Rethymno during a summer’s night is a real gift for photographers – not only is it bustling with people walking, biking, and talking animatedly to one another and into phones, but so much of the Old Town is lit and coloured beautifully thanks to the prevalence of shops selling all sorts. I really liked how the spot lights on this mini art gallery picked out the couple walking past, and how their jeans matched the blue of the Mediterranean sea in the paintings.
This is another example of Rethymno’s very popular frozen yoghurt bars, cited along the always buzzing Eleftherios Venizelos street. Yum…Me!! have a chain of restaurants in Greece, and have just opened a second cafe in Rethymno specialising in coffee and patisserie.
I love the decor of these bars, and particularly distinctive use of the company’s corporate colour scheme, which also extends to the multicoloured alfresco seating on the terrace outside the bar. What made this bar really stand out at night though was the widespread use of white and grey for the ceiling, walls, bar and floor which lent the place a modernist and almost science fiction-esque aesthetic.
Goody’s is the only ‘conventional’ fast food diner in Rethymno, and is well positioned at the Square of the Unknown Solider to take advantage of the hustle and bustle of the harbour strip. It’s always teeming with people, and is very popular with families. There was a McDonald’s on the harbour strip for several years but it didn’t last very long – at least Goody’s, despite being fast food, is a Greek business, and not a massive multinational. I can’t say I’ve sampled the food myself, as the quality of the local food (plus the great home-made pizza & pasta restaurant just up the road) is just too good.
I think this is probably the most popular kiosk in Rethymno Old Town, and is right next to one of Rethymno’s Ottoman era minarets. The kiosk does a roaring trade in cigarettes and ice creams, making it an essential stopping off point on a night out. It is also opposite what is probably my favourite bar in the world.
I love cities at night, they seem to come alive! And nowhere is this more true than the Cretan city of Rethymno. Despite Greece’s deficit woes, it remains a vibrant and exciting place, and the harbour area is home to all manner of bars, clubs and street vendor stalls.
Digby Fullam 