And it’s important to pronounce it properly so as not to give offence… whose a Cretan?
Cretins, not to be confused with our Mediterranean friends, of course, means a stupid person.
And it has its derivation in a medical term for a deformity which came to be short hand for a stupid person.
Which is the last thing a Cretan could be accused of being.
Homer run
Referenced by Homer, it’s a good place to start, and theirs has been a real odyssey… and the Greeks are all about odysseys.
Crete, Greece’s biggest island, has only been incorporated into Greater Hellas since 1896.
But its history is thousands of years old.
And you’d have to be a cretin not to capitalise on that.
Cretan kings
Our Cretans have celebrated one of their own mythological figures King Asterion in their new Asterion Suites & Spa boutique hotel.
The Asterion is on the north-west coast with views over the Aegean Sea and Saint Theodore Island’s nature reserve.
All rooms feature a balcony or terrace with sweeping views of the sea, pool or gardens.
While all the best hotels (Sandals Barbados anyone) has swim-up suites and the Asterion is no exception.
It also has suites with private pools and the Universe Panorama Suite with a rooftop private pool.
Special spas
The state-of-the-art Orion Spa offers a holistic experience using traditional Cretan ingredients such as olive oil, aromatic herbs and aloe vera.
And aloe vera might just have saved my sunburnt back.
The Spa also features a seaside gazebo for bespoke treatments by the beach.
A new one on me and an extension on special spas in the Maldives.
The Asterion Suites is a great base to go on and explore the wonders of Western Crete.
From the city of Chania to historic sites to all our fave Med activities.
Deal me in
Seven nights at the five-star luxury Asterion Suites and Spa in Chania, Crete costs from £827pps with our friends at TUI.
It includes return flights from London Gatwick to Chania and transfers.
Price based on select September and October 2022 departures.
With these prices then whose a cretin and whose a Cretan?
