Travel Nurse 2 Travel Nomad (TN2TN)

Buckle up, folks, because I’m about to take you on a wild, epic, hilarious journey of sun, sea, feta, and ouzo. No, this isn’t an audition for the sequel of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ It’s a story of my epic three-day tryst with Agios Nikolaos, a tiny yet vibrant corner of the paradise known as Greece.

Day 1 began with my arrival. A less-charming travel blog would focus on the stunning beauty of Crete or the sparkling azure Aegean Sea. Not me. No, my first encounter was with Stelios, the overly enthusiastic taxi driver who spoke English like he’d learned it from watching reruns of “Friends.”

Upon hearing my destination, he cheerily declared, “Ahhh, Agios Nikolaos! You want party, yes? I have cousin with bar!” But before you imagine yourself being whisked away to some bustling nightspot, you should know that Stelios’ definition of a “bar” is his cousin’s patio, where the only cocktail available is homemade raki and questionable wisdom from Uncle Yannis.

As we zoomed around hairpin turns at speeds even the most seasoned Formula 1 driver would find alarming, Stelios insisted on playing tour guide. Every five seconds, he’d gesture wildly at some sight, temporarily forgetting that both his hands were kind of important for, you know, not sending us plummeting off a cliff.

Somehow, we made it to my hotel in one piece. Once checked in, I embarked on a self-guided tour. My first impression? Agios Nikolaos has more cats than the Internet. Seriously, they’re everywhere—lounging on park benches, strolling down the promenade, waiting in line at the local gyro stand. Okay, maybe not that last one, but I wouldn’t put it past them.

Day 2 was set aside for exploring. Let me tell you, the views in Agios Nikolaos are breathtaking. And by “breathtaking,” I mean “leave you gasping for breath after you’ve climbed what feels like the billionth flight of steps.” The locals must have calf muscles to rival an Olympic cyclist. A word to the wise, invest in some comfortable shoes, or else the “Elounda hills hike” could easily turn into the “Elounda hills stumble-and-tumble.”

Afterward, I decided to take a break from the local gastronomy (which, don’t get me wrong, was fantastic, but let’s just say that after 3 consecutive meals involving feta cheese, my digestive system was begging for mercy). I ended up at a ‘traditional English pub,’ where the owner, a Greek man called Dimitris, offered me a pint of Guinness with a questionable English accent that sounded suspiciously Irish.

The final day in Agios Nikolaos was spent on a boat trip to Spinalonga Island. In retrospect, perhaps I should have paid more attention when the brochure said it was once a leper colony, but hey, who doesn’t love a bit of unexpected historical horror on their vacation, right?

As we set sail, I held on to my hat, my camera, and my breakfast as the boat rocked like a teenager’s first driving lesson. But despite the choppy seas and a history that could make Stephen King quiver, Spinalonga didn’t disappoint. I left with a sunburn, a new appreciation for modern medicine, and enough photographs to start my own postcard business.

And that, my friends, is the end of my three-day adventure in Agios Nikolaos. Next up? Naxos, a jewel in the Cyclades, where I’ve been promised endless beaches, ancient temples, and possibly more ouzo. What could possibly go wrong? We’ll find out in the next blog.

Until then, keep your seat belts fastened as we take a ferry and stay in Naxos Greece. Adventure awaits, and, as Stelios would say, it’s going to be a “great good fine okay time!”