Crete or Bust: Night & Day Journey Part I

Mention moving or relocation to the average Joe and you’ll get mixed negative responses ranging from disgust to horror. Whatever stimuli compel us to pull up roots and become vagabonds, we all share the pleasures and perils our forebears once did. What follows is a two-part story of our move from Germany to the island of Crete in Greece. I hope you will find the advice, comparisons, and promise of adventure interesting and helpful.

Two years ago, my wife and I stood entranced at the view from a balcony of our suite at Lato Boutique Hotel in Heraklion on fabulous Crete. I’ll never forget that moment, or the view out over Koules Fortress, the harbor, and the Cretan Sea beyond. In that inspired moment, Mihaela turned to me with a loving smile and said; “Whatever you must do, make sure you move us here.” And I managed to fulfill that promise this year, a few days before both our birthdays (Mihaela August 15, and Phil August 17) when we arrived in the land of the ancient Minoans with our 8-year-old son Paul-Jules.

German Exodus

All aboard our über-packed Ford Ka, our little family undertook a mini-adventure we hope will serve as a guide for others. Together we crossed a few hundred kilometers of rain-drenched German autobahn, surmounted a section of the mighty Austrian Alps, passed some Tuscan wonders, sailed the Adriatic Sea by ferry, drove across the Peloponnese to Piraeus, and finally crossed the Aegean to Heraklion. Had we chosen to go by land as far as possible, the overall journey would have been 3,000 kilometers and 35 total hours (not counting rest stops). Thankfully, rather than drive the entire distance, we opted to make the trip in four phases making use of Southern Europe’s best ferry services.

For the purpose of brevity, I leave off the entire account of traffic jams and blinding rain throughout southwestern Germany and the Austrian Alps. What I can offer is a forewarning for other travelers. Unless your idea of a pleasant journey is miles long Swiss mountain tunnels packed with cars, or steep inclines past boats, campers, trailers, and crazy Austrian Porsche drivers, then any circuit through the Alps in late Summer should be “verboten.” It was Mihaela who drove both legs through Germany and Austria, so it was she who ended up being a basket case by the time we reached the Italian Alps. Not to minimalize her effort, we did get to snail past Innsbruck, an iconic Olympic town I remembered from my youth. For anyone who has never seen these majestic mountains, let me assure you a million tourists packed like chewing gum onto a hot mountain highway really does detract. Picking up on the adventure from Bolzano (Bozen on German maps), Mihaela and Paul got a much better look at Italy’s beautiful and exciting Trentino-Alto Adige region, and I was soothed to finally merge my driving style with that of the friendly (if animated) Italians.

Ferried by the Fates

From Bolzano, we had one thing on our mind really, and that was reaching Ancona in time for a 5:30 Minoan Lines ferry to Patras in Greece. I had taken over at just after noon, so covering the distance of just over 500 kilometers in just over five hours seemed impossible. Then magically, as if from God, the Minoan Lines folks sent an SMS stating our ferry had been delayed until 7:30 PM. Still, the race was on, but thankfully the roads in Italy in these regions are even better than the German counterparts. From Bolzano, through Verona and Bologna, we literally flew, reaching the end of Banchina Nazario Sauro just in time to board the Minoan Lines ship, the 54,000-ton Cruise Europa. As first-time passengers on an extended range ferry of the type, we were all a bit in awe of this, the largest ferry of Italian registry.

Owned by Grimaldi Group and operated by Minoan Lines, Cruise Europa carries as many as 3,000 passengers and up to 250 vehicles. Once aboard, we understood why the ship’s and Minoan Lines’ reputation was so highly rated. Arranged into 413 cabins and 60 suites, the ship also boasts of one à la carte restaurant, one self-service restaurant, a conference room, a fast-food service, boutique, shopping center, casino, a disco, and even a dog kennel. Interestingly, it is the last of these features that amazed Mihaela and me the most (more on this later).

Being new to the “ferry game” as we were, we’d booked passage in the section designated “aircraft business seating” thinking that the relatively short overnight voyage would be an easy journey. Unfortunately, we soon realized that such accommodation is taken over by the “backpacker crowd.” And on Cruise Europa, we found these seats to be disheveled, overused, and probably uncomfortable the day they were installed. Disappointment registered in silence, we sought out an upgrade to a cabin, which was granted for an extra €160 euro. We found our cabin to be welcomingly adequate, and the most enjoyable aspect of this day. Mihaela curled up in the large portal looking out onto the sea, it is a memory I shall always cherish. As pleasant as this imagery is now, looking back and comparing Minoan Lines with its competitor Anek Lines (Superfast, Blue Star), the weary ship’s crew and “backpacker” geared service are best recommended to the “saltiest” of sojourners, at least in my book. The crewmembers of Minoan Lines must have some bad crew contracts, for everyone aboard seemed weary of passengers. Worse still, an old sailor like me tasting the salt spray on deck with melancholy, only to spot a peeing dog around a bulkhead – well, you have your own mental image. The wind does carry all spray like the blustery mists of Argo, and now Minoan Lines will always be remembered by as much for dog doo and pee pee as it will for its stately ferry vessels.

Needless to say, the next morning we were gleeful to disembark for another auto leg toward the waiting ferry in Piraeus just beneath Athens. Driving off Cruise Europa in Patras, all three of us felt free even in the hectic traffic across the Peloponnese. We never considered the ferry being late to Ancona would mean less time to board the Minoan Lines ship to Heraklion at 10 PM the same eve. Once again, the race was on and our desire to make Heraklion on Crete by August 15th (Mihaela’s birthday) still preeminent. A scenic trip, the first part of the 217 km trip passed without event with only Paul-Jules’ occasional questions breaking the monotony. As blessed as we felt boaring in Ancona, the fates were not to be with us. The normal 2.5 hour trip took us well into darkness over Athens. So, the late arrival at Patras, combined with the confusing big city madness around the port of Piraeus, it caused us to miss the Heraklion boat at 10 PM. Distr ought and weary, we searched the port skyline for a hotel to crash at.

Any Port in a Fog

Crash we did, at Pireaus Port Hotel about half a kilometer from Gate 3 of the port, where our next ship would embark from. Since we’d missed the late Minoan Lines ferry at 10 PM, we found the earliest Crete ferry the next day was via Anek Lines departing at 9 PM on Mihaela’s birthday. As for Pireaus Port Hotel, the two star affair can best be described as clean and fairly economical at €60 euro (without breakfast). Newly renovated, the hotel was a bit of a welcome surprise over the Minoan Lines scurviness. Like the famous ferry line though, the night shift crew at PPH practiced adequacy rather than stellar Greek hospitality. If you’re expecting a dose of Filoxenia (love of travelers) in Piraeus, maybe you’d best try Phidias Hotel or perhaps Piraeus City Hotel, which is only 50 meters from Gate 9 at the port. Better yet, select a hotel near the port before arriving and add a day. In retrospect I am a bit surprised the staff that night were not so attentive, for the hotel is second in its class on TripAdvisor. An empty mini bar, and being advised to walk the streets for food late that night ruined my impression though. We later found numerous wonderful places a short distance from where the ferries depart from.

I awoke early in the morning so as to allow Mihaela and Paul some extra sleep while I recanoitered for ferry tickets and reparture gates, and etc. Breakfast at Pireaus Port Hotel was nice, typical boutique hotel fare at €8 euro per person extra. In fairness to the hotel proprietors, the place was very clean and secure, which was a great bonus for semi-lost and weary travelers. Also in fairness, I’d advise any traveler bent on such a land-sea adventure to make use of the internet and the various company information to better chart their course. For instance, had I looked at Anek-Blue Star’s website for the Piraeus Port map we would have had far less trouble with directions. The port is actually not that hard to navigate once you familiarize yourself. Also, planning for the contingency of a missed boat would automatically lead to alrternative accomodations. If we’d readized the Minoan Lines or Anek ferries were out of range, then the family could have enjoyed the morning in Corinth or another nearby historic destination. I’ll attribute much of our discomfort to my own plan for celebrating our birthdays in epic style. As you learn in Part II of this story, the “fates” really did bless our relocation epoch. In the next segment you’ll learn where to hang out in Pireaus to wait for your boat, and how ferry experiences really can be like night and day.