Family trip in Crete

Planet

Before the holiday season begins, rubbish that has been swept in by the winter sea is collected and put into the official recycling scheme in this area. We ask that all rubbish is taken home after picnics and activities. Swimming in the sea and visiting beautiful places is conducive to respect for and contemplation of the environment. Swimming is an activity with minimal impact(allow your suncream to dry before entering the water). You may be lucky enough to see birds, mostly raptors like buzzards and Griffon vultures, herons and finches and rarer migratory birds) and endemic flora and fauna, such as tiny frogs on the road. You may see badger holes and mourn the occasional dead badger or weasel on the road. There are typically Greek trees to learn about, for example, the many carob trees around Kissamos Bay. Carob beans were a staple food during the Nazi occupation and are now a recognized nutritionally rich substitute for chocolate in vegetarian food.

The accommodation where guests stay also use solar power for hot water.

If you want you can use the reliable public bus system for transport.

People

On your Cretan holidays you will develop an awareness and respect for a traditional way of life, based on family, land and community. Eating and drinking with friends is at the heart of this way of life, as is the Cretan devotion to the Church Calendar, with its fasting and celebration; always communal and rooted in the past. Cretan food is absolutely delicious, made with fresh produce, often grown by the taverna owner. You might try a regional vegetarian dish such as Boureki, made with courgettes, potatoes and Cretan soft cheese made from sheep's milk. Everyone enjoys eating it, helped down with plentiful wine or beer or fresh orange juice and other culinary delights.

Another aspect of the culture is the language; local people will be happy to teach you some Greek phrases so that you can greet people or thank them in their own language.This is a fun way to enhance respect between communicators, especially for older people who are less likely to speak English. Greeks adore children and will go out of their way to take notice of them, wherever they come from. Families will be greeted and taken to their hearts immediately.

The final trip is to Chania Botanical Park, a green and reforested area which was once devastated by forest fire. There is a wealth of plant life and fruit trees from all over the world and some animals and peacocks too. You can eat at their organic (fruit and vegetables grown on site) restaurant and then watch and take part in an exhilarating display of traditional Cretan dancing. This is truly an insight into an ancient form of expression, some these dances going back far into the past and expressing a joie de vivre that modern life tends to suppress. Anyone can join in at any point, old or young, linking hands and uniting in the rhythms. You will be encouraged and taught by the Cretan dancers, whatever your level of skill.