Greeks have long looked to the heavens for inspiration. Indeed most of the constellations were given their names by Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer from the 2nd century BCE. Most of the names came from legendary Greek figures, both male and female
‘What goes around, comes around’ is a well-known adage and rarely is it better demonstrated than in the Mediterranean with its frequent interchange of people and cultures – especially when it comes to food. And never more so when it
ROMEIKO, ROMIEKO – WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEIKO? So Shakespeare is in the bar at the Globe Tavern enjoying a flagon of fine Cretan wine – and it’s delicious. Lifting his glass and draining the dregs he calls to the landlord
SIZE MATTERS – AND WE’RE NUMBER 1 In total there are around 6,000 islands in Greece although only 200 or so are inhabited by humans – some of the others support populations of goats, or a few olive trees, but
(Or: LIFE’S A BEACH AND THEN YOU FLY) August is the month when local Cretans take some time out, head to the beach and take to the water. No surprises really – the sea is only a little bit cooler
It’s been 46 years since Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson exploded onto our screens in Grease extolling the wonders of long hot summer nights. They probably got together happily for a few years and had kids but hey, you know
If we only know two things after 30 years in the hospitality business it’s that nobody should be alone on their birthday, and that every birthday deserves a party. So we make birthdays really special at the Mistral. We’ve
At least 95 percent of all Greeks claim membership in the Greek Orthodox Church, part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Until 1054, the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches were one body. Theological, political, and cultural differences split the church
Good health was a particular fascination of ancient Greeks, who took a very holistic view of wellbeing. In Greek legend the responsibility for this was given to Asclepius, God of Health, a son of Apollo, who actually dates back to
Phil McGrath, 11th March 2024 So you’ve been following the posts on the Mistral’s Facebook page for a while now. You know the ones I’m talking about… “Still plucking up the courage to book” “I’m worried I’m not going to
Or: why Easter takes so, so much longer in Greece We like to make a meal of things in Greece – any excuse for a feast and we’ll be on the barbie grilling a lamb or three, either whole or
It is perhaps the most natural thing in the world for Greeks to be hoteliers. It all comes down to our philosophy of ‘philoxenia’ (or filoxenia), the practice of welcoming strangers. Literally it means being ‘a friend to a stranger’.
Phil McGrath, 16th December 2023 In theory Tully and I should be totally exhausted by the time we get to the Mistral. After all, between us, we’ve travelled almost 24,000 kilometres in a day and a half, taken six flights, endured
We Cretans don’t keep Christmas in the same way you do in the UK. Not that we’re like Scrooge – we don’t approach it in a Bah Humbug sort of way. We’re always up for a good meal and
Most days in Crete the sun shines. Those days people hang out around the pool or go down to the beach – we’re famous for our beaches. Very occasionally the sun doesn’t shine, it gets a bit cloudy and might
It doesn’t take much to get a harvest festival going in Crete. Like most Mediterranean people we’re always happy to celebrate the grape harvest over a glass or two of wine. We’re equally delighted to raise a tumbler of ouzo
Sadly most people still equate Greek wine with Retsina – although to be fair, there’s nothing wrong with a good bottle of frosty Retsina with a plate of fried calamari in a waterfront taverna, but the resin flavoured gold liquid
IT RAINED THIS WEEK! Which in itself is amazing and perhaps a sign of climate change, rain doesn’t normally come this early. What’s more it was rain of biblical proportions – at one stage Adonis thought he might have to
SINGLES SPRING AND AUTUMN WALKING HOLIDAY IN CRETE We run two walking weeks every year from the Mistral Hotel – the first in spring, the other in autumn, both stunning times of year when the weather is fresh and not
FLAVOURSOME & THEN SOME – SINGLE FOODIES’ SPECIAL To misquote Shakespeare – ‘if food be the music of friendship, play on!’ Certainly many of our single guests have bonded over the dishes created in the Mistral Kitchen – but this
A WELLBEING RETREAT FOR SINGLE TRAVELLERS Life is a journey with many paths and many directions. Often our direction is dictated by the circumstances of the world around us, a fast-moving world where we can get swept up and carried
Singles holiday makers and solo travellers over 50 years of age make up most of visitors to the Mistral Hotel, just a few kilometres out of Chania in Western Crete. Predominantly, the guests are women whose ages range from
