Weather : The wind blows from the north, making the north coast rough. Red flags fly, prohibiting beach swimming. And underwater, slabs of volcanic rock wait for your toes. Sales of protective footgear are good.

Sunshine, yes; but little kids are disappointed. And everybody wants to use the pool, and there simply isn't space.

Holiday : We picked the wrong hotel. Perhaps we're really villa people. Self-catering sounded like hard work. But we've ended up doing self-catering anyway, because the food is pretty ordinary.

In a country where fruit grows plentifully, it's awful to find a hotel (Jo-Ann Beach) which serves stewed, tinned peaches. No grapes, no melon, for breakfast; just sliced orange (prepared hours before!) and standard cooked breakfasts. It's nicer in Germany...

If you don't enjoy the company of Russian visitors, go somewhere else. They're fine! - well behaved, polite, but ubiquitous. And they grab beach loungers in a way that the Germans can't match. Hotels even have rules banning "booking" loungers. Fat lot of difference it makes..

Our room is right next to the bar. Disco to 1 AM. Won't be coming back.

Recommend Rethymnon to others : No

Hank Maus went to Rethymnon on
Tuesday 28th July 2009 for 7 days