What Happens In Our Family
When you are at Creta Vitalis, if you shout "Tzanakaki!" you have four chances that
someone will turn. And each of them may have a unique personality, but they have one thing
in common - other than their last name: whatever you’ll ask for, no matter how small, big,
easy or difficult, they will do their best to get it for you. Unless they can’t - in which case they
will ask for the help of a family member. Because the best families do their best when it
comes to their guests…
Mister
He was born in Halepa district in Chania at the beginning of WW2. He was raised - and currently lives- in Kalathas. In case you find yourself sitting next to him, on a table full of mezze (appetizers) and tsikoudia (a strong, local alcoholic beverage), you can pick a conversation topic. Mr. Nikos will follow. Sports (he was a track and field athlete when he was young), Science (he studied and taught Mathematics in Thessaloniki and Chania respectively), politics (he was a local councilman, in charge of tourism), and environment (he fought for the trash problem of the monastery of Holy Trinity, a court fight that reached the EU authorities in Brusells. He won.). You can easily assume that talking about the weather isn’t his definition of pep talk… He says that he’s passionate about Crete and that the island is his whole world!
Lady
She was born in Loutraki, Chania. She grew up among the olive trees and the vines of the family estates, but her love for Classical Studies led her away from and into Mr. Nikos’ arms - she met him while he was a teacher. From the moment you’ll meet her, you will sense her positive aura and serenity. The same goes for her beauty, appearance, style, kindness, discretion, tact, patience, and composure. When her daughters were younger, she embraced a vegetarian version of the Greek mother’s classic line, “Don’t forget your cardigan!”. She was dressing them like an onion -even though she is a fearless winter swimmer! Also, she can point you to some nearby swimming spots that even the locals aren’t aware of!
Miss
Mathematics for her is a love, a passion, and an alphabet. Science, economics, languages, all three were her favorite subjects as a child. Based on that, you can easily guess her path: She studied Production and Management Engineering at the Technical University of Crete, with a post-graduate degree in Hotel Planning & Design from Surrey University. She worked as a Relief Manager for a London-based hotel chain, a Tourism Consultant for Deloitte & Touche, an FF&E Purchasing Manager for Grecotel. She is currently Head of Procurement at TEMES SA and the affiliated Phaea Resorts. She’s persistent, honest, hard-working, with a discreet sense of humor and a robust value set. Sometimes, when she says “I am going now,” she means by plane; airplanes are her passion, and she is a certified single-engine pilot. Even though she loves Europe, she is passionate about Crete -to the degree that she believes the island should be an independent state. Whenever she’s not at work or with her son, she likes to visit Sfakia’s traditional kafeneia (coffeehouses) and drink tsikoudia with the locals.
Miss
She is a people person: an extrovert with many friends and socially active, she finds joy participating in socially-aware projects and support movements. She believes in God, her family, and herself: she left for the US before turning 18 to study Human Movement Studies at Boston University, with a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology and a post-graduate degree in Nutritional Medicine from Surrey University. She considers herself lucky, as her work is also her hobby: health, exercise -she was a basketball and a polo player- nutrition, and travels. She can be found somewhere between Athens and Crete, and even though she lived in the US for quite some time, she was always coming back to the island. Her compass is pointing towards helping people changing their way of life. As for her motto, that’s “a healthy mind in a healthy body.”
