CelebrateGreece.com is guest of Pan-Cretan Association in Crete

By CelebrateGreece.com on Sep 03, 2009 at 11:16 AM in in Travel, Culture & Weddings, Food & Cooking, Modern Greece

CelebrateGreece.com was the guest of the Pan-Cretan Association with visit to Crete

James Stathis and Cynthia Daddona-Stathis at Dionysus Restaurant

James Stathis of CelebrateGreece.com and Cynthia Daddona-Stathis of RomancingTheTable.com were the guests of the Pan-Cretan Association, the Greek National Tourist Organization and the Greek Trade Office on a press trip to Crete in July and August. CelebrateGreece.com will be showing much of this trip in our future production, Under The Cretan Sun, a Romantic-Culinary Journey, among other shorter video pieces. Watch a short video.

Crete is not just your Yiayia's island anymore as it's cuisine now rivals the best in the world and the landscapes resemble Tuscany on the Aegean.

Romantic dining and Crete's wonderful bounty from the sea at the beautiful Kosta Mare Palace Resort & Spa

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Before sailing to Crete aboard Louis Cruise Lines' Aegean Pearl, a busy Athens itinerary included visiting the new Acropolis Museum, Parliament and having a romantic evening dinner at Dionysus Restaurant with the Parthenon still aglow from its Golden Age.

Greco-Roman Goddess, Cynthia Daddona, enjoying a private room with its own infinity Pools at Elounda's Blue Palace Hotel with Spinalonga Island in the distance

First stop was beautiful Elounda and the azure Aegean Sea surrounding the now abandoned island of Spinalonga (a leper colony until 1955), now the subject of bestselling novel and television series.

Presidential Dinner alfresco at the Venetian port of Herakleion

Next was Herakleion, them main city and port of Crete. Not typically a destination itself, but the beautifully re-designed Galaxy Hotel is paradise from the hot sun and sure to please the palate. After a Presidential Gala at the port and meeting President Papoulias, no trip to Herakleion is complete without a visit to the Bronze Age ruins of Knossos, the seat of power for the Minoan Civilization and home to King Minos...and the minotaur!

A visit to "Farm School" at Enagron, a wonderful agrotourism destination where you can learn how to bake bread in a brick oven, make cheese from freshly 'squeezed' milk and relax for a wonderful, organic and fresh meal.

Next up was Rethymnon and the beautiful Enagron agrotourism destination hotel & "Farm School" showing visitors how to create food purely, freshly and daily...like it used to be. You can learn how to bake bread in a brick oven, make cheese from freshly 'squeezed' milk and relax for a wonderful, organic and fresh meal.

Manousakis Winery makers of Nostos Wines

Manousakis Family's Nostos Winery is a fitting end to a gastronomic feast to Crete that rivals that of Tuscany in Italy.

Finally, a visit to the greener side (west) of Crete and the venetian port of Chania. Don't miss the port at night...it's a must. Finally a visit to the Manousakis Winery known for their Nostos Wines. And, the agrotourism stop called Agreco is sure to transport one to the way it once was, culinarily speaking.