Agios Nikolaos is on a beautification binge…smartening the main Eleftherios Venizelos square and approaching roads. Unsightly cables have been committed to below-ground, where they really do belong!

Nykterida – the long-famed restaurant where I would love to be able to say “my great friend and colleague Sir Winston Churchill” (alas we did Not meet ! ) , apparently dined and enjoyed a cigar as usual – still sits aloft Souda bay on the piddly and insufficient road from Chania to the airport.
The restaurant is poised above the water, offering welcome views night and day.

Nykterida’s oven cooked lamb with many supporting ingredients, a rewardingly tasty eggplant dish with hints of bacon, wonderful cold salads, pork rolled with cheese and vegetables, smoked pork, all were healthy, wholesome pleasure. Lubricated with a 2000 Nemea from the boys at Skouras which scores an 8.5 out of ten on my red wines list (rich, without tannin dryness, silky without over suddsiness, fruity without bringing one fruit too much to mind and totally pleasing to mouth and palate) .
Also welcome on a chilly night was that the restaurant had heard of heating and was warm and cosy. Though they need to add this comfort level, I am told, to the ladies toilets which were all about refrigeration !
A simple change that would bring many more welcome visitors and guests to Crete – will be unilateral warmth – cafes and restaurant owners take note – in winter, indoors!

From our view of the snow-coated White Mountains of Crete, to you all over the world with warm wishes and greetings.

Starting by at least June 17 this year, a new “Flying Dolphin” mega-sized Catamaran will come into service offering a 4.5 hour travel time from Chania to Piraeus and vice versa. This is a new route for Hellas Flying Dolphins.

Planned schedule is:

Piraeus-Chania departure at 15.45 hours, arriving Chania at 20.15 hours
Chania-Piraeus departure at 20.45 hours, arriving Piraeus at 01.15 hours (why couldn’t it be at a more civilized time of day, I ask? )

But look at the improvements, the coming of age of travel in Greece…..decent travel times ( and judging by the similar services already existing….higher standards of service).

There will be Economy, Business and VIP class (sign me up for VIP now…) sections.

The daily sailings will accommodate over 800 passengers and 150+ cars.

Prices have not been announced yet…

Check at www.dolphins.gr or our friends at www.ferries.gr in a week or two, for prices.

Of course the guide to Crete http://www.cretetravel.com will have more info as soon as we receive it…or prize it out of Hellas Flying Dolphins! Hi boys…!

Calypso will soon commense construction. This is to become the largest Sea Park in all Greece.

It will be situated on the north coast of Crete on a large piece of seaside (of course!) land in Souda.

No completion date is yet announced – but if not 2005, then 2006!