In 1912, our maternal παππού (grandfather) sailed from Chania (Χανιά) at age 17 to seek work in America.  After a long detour, serving as a Pershing doughboy on the front lines of France in WWI, he found his way to the coal mines of Carbon County, Utah.  There, he married our γιαγιά (grandmother) who was also from his home province of Apokoronas (Αποκόρωνας) on the island of Crete.  They put down roots in Salt Lake City and raised their family of four daughters, two of which are our mothers. Growing up, we were treated to his stories, rich in the history and culture of our ancestral homeland, Crete (Κρήτη).  

As adults we travelled to Crete, and we both fell in love with this magical, rocky island surrounded by the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea. In particular, we fell in love with the seaside town of Kalyves (Καλύβες), home to Sam’s paternal great-grandmother. Here we realized our longtime dream: to visit our home away from home and to share it with friends like you. We welcome you to our beautiful (omorphi) villa. We are sure, like us, you will be charmed by this historic home and village on the waters of Souda Bay, a natural harbor, only 26 km from Chania International Airport and 21 km from Old Town Chania.

    Καλώς ορίσατε! Sam and Karen, Villa Omorphi