A recently renovated old stone house that has all modern amenities, four bedrooms, two living rooms (the second one can also be used as an extra sleeping room), two bathrooms, one full-featured kitchen and a small kitchenette, it sleeps comfortably 8 and up to 12 people.
Located midway in the ancient north-south passage of Eastern Crete, about seven kilometers from each of the Libyan and the Aegean sea, it offers a perfect refuge for excursions to beautiful beaches and majestic mountains and plateaus.
My family home since the late 19th century, it was built over a couple of centuries and renovated in 2011-2012. The house is built in an uphill slope, with the entrance and a little garden in the front, and the bedrooms at the back, protected by the summer heat and the winter chills. The wise building choices of past generations, offer a fresh environment during day and night, with rooms and patios protected by double stone walls.
The house features three double-bed bedrooms and one children bedroom with an asymmetric double-decker bed (double below, single up) and can sleep comfortably eight (8) people at any time. In addition, three folding beds, a double air-mattress, or a baby-box bed can be deployed easily, in the bedrooms or the second living room, sleeping quite comfortably up to 12 people.
The house consists of several functional areas:
The large main living room, the "portego", features the original late-19th and early-20th furniture from the family, under a majestic hand-made wood ceiling. Century-old furniture incudes two chest drawers, a round dining table and a traditional wooden sofa. These are coupled to a modern sofa, coffee table and a dining table in a multi-functional room, that provides access to all other areas.
A large kitchen, featuring the original cooking fire place and clay pots stands, blends to a modern kitchen with both gas and ceramic cooking plates and an oven; a large refrigerator, a Nespresso coffee machine, an ice cream machine, a toaster, a water boiler, and others, complete a modern fully functionally kitchen. The kitchen is accessible both from the living room and the garden.
The two "old bedrooms" (the master bedroom and the children room) are accessible through the living room. They each have independent access to a bathroom organised in two independent areas (featuring a double wash basin, a shower, and a toilet). The children room offers a double-decker bed, in a unique design which provides access to the upper bed with a wooden staircase, that also leads to a third bedroom upstairs. That third bedroom has access to a large veranda with a view all the way to the south and north coasts, which also leads to the small vegetable garden in the back of the house. It features century-old clay pots (used now as flower pots) and an iron railing reproducing century old signature-design of the old house.
The "guest apartment" has access through the living room and independent access from the outside. It keeps many original features, both in the second living room (which features a small cooking plate and refrigerator) and in the spacious bedroom (including an old cupboard). The living room can comfortably host two (or even three) folding beds (which are available at any time), if you need them. The guest apartment has access to its own fully independent bathroom.
The "breakfast patio" is an area protected by three walls and a modern tent, making it perfect for any time of the day, but for us is the breakfast place. Accessible from all other areas without bothering anyone who wishes to sleep longer, it has direct access to the kitchen and offers the perfect morning chill and often breathtaking view of the sunset.
The "fabrique" was the old house workshop: it still features α giant milling stone and a wine press. Under two sycamore trees, you will find our large stone-and-wood table (which can sit comfortably 14 people ... nut has accommodated at times as many as 22 guests! ), a cahir hammock, a low table and bench for the kids, md a marble wash-basin.
The "little garden" is in the front of the house, and features many young trees (planted between 2012-2014) which - depending on the season - will offer oranges, lemons, mandarins, plums, pears, and an endless supply of ... fresh chillies.
The "back garden" is a little strip of land in the back, which produces cherry tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, cucumbers (all summer), and both white and red grapes (in the late summer).
The “big garden” is a new acquisition in the back, a garden in development.
Next to the house entrance is the "Ontas" or the "new house" as my father used to call it. As this is the newest-built part of the complex (early 20th century) it has been in less danger of falling apart, and has not been renovated yet. It is used as a workshop and storage space., which we hope to be renovating soon as a second guest apartment ...
The house can be kept cool in the heat and warm in the cold, as the double stone walls combined with high quality modern roof isolation material, double-glass windows and the high-ceiling (close to 4m) offer high standards in heat isolation. Managing the airflow (closing doors during the day and opening after sunset in the summer), together with the smart orientation at the foot of the hill, allow keeping an excellent cool and fresh atmosphere inside the house, even in the warmest weather. However, we gave in and installed three "inverter" air-conditioning units in 2017; these can keep all bedrooms artificially cool, if you prefer. The main living room has no cooling (the bedroom air-condition can help cooling it though) but features a large modern wood stove, which together with three mobile radiators and two air-blow heaters, can be used to keep the house warm in winter. The kitchen features a ceiling fan. Warm water is available all over the house.
