Crete

Our visit to Crete was brief, but at least we were able to take the overwhelming recommendation of multiple Greeks to visit a unique beach on the southwest side of the island called Elafonisi. We arrived late on Wednesday night and had a bit of trouble trying to find the bus stop we needed in order to get to our hostel, but after some wandering and a longer than expected ride, we arrived at our destination (around 11pm) just outside of Heraklion, the main city on Crete.

The next day, we got a rental car and made the scenic three hour drive to Elafonisi. The trek was far, considering we only had one full day on Crete, but definitely worth it. The beach was beautiful, though photos can't really capture the full image of the turquoise water, easygoing local vibes, palm frond dotted lounge chairs, and close proximity between beach and nearby islands--which could literally be reached by wading across the way through the waist-high water. After several hours of sunshine and exploring the island across the water, we headed back to Heraklion.

It was a short sleep that night, because we had to catch a 6:30am plane to Rome and needed to return our rental car beforehand, so we were up by 4:15am. Our time in the Greek isles was truly an adventure and a vacation within a greater trip, and exactly what was needed after traveling around the rest of Europe for the past month.

I grew quite fond of Greek life over the course of a week in this ancient, mythological, and enchanting country--four different destinations, three interesting islands, two random roommates in Mykonos, and one outstanding odyssey of my own. Athena added enriching information throughout, Poseidon granted us safe passage across the Aegean, Dionysus indulged us with the fruit of the vine, Zeus spared us once more as we flew to Rome, and Hermes helped us share our adventures with you. May the gods continue to favor us as our adventure advances through the ages.