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Sicily or Crete

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  • 05-03-2015 5:08pm
    #1
    happy_knome
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 54 ✭✭


    my girlfriend and i enjoy scenic walks , no bias towards beeches or mountain - hill climbs - walks

    happy to hire a car and take some scenic drives to explore small remote towns etc

    enjoy visiting historic sites

    which is more expensive for eating out


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    #2
    househero
    Registered Users Posts: 1,094 ✭✭✭househero


    happy_knome wrote: »
    my girlfriend and i enjoy scenic walks , no bias towards beeches or mountain - hill climbs - walks

    happy to hire a car and take some scenic drives to explore small remote towns etc

    enjoy visiting historic sites

    which is more expensive for eating out

    I had the same dilemma. We like err nature and being in nature.

    Crete is sooo cheap at the moment and the hotels for the same $ are better. I booked a week in the 5 star Iona bay for 250 including me flights from dub. Can't wait :)


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    #3
    BailMeOut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    We did Sicily last Easter and doing Crete this Easter!

    In Sicily we stayed in Taormina which is brilliant (especially if you like to eat!) and drove all around Ethna and surrounding areas. When touring the towns on the side of the mountain sound cool in the guide books but they are mostly awful and dilapidated. We did visit Savoca and had a drink at Bar Vitelli (Godfather) and that area is lovely. All in all we had a great time there.

    Never been to Crete but will be there in a few weeks.

    Sounds like we like the same type of holidays!


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    #4
    happy_knome
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 54 ✭✭happy_knome


    BailMeOut wrote: »
    We did Sicily last Easter and doing Crete this Easter!

    In Sicily we stayed in Taormina which is brilliant (especially if you like to eat!) and drove all around Ethna and surrounding areas. When touring the towns on the side of the mountain sound cool in the guide books but they are mostly awful and dilapidated. We did visit Savoca and had a drink at Bar Vitelli (Godfather) and that area is lovely. All in all we had a great time there.

    Never been to Crete but will be there in a few weeks.

    Sounds like we like the same type of holidays!

    and overall would you recommend sicily ?


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    #5
    Boskowski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭Boskowski


    I love Crete. Stay away from the tourist spots. Head down South to the messara valley under the psiloritis. Really nice especially in spring. Rent some scooters and explore. Great for walks and historical sites. It's been a few years but I remember Zeus cave. The rock that the giant threw at Odysseus ship. The original maze. The queens palace with baths with water pipes and sinks over 2000 years old. The place is full of history and legends.


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    #6
    BailMeOut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    happy_knome wrote: »
    and overall would you recommend sicily ?

    I would but would not go for more that 3-4 days. We stayed in a spectacular apartment in the middle of Taormina. PM me if you want the details, it is a penthouse in a stunning newly refurbished building right on the main pedestrian street in town. Has a roof terrace looking right out onto the Mediterranean and was really reasonable.


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    #7
    happy_knome
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 54 ✭✭happy_knome


    BailMeOut wrote: »
    I would but would not go for more that 3-4 days. We stayed in a spectacular apartment in the middle of Taormina. PM me if you want the details, it is a penthouse in a stunning newly refurbished building right on the main pedestrian street in town. Has a roof terrace looking right out onto the Mediterranean and was really reasonable.

    did you visit palermo ?


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    #8
    stargazer 68
    Registered Users Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    We were in Sicily a couple of years ago - amazing place. We stayed near Castellammare di Golfo. Hired a car and drove around. Found fabulous little villages for lunch and dinner. All the Italians holiday in Sicily so we found eating out to be really reasonable. Didn't go to Palermo - far too busy for us.

    Can't wait to go back


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    #9
    BailMeOut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    happy_knome wrote: »
    did you visit palermo ?

    no. I think with Sicily you are on one site or the other as driving across the Island over the mountains can take a long time. We flew in to Catania from Dublin on Aer Lingus and rented a car.

    As Dovies said eating out is great and food is so good and quite reasonable. Its worth going just for the pizza and gelato!


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    #10
    stargazer 68
    Registered Users Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    We took the cable car from Trapani up to Erice one evening for dinner - absolutely fabulouse - definitely a highlight of our week. Scopello is another lovely spot for a beer in the courtyard watching the world go by!


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    #11
    happy_knome
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 54 ✭✭happy_knome


    BailMeOut wrote: »
    no. I think with Sicily you are on one site or the other as driving across the Island over the mountains can take a long time. We flew in to Catania from Dublin on Aer Lingus and rented a car.

    As Dovies said eating out is great and food is so good and quite reasonable. Its worth going just for the pizza and gelato!

    palermo is the only decent sized city in sicily , while we like open countryside , would be nice to witness urban centres too


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    #12
    stargazer 68
    Registered Users Posts: 5,082 ✭✭✭stargazer 68


    happy_knome wrote: »
    palermo is the only decent sized city in sicily , while we like open countryside , would be nice to witness urban centres too

    The area that we are talking about is 40 miles from Palermo so you could do a day trip. We flew into Palermo, picked up the car there and drove to our hotel.


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