Crete - Xania or Chania

View #1 of Theotikopoulou St. from the hotel balcony

View #2 - the sea at the other end of Theotikopoulou St.

Finding the Consolato Boutique Suites & Rooms was easy, once we managed the tricky bit -- finding parking in one of the streets leading to the entrance to the Old City. Our charming host, Thanasis, was waiting for us at the door. He ushered us into the Hermes suite, explaining everything in great detail, pointed out the restaurant right across the street, for which he gave us breakfast vouchers; and recommended the Tamam restaurant down the road for dinner.
The luxurious suite took me by surprise; I'd forgotten that Michael had taken the "what-the-hell, let's splurge" approach for our last couple of nights in Crete. It was worth it. Some good points about the Consolato, and the Hermes suite:

• Large bed, comfy mattress... a welcome change after the typical hard mattresses encountered on our Greece trips, as far back as 1991; excellent pillows, soundproof windows, powerful yet quiet a/c, large shower stall with fragrant shower-gel & body lotion, etc.
• Fridge. Nespresso coffee machine & capsules. Tea-bags for Brits like Michael ;-)

Hermes Suite bedroom

Hermes Suite front room

• Perfect location: Walk out to the left, and you can either take a right and within minutes find yourself at the Maritime Museum and at the gorgeous Venetian Harbor; or you can continue down Theotikopoulou for a 100 meters or so and be at the beach, that blue blob in View #2 in the above pics. If you exit the hotel and turn right, you can enjoy walking along the meandering cobblestoned lanes with their eye-catching artistic shops and boutiques, ending at -- you guessed it -- the beautiful Venetian Harbor. Most Israelis are familiar with the old-world charm of Old Cities, e.g.  the Old City of Jerusalem, the Old City of Jaffa, the Old City of Acre and Safed. But it's different when you're abroad. Otherwise what's the point in traveling?...
• Aspros Gatos Wine Project right opposite the hotel. Friendly service, tasty breakfast, cute name -- at least for cat lovers. We didn't go there in the evening so I don't know what it's like as a bar, but there are plenty of favorable testimonies online. The vouchers given us by Mr. Thanasis provided for a more-than-satisfying breakfast.

Michael reading the menu @Aspros Gatos

Breakfast menu (yes, the tattered pages are intentional...)

Nina @Aspros Gatos

• The two restaurants recommended by Thanasis -- the Tamam nearby and the Chrisostomos -- were both excellent, but it is advisable to book a table. We were lucky, and on both evening we apparently came an hour or so before the crowds, so a table was found for us. At the Tamam I had the best moussaka since my previous trip to Greece... and an imaginative, original salad that was yummy. You know how the desire for an "original" dish can be a booby-trap for an ambitious chef? Well, this certainly was not one of those! As for the Chrisostomos -- Sorry, I didn't write down what we ate; but it was well worth it. As for desserts at both places -- we tend to skip dessert and just stop by the nearest kiosk or minimarket and treat ourselves to a Magnum...
• If you like museums, there's more than one. I like maritime museums. The Maritime Museum of Crete one was not as impressive as, say, the historic Dockyard at Chatham, but it had plenty of historical info about wars and such... plus some interesting pieces. 

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

•  If you're not into shopping for souvenirs, arts & crafts etc., the best thing you can do is stroll back and forth along the waterfront -- including up to the lighthouse and back -- and take pictures from every possible angle... Then choose a random cafe, order your fave drink, and drink in the view... You will miss it once you get home!

Xania Venetian Harbor

Nina @ the lighthouse, Xania Harbor

One last note: I have very little idea what the "real", i.e. modern, city of Xania is like. Sure, we drove through it. It looked like a city. You know, with shops, houses, traffic lights... But other than that, I haven't a clue. We did the common touristy thing. If we go there again, I'll make time to explore the city. Even if it turns out not to be "special". Just like in Georgia, I am sure that authentic local restaurants, where the locals eat, are worth the effort :-)

My favorite souvenir from Crete