Back from Athens

This means: three great new hotels for next year’s travel to Athens, new roof terraces and dining with views of the Acropolis, low cost simple dining pleasure near Syntagma square, anorak centre (more low cost puffy jackets than you have ever seen) near Omonia and the great bazaar floor of the Fokas store where the clothes “they” didn’t buy cost less, a taxi to Athens airport can cost as little as 25 Euros when there is no traffic around….now it’s down to writing about the scores of new hotels in Crete, Peloponnese, Athens and elsewhere in Greece (this time and the first time for Santorini !) – hand-picked, personally and rigorously inspected gems for your delight when you stay in your perfect place in Greece. Oh yes, the new Acropolis museum is truly taking shape with multiple giant cranes swooping enormous marble items across the skyline from the Acropolis itself to the new museum which is scheduled and is hoped to open at the end of March 2008 (check before trundling over there though).

(Oh and by the way, from January 2008 see ‘em all on www.SuperbGreece.com and www.Crete-Hotels-Rooms.com – get ready for the happiest of travels ! )

The Peloponnese – including the beautiful town of Nafplio, the ancient castle village of Monemvasia, Githio the southern port, Patra the gatweway from Italy and central Greece, Kalamata, Karamyli, Vitilo, Limeni, Areopoli, Gerolimenos and Arkadia (Ellinikon, Stemnitsa, Dimitsana) are still as beautiful as you would wish.

The fires of 2007 have left some scars, but the visual impact and beauty of the mountains, hillsides and surrounds (even of Ancient Olympia) are still soothing and breathtaking simultaneously.

This really is an area to visit, to tour and to enjoy.

Having seen how good it all looks, there will be more new selections of magical, wonderful small hotels to stay at in the Peloponnese on www.SuperbGreece.com from this coming January.

So, after the delights of Christmas, the celebrations and invigorating promise of the New Year…start planning your Peloponnese Odyssey – the Superb way to a superb stay !

Last off the plane and excitedly, ready to grab my suitcase from the luggage carousel at Bogota airport, I noticed a white powder puffing its way out of a seam, depositing talcum powder on the black rubber belts in a most suspicious manner.

I was not the only one to notice, the customs agents were already advancing toward me and the case.

When asked what the powder was, I naively and foolishly mischievous, said “well it’s obviously not cocaine” (for who would Import such To a country some think may actually produce the product ? ) .

In a rare display of good humor among the bureaucrats of the world, they saw the joke, sniffed the heady fragrance of a quality talcum powder and welcomed me to the country.

What has my arrival some years ago in the capital city of Colombia to do with a hotel in Crete that has all too rare rooms available in April and May? What has it to do with a charming and tasteful, well-located, most hospitable, a little stylish, a lot relaxed hotel in Crete positioned on a splendid beach, just a handful of minutes from the romantic Venetian harbor of Chania? Is there a connection?

Well, the many travels and the adventures they delivered in numerous regions of the world, have added that rare perspective – the perspective of the actual traveler or visitor – to the design and unique descriptions of place and hotels, to the service ethic that powers the websites CreteTravel.com and Crete-Hotels-Rooms.com . Amazing advice and consideration of what You want, wish for and relish when on vacation…a drive to find that magical place to stay that will create lifelong sweet memories.

And after all, which hotel is in such demand, but as luck would have it, has a room for you (or a better than usual chance of one) in April and May this year?
Take a look> http://www.crete-hotels-rooms.com/Reservations/Ammos_Hotel.htm

But if you also have yet to get a feel for which out of so many places you (not anyone else just You) ?must visit? on Crete’s wonderfully large, varied and atmospheric island – there is a place to learn the answers easily and it is here> http://cretetravel.com/Where_in_Crete/Cities.htm

As April comes to an end – weather is warming and sunny and spring flowers abound on Crete’s fields, verges, mounds and mountains. Just be sure the talcum powder is wrapped well when you travel.

Six years ago this week (on 29 January 2001) http://www.CreteTravel.com the Guide to Crete went live on the internet.

I remember working on it non-stop the last few days before the launch – with the culmination of a 24 hour stint the day before… to launch at 9 am on the morning of the 29th.
What satisfaction and joy! To share with you all the discoveries, the tastes and thrills of Crete.
A sunny January day it was, so after catching up with some sleep, grilled fish at a beachfront taverna it had to be (it never tasted better) !

We included in the features a free “Ask a Question” service.
This gave us tremendous opportunity to find out what information visitors to Crete were looking for and “hone” our skills of providing helpful, informative, concise replies – and gleaning/understanding what people were really after in their questions.
We have answered since over 2500 questions – the mind races to think of it.

The praise we received from the visitors to our site gave us renewed energy to continue offering even more advice and help – and the need to take it to the next level:
Helping them practically, by providing them with reservation services for the small hotels that we had uncovered for them.

In the same year we launched http://www.Crete-Hotels-Rooms.com, receiving great thanks and feedback from our guests who had come from all areas of the world.
Being able to offer hotels we had “discovered” and visited, photographed and described with our own freshly-inspired words – was a reward in itself.

All this was followed by steady growth and our absolute adherence to honesty in describing the hotels we had found – and truth, accuracy and clarity in talking with our guests and appraising how best to satisfy their travel dreams and wishes.

“Many hotels later”, with the same philosophy, we launched http://www.SuperbGreece.com which will soon celebrate its own second anniversary, to offer small beautiful hotels and inns we discover one by one in other magical areas of Greece.

The adventure for us continues.

The pleasure for our guests – we will make sure – only increases.

The snow-capped mountains stand out clearly in the moonlight as the country bakes its traditional New Year cakes and the lucky ones find the hidden coin within.

Whether the coin is yours or not, the year ahead has all possibility ready to be steered toward the new and great things we can all achieve.

Strive for good health and travel well.

Greetings and a Happy New Year from Crete and Greece’s magnificent scenery, dramatic mountains, friendly villages and sunny inclination.

2007 – welcome….!

A starting position that will allow you to accelerate into the “fast-working-lane” while you get to enjoy your spare time on the island of Crete. A job with a future, a career.

(Tip – you might try applying even if you do not speak Greek perfectly).

If you can write (in English) fast and furiously in a jocular, friendly, honest and engaging style and are world-savvy, an admin boffin and so much more….

Read more: http://www.cretetravel.com/job

Once in a while that opportunity does pop up.

Now there is a chance to be considered for a full time career in Greece, specifically on the island of Crete.

No mere summer job, a serious possibility of building a world class future with a fast-growing internet publishing and specialist travel company.

Details: http://www.cretetravel.com/Wanted/Careers_Cretetravel.htm

CreteTravel.com celebrates 5 years of stunning the world and informing discerning travelers who want to know the real deal, the plain truth and the useful stuff about Crete.

On January 29 in 2001 at around 11.00 in the morning local time the website went live on the internet and has spawned a story which is now part of internet history.

As the information was consumed – appreciated by many for its frank style, user-friendly, easy-navigation, lack of hidden agenda, shear, informative and appropriate – requests started arriving for help with choosing just the right place to stay, that special inn, that romantic suite, that delightfully positioned villa.
We listened, we responded and later that year Crete-Hotels-Rooms.com was launched. Offering more true (accurate) photographs of each hand-picked hotel or villa, brutally honest descriptions, full price information, no mysteries, no tricks – just the plain truth and a whole lot of expert personal service, one-to-one advice and a driving desire to offer the best websites about anywhere in the world….but about Crete; the website and travel service has grown every year since and….yes, given birth to another, namely SuperbGreece.com which step-by-step is covering other chosen parts of Greece with selected, hand-picked hotels and inns with that extra charm, the delight a true and discerning traveler wishes for. Again personal service – all questions answered, any advice given, knowledgeable suggestions made – is provided to guest coming from all of Europe, USA, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, UAE, South Africa, Israel, Canada, Argentina, Hong Kong, India, and most countries (we are getting there too ! ) of the world.

Happy Anniversary.
There is so much more to come.

Crete Hotels and Rooms ( http://www.crete-hotels-rooms.com ) adds a new triplet of villas at Istron – east of Agios Nikolaos and a new addition of a faithfully restored old olive mill building in the west – inland from Kolymbari (just west of Chania)….on 2 November 2005.

September has repeatedly proven to be a great month to visit Crete – crowds are gone, but you are not alone, sizzling, scorching heat has faded, but it’s still hot and evenings are warm and ideal for those by-the-water evening dinners.

Some of the most special small hotels are pretty full in September but many of the normal cookie-cutter types have rooms to spare.
This is the month for the independent traveller, those just setting out to make the best trip they can within a reasonable budget and those just setting out again to enjoy the best and most lavish but characterful treats the big island has to offer.

Who offers the sort of expert, first hand, on-the-spot, friendly, knowledgeable, wholesome, honest advice and suggestions so at least you know you will stay in a fabulous small hotel or a ticklishly delightful villa, or even a spruce studio on a quite and isolated beach ? Who knows Crete but will understand you? Who cares that you really enjoy this massive offering of an island?

A hint – a big hint – http://www.CreteHotelRooms.com and the http://www.CreteTravel.com team

Blowing our own trumpet? Well if it\’s true – flaunt it! We’d love to see you happily wandering the mountain roads and slowly winding your way down to that hotel you will always treasure.
We love what we do when we help you and it shows – read what others say> http://www.crete-hotels-rooms.com/Help/testimonials.htm

Have a Splendid Labor day and wherever you are…have a great stay!