The Travel Edit
I travel because I enjoy seeing new places, eating good food and spending time with the people I love.
I don’t travel to create perfect content, collect passport stamps or tick destinations off a list.
These are my honest notes from the road: what worked, what didn’t, what I’d pack again and what I’d happily leave behind.
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*I don’t recommend products because they’re trending. I recommend them because I’ve used them, tested them and would/do buy them again with my own money.*
Crete
A week In Crete with my daughter and 11 year old granddaughter: What worked, what didn’t,
and why EasyJet owes me £48
I’ve just returned from a week in Crete with my daughter Tasha and my granddaughter Amelie.
Overall? A lovely holiday.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Would I fly EasyJet again? The jury is still out.
As with all holidays, there’s the Instagram version and then there’s reality. Reality involved a suitcase that apparently changed size depending on which airport employee was looking at it, an endless queue for an aircraft toilet, feeding half the cats in Crete and discovering that my granddaughter and daughter are every bit as capable of snoring as they claim I am.
The Journey There
Our day started at 5.15am.
At that time of the morning, nobody should be subjected to an eleven-year-old’s carefully curated playlist.
Amelie currently enjoys Benson Boone, Dermot Kennedy, She is Kings and a collection of breathy singers I’d never heard of. By the time we reached Gatwick I was ready for silence and another coffee.
Meet and greet parking was booked because I have reached an age where I refuse to start a holiday by dragging luggage onto shuttle buses in the dark. Some things are worth paying for.
Breakfast at the airport was £46 for three people and can best be described as adequate. I then discovered I’d left my sunglasses in the car.
A quick visit to Accessorize solved that problem. £17 later.
Naturally, Amelie also spotted something she urgently needed.
As grandparents everywhere know, this is not a coincidence.
Three meal deals from Boots for lunch cost another £20, which felt like a bargain compared to airport prices.
The £48 Suitcase
I had carefully measured our cabin suitcase before we left.
Measured. Checked. Measured again.
At the gate I was informed it was too large. It was not.
At 6am, however, I was too tired to enter into an international dispute about luggage dimensions.
£48 later, the case was accepted.
Interestingly, the exact same suitcase passed through on the return journey without attracting so much as a glance.
It appears luggage can shrink significantly after a week in the Mediterranean.
Science has yet to explain this phenomenon.
Four Hours Beside A Toilet
Our seats were in the back row.
Normally, not an issue.
Unfortunately both toilets at the front of the aircraft were out of order.
This resulted in four hours of passengers queuing in the aisle beside us while the toilet behind us flushed every thirty seconds.
If you’ve ever sat near an aircraft toilet, you’ll know that sound.
You’ll also know there is no escaping it.
Adding to the experience was a very strong smell of jet fuel during take-off which did absolutely nothing for my enthusiasm.
The Airbnb
The apartment was excellent.
Quiet, clean, spacious and only a short walk from restaurants, beaches and shops.
The host was responsive, helpful and everything worked exactly as it should.
Apparently separate bedrooms were essential because my snoring requires its own accommodation.
Ironically, my granddaughter spent two nights sleeping in my bed because Tasha was snoring.
I mention this only in the interests of fairness and balanced reporting.
The Cat Situation
Every holiday seems to develop a theme. This year’s theme was cats.
Crete has a large stray cat population and Amelie appointed herself Director of Feline Welfare shortly after arrival.
Every cat was hungry. Every cat needed feeding. Every cat seemed to know exactly where to find us.
I ended up buying cat food in Greece for the first time in my life.
One particularly ambitious cat jumped onto a sunbed and attempted to steal Amelie’s baguette.
I admired the confidence.
The cat clearly felt it had seniority.
The Food
As an ex-chef, food is important to me.
I don’t need or want molecular gastronomy.
I don’t need or want artistic smears across giant plates.
I don’t need or want food arriving under a glass dome filled with smoke.
I want fresh ingredients, cooked properly. Simple.
The best meal of the holiday was in a restaurant named The Rustic Garden (pic above). Fresh food, cooked well, served by people who cared about what they were doing.
Perfect.
Crete was good. Very good in places.
That said, Kefalonia still holds the crown as my favourite Greek island for food and stunning beauty.
Travelling With An Eleven-Year-Old
Travelling with children depends entirely on the child.
Amelie is observant, funny, sarcastic and generally excellent company.
She also provided one of the greatest holiday moments when she genuinely asked:
“What meat is in chicken souvlaki?”
There was a long pause.
Then laughter.
Lots of laughter.
To be fair, we all have our moments.
She embraced Greek food, tried new things and handled the inevitable airport delays remarkably well.
What I Packed That Actually Mattered
Skechers (trainers & sandals). I am fully committed to Skechers at this stage.
Airport walking, harbour walking, town walking, restaurant walking, general wandering.
They never let me down.
Skechers Trainers – https://amzn.to/4u49KtZ
Skechers Sandals – https://amzn.to/3PCYUNI
Travel Pillow
My memory foam travel neck pillow is one of the best purchases I’ve made in years.
It bends into whatever shape you need and makes travelling significantly more comfortable. Not just for your neck.
Neck+ Pillow – https://amzn.to/4u30Woh
SPF
Factor 50 is non-negotiable.
Over Make-up Dry factor 50 spray
I don’t tan. I move directly from pale to lobster.
Face SPF – https://amzn.to/4x1P7S6
Regular SPF – https://amzn.to/4fTajDz
Coffee
Coffee supplies were secured prior to departure and packed.
This was not optional.
I travel with Nescafé Original and my daily collagen supplement.
Some people prioritise beachwear.
I prioritise coffee
Nescafe Sachets – https://amzn.to/3RGrEWm
The Beach
I was reminded of two important truths.
I still love the sea.
I still hate sand.
The sea is beautiful, mesmorising, absorbing and constant.
Sand is an invasive substance that somehow ends up everywhere regardless of your best efforts.
These positions remain unchanged.
Why Morning Flights Always Win
Over years of travelling, I’ve learned that morning flights work best for me.
I like arriving in daylight.
I like getting my bearings.
I like settling in before evening.
I don’t enjoy arriving somewhere new in the dark and immediately trying to work out where everything is.
The same applies when coming home.
Good travel days make holidays easier.
Bad travel days linger.
Would I Go Again?
Absolutely.
The company was excellent. The apartment was equally so.
The weather was lovely. The food was mostly very good.
Amelie had a fantastic time. Tasha had a fantastic time.
Even the cats seemed pleased.
By the end of the week I was ready to come home, back to my own bed, my own coffee and my dog Roxy, who spent the first day making it abundantly clear she was unimpressed I’d left her behind.
That’s not a criticism of Crete.
That’s simply the reality of getting older.
I love travelling.
I also love coming home.
The perfect holiday is one that leaves you wanting both.
I don’t recommend products because they’re fashionable, trending or sponsored.
I recommend them because I’ve used them, tested them and would spend my own money on them again.
You’ll find them all in the link below