Chania, Greece - A Day of Shopping and Exploration

Hey Pinmapple Fam!

I wanted to share more from my recent trip to Greece with you all. Today's post is all about Chania, one of the larger cities on the island of Crete in Greece. I did a day trip out to the area to explore and do some souvenir shopping. For context, here is a map view of the entire island of Crete and where Chania is located.

We arrived and found some free parking in a lot near the harbor. It was a short walk to get to the harbor area, but once there you can actually walk all the way out to a lighthouse at the edge of the docks. This closes off the bay where many ships are parked. It was a pleasant day and a relatively easy walk so we made our way to the edge to enjoy the view and take some photos.

Here is the view from the entrance to the harbor. You can see the lighthouse all the way in the distance.

After making that walk out to the lighthouse, the view of the Mediterranean Sea as well as the harbor are both equally beautiful. Unfortunately we didn't stay until the evening but I can imagine it looks beautiful when lit up by all of the restaurants and business along the coast. Here are some pics of the lighthouse, as well as the views from the base of the lighthouse out to the sea and into the harbor.

After making the walk out and back, we headed to the shopping area to find some cool souvenirs. On the way, we passed this small street and building that had graffiti art on the side. I've never been into graffiti but something about it felt so familiar, simply because I see so much of it in all of the cities I've lived in. There was a sense of home, or maybe just a sense that we're all the same no matter the language or culture. It was a cool moment.

When we made it to the shopping area I only had one thing on my list to buy - a chef's knife.

I had been told that Crete is actually known for their chef's knives (or maybe just knives in general) and so it was no surprise that every other store was a knife shop offering all kinds of cool types and styles. I ended up finding a shop that had been around for 3 generations, and the husband and wife there had learned from their parents and carried on the tradition. I found a chef's knife I liked and wanted to get it engraved with a small outline of the island of Crete. Here is a pic of the collection I chose from and of the gentleman working on the engraving. It was actually quite fun to see the process in action!

I did end up buying a couple of other souvenirs as well, for me and for family and friends. T-shirts, magnets, mugs, and more to fill up my suitcase. But having gotten the prized possession - the chef's knife - it was time to wind down and rest up a bit while waiting for the rest of the group. I stopped by a local coffeeshop and asked for 'Greek' style coffee. The barista said that Greek coffee is very 'dusty', so he was just warning us beforehand. I found it to be quite delicious, although yes a bit heavy on the grinds at the end.

When everyone had wrapped up we made our way back to the car and headed out. I do wish I had been able to stay a bit longer and maybe even had dinner at one of the restaurants with outdoor seating right on the harbor. I suppose that makes for a good excuse to go back soon!

Thanks for reading and hope you're enjoying! More to come soon!