New review on Booking.com: Negatives? Hmm... difficult Question... but yes: Our stay was too short...

'Usually I am not the one who gives many reviews and in general I would save the 10 for the batter that could possibly come but in this case I will make an exception because Plakias Suites are exceptional and outstanding.

 How can others rate less than 10? 

Everything was PERFECT. 

Just need to say: Thanks a lot and we will for sure come back!'

Thank U Florian!

Plakiassuites: Exceptional 9.5/10 from 26 reviews on
Booking.com

Greek breakfast from Crete

Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day, a great source of energy to start an exciting day full of experiences and new adventures!

The high nutritional value and the quality of the Mediterranean products, along with their tradition and experiential character, account for Greek breakfast’s special features.

What can one say about Crete, where life expectancy rates are the highest in the whole country? 

The uniqueness of its products, their daily consumption and their high nutritional value, are the reasons why the Cretan diet is ideal – not to say indispensable - for healthy living.

Vast olive groves, vineyards, sweet smelling honey, wild weeds and herbs are the ingredients that guarantee a delicious breakfast!

Taste the Cretan breakfast:

• Rusks
• Moustokouloura
• Graviera with honey
• Xynomyzithra
• Sygklino (salted and smoked pork)
• Apaki (smoked pork)
• Sausages
• Fried eggs with staka (butter-cream)
• Cream cheese pies (myzithra)
• Fried green pie
• Xerotigana: fried thin plies of dough
• Lyhnarakia: filled with myzithra and cream cheese (anthotyro), etc
• Boureki from Chania
• Bougatsa (cream pie)
• Herbal teas

 (source: VisitGreece)

Greece among top 20 destinations for German tourists

Greece is among the top 20 travel destinations for German tourists, according to fvw tourism magazine. 

The data showed an 11.7% rise in arrivals to Greece in 2017 compared to 2016, placing Greece in the 8th spot in the preferences of the Germans, having attracted 3.14 million people.

Austria, France and Spain were in the top 3 spots...

Greek fava with ouzo-flavored squid

What is fava?
Think of it as a creamy and super tasty hummus on “steroids”, both in nutrition and taste.
Along with squids cooked with ouzo, it is the perfect meal!
Enjoy with a nice glass of ouzo, raki, cold beer or cool white wine!

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 20′ Cooks in: 60′ Ready in: 1:20′

Ingredients

For the fava:
300g yellow split peas
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
3½ lt water

For the squid:
400gr squid, cleaned, cut in rings
1 garlic clove
1 sprig fresh oregano, leaves finely chopped
1 sprig fresh marjoram, leaved finely chopped
1 tsp caper, rinsed
3 tbsp ouzo or other star anise based liquor
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method

Step 1
Boil split peas in a pot with water for a minute until foamy. Drain and rinse under cold water. Then return to pot and cook with 3,5 lt water, onion and bay leaf skimming the foam when necessary. Add extra water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper 15 minutes before you remove pot from heat. When split peas are left with hardly any water discard bay leaf and whizz half quantity with onions until creamy. When cool, mix with the rest of fava. Brush with oil a medium-sized mould cake tin with a hole in the middle and lay the fava. Let cool completely.

Step 2
Meanwhile prepare squids. Put squid rings with garlic in a pot and in medium heat. Let squid release all juices, then simmer in low heat until absorbed. Then add oil and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in ouzo and let alcohol evaporate. Sprinkle with oregano and marjoram. Add a little water and allow squid to soften if necessary. Add caper and season with salt and pepper accordingly.

Step 3
Turn the cake mould upside down on a serving platter and scatter the squid in the hole and the rest on top and round the fava. Serve immediately with some sautéed cherry tomatoes and capers.

By: Georgia Kofina | 01.09.2017 | Meals, Mediterranean Cooking
Photo Vangelis Paterakis – Food styling: Antonia Kati

Greece Sees Jump in Tourist Arrivals, Revenue in June

Greece in June saw an increase in foreign arrivals and tourism revenue by 13 and 14.2 percent respectively compared to the same month last year, the Bank of Greece (BoG) said on Monday.

According to the data, tourism revenue last month increased to 2.046 billion euros against 1.792 billion euros in June 2016.

In the first half of the year, travel receipts amounted to 4,133,5 million euros from 3,840,9 million euros in the corresponding half of 2016.

BoG’s data showed that compared to the first half of 2016, foreign arrivals during the January-June 2017 period increased by 6.6 percent and and the corresponding tourism revenue by 7.1 percent.
(source:gtp)