a little far from the town centre unless you have a car. There is a small beach within walking distance. It is infront of several tavernas but I never like to swim near major conurbations as you can never be sure how far out the sewage pipe goes! The best beach I found was in Souda Bay approached from Kaleves. Just a small strip of sand with a few people is perfect for an afternoon.

Souda Bay, Xania

Xania harbour is the classic crescent shape lined with tavernas and cafes with resident customer hawkers boasting about how fresh their food is and made by their mother.

The best time to visit this area is at night. This is when the Mosque of Kioutsouk Hasan (ironically now the Greek tourist police HQ) is lit up and the dome is accentuated by the spotlights. The scene at night reminded me of Kyrínia (Greek) or Girne(Turkish) city on the northern side of Cyprus. Walking away from the main harbour you reach the shipyard area. One of huge renovated buildings houses the Centre for Mediterranean Architecture http://www.kam-arsenali.gr/ Using the original walls as a skin a modern building has been designed inside to house exhibition spaces and conference facilities. The other buildings are still being used for industrial use.

I picked up a free magazine called Frappe named after the iced coffee. Written in German and English there are some good articles and images. It was interesting to read about Cretan olive oil production. The Mihelakis who produce over half a million litres per year, consume as a family 200 litres! The average Cretan consumes 30 litres per year which is excessive but many Greeks live everyday as if it were their last. Considering the way they drive for many it is. In 2000 there were 20.1% of road fatalities per 100,000 of the population of Greece.

Frappe magazine ISSN 1109-8090

More images as part of my Greek Identity project are on my website http://emmapeios.spotfolio.com/greece.html