Blog

What’s it like to live in Crete?  Here you will find about about things to do and see; breathtaking walks, fascinating drives, gorges to hike through.  There is history, nature, interesting architecture – lots to explore.  And the Cretan Diet – the olives, the yoghurt, cheese and super fresh local produce.

Finally, the Ground floor!

Finally, the Ground floor!

It took most of the day, but the ground floor concrete is laid by floodlight! Its a great sight for us to see. But I get a bit ahead of ourselves! Walls cast, but the basement ceiling (top left of the shape) still not cast First of all we move on with the foundations...

Working in Greece!

As we come to the end of the year in which building has actually started, seemed like a good time to reflect on the process.  Most of this comes down to interaction and communications with the builder and the architect, along with a few skirmishes with public...

The Outline takes shape!

Now its back to work!  We’ve moved on since the basement, with a host of issues!   Where the toilet soil pipes will go, finding out all the fittings we need to select and source, how to deal with surface water – the plot is on a slope, and part way down...

Escaping House Building – a week in the Amari Valley!

Escaping House Building – a week in the Amari Valley!

As a bit of a diversion from pouring concrete and thinking about our new house, we took a week away to chill out a bit.  A week in the Amari valley – a Rough Guide “hidden gem”, is an undiscovered “away from it all” location which we love.  Peaceful and...

Pouring the First Concrete

Pouring the First Concrete

The inspector finally visited!  The first one turned down the opportunity, and the second didn’t have a car!  Had to brought out by our engineer.  But he came, he saw, he concurred! Here is the plot, ready for the basement foundation to be poured The...

Signing up with the Builder and Excavating the Basement

Signing up with the Builder and Excavating the Basement

We have at last come upon a great builder, Theo, who has cheerfully accepted our manifold requirements and eccentricities, is keen to get started, has promised us a turn key project with no cost overruns, at a price we can just about afford.  New office in Almyrida -...

Designing our Love Nest

Designing our Love Nest

The design of the house is completed.  After what for Greece is quick, we have our building permit despite the change in construction from prefabricated wood to concrete. We’d asked Eirini, our long-suffering architect/engineer, to design the house for us. She talked...

Designing our Love Nest

Getting to the New Dream – building from scratch

Back in February 2024 we had abandoned our search for a house in Rethymnon, having got quite far with a multi storey place on the edge of a holiday development outside the city up in the hills. We had stretched our criteria - looking at Plakoti, a house on a holiday...

Picnics in Crete

Picnics in Crete

The joys of picnics – eating outside in the midst of nature in the heartlands of Crete. We take you to some of our favorite locations, introduce you to the breakfast picnic concept!

Views of Crete

Views of Crete

Spectacular views of Cretan landscapes from this villa in the foothills of the White Mountains – as painted by Urban Larsen! The Apokoronas, the Mediterranean sea, the tiny village of Chiliomoudou

Mili Gorge Adventure

Mili Gorge Adventure

Walk thru the green and verdant Mili Gorge south of Rethymnon, with ruined water mills and many bridges over the stream, and see what the forces of nature can do!

Beers in Crete

Beers in Crete

All about beers in Crete – beyond Mythos, Amstel, Heineken to the micro breweries – Lyra, Lafkas, Septem

Climb Pachnes in a day trip

Climb Pachnes in a day trip

How to climb Pachnes, the highest mountain in the White Mountain range and see the unique landscape of the Madares, the high desert. A not to be missed experience – how to do it: where to start, what you will see, what its like

Driving a Car in Crete

Driving a Car in Crete

Top tips about driving in Crete – Cretan driving, speed cameras, finding your way around, and off road thrills! And things to watch for when hiring a car when you first come to visit