The Sunday Getaway - 17 09 2023 - Lots to unpack
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One week, seven?days and lots to unpack from the road between Athens and Chania. Here's the lowdown distilled in just 5 observations.
1/ Slow and meaningful does it
Friday morning and we're touching down in Chania. Lots to explore but thankfully a few friends and acolytes have shared their most precious pins on the map the night before. With little time to spare, we compare notes, peruse a few photos and other artefacts of the Internet and along we go. If you're in a city for a bit more than 48 hours, there's so much you can do. And that's great - focus on the meaningful ones. For Chania, that was Bougatsa Chanion, Ntounias, and Nektarios taverna at Askyfou. Need more? Explore our full Chania map on the updated travel guide! It's golden.
2/ Adapt to the weather
Everyone loves the sunshine, but more than 3 months in now and summer is getting a bit too much. And as we slide through the White Mountains of Chania, a thick overcast overshadows nature around with occasional fog sweeps over the mountain peaks. It's a gorgeous setting and a welcomed one?as we reach the?family-run Ntounias, a taverna for slow-cooked food amidst the forest of Drakona. A light drizzle only adds to the scenery outside the taverna with the makeshift outdoor kitchen full of slow-cooking clay pots in the fire. Magic!
3/ Mix with the locals
On a different day, I'm leaving fellow travelers behind and make it up to the mountains again - this time towards the White Mountains. It's a late?Sunday morning when I walk in to Nektarios' taverna in Askyfou. There's only a handful of locals at a table right next to me - clearly it's a bit early for lunch but these guys are going at it!?I order some raki and kindly wait for the?owner to arrive, as he's the only manning the kitchen. A few minutes later the waiter turns up and tells me the alcohol is taken care of by the locals. We raise a glass, toast in one voice eviva as they whole-heartedly ask me to join them. What better way to understand a place than at a real local Sunday lunch?
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4/ Immerse yourself in art
It's that week of the year when Art Athina makes a comeback at Zappeion. Today's the final day for your chance to wander around the unique gardens of this hall that was built in the 1880s for the first modern Olympic games as a conference centre. Granted, modern art (of every kind) is indeed hard to grasp and sometimes obscure. But it's the people you meet and the different perspective that such a show provides. Luckily a dear friend offered a visitor's pass and I can fully recommend it.
5/ Music is the answer
No wonder about this one. If you've been following us, you'd know by now we love music. If not, you'll sure get a chance to try our upcoming Bacchanal playlist which is released next Sunday. Meanwhile, there's still lots to explore at Mnáome's website and Spotify channel. As we've been road-tripping around Greece there's lots to share on music we discover along the way, the perfect antidote for when you're busy at work, en route in the car or simply kicking back with a drink at home.
Happy Sunday!
Travel On.
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