Sometimes it takes a combination of elements to bring out the best in a place, a person or a task.
Cania seems to bring the three elements of Greek: Xania, Ottoman Turkish: Hanya and Venetian: Canea to create the superb town of Chania.
We ate in wonderful restaurants, walked Venetian fortresses, visited the mosques and the churches. One Venetian palazzo was roofless but housed a quirky restaurant with trees growing in the midst of the tables. The streets are narrow and winding, reminding us that a narrow windy path is easier to defend against pirates. Pirates like the dreaded Barbarossa had a cave full of followers and ships not far away.
![narrow lanes, Old Town Chania](http://merrington.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/P1000641-640x480.jpg)
We walked the Venetian Breakwater, that was full of fisherman, families taking walks out to the lighthouse and a film crew filming a soap opera or ad.
![Barbara watching the fishermen on Venetian breakwater.](http://merrington.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/P1000672-640x574.jpg)
The town was so beautiful that we weren’t without cameras in our hands.
![photogenic Chania](http://merrington.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/P1090696-640x480.jpg)
Barbara, wisely, decided to return home from Chania rather than sail to Kythera with us. So far we haven’t seen a ferry. We had a wonderful dinner one street back from the waterfront.
![Restaurants and bars are great in Chania,](http://merrington.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/P1090741-640x480.jpg)
The sunset was wonderful and James left the boat to go and take this photo of the Venetian Lighthouse.
![Chania Twilight](http://merrington.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/P1090744-640x480.jpg)
Chania gave us a warm welcome and I can forsee a visit to Crete without a yacht to walks its gorges and canyons and see the middle and southern part of the island.