The night I arrived in Crete I was greeted by Emmanuel who whisked me up the mountain, just minutes from the airport, to secluded Prassa, a village overlooking the town. Emmanuel and Pam immediately instructed me on how to navigate the bus schedules and offered me the secret clues to the Chalet (which Emmanuel built himself with care and craftsmanship). I soon found that such mindfulness was like second nature to Emmanuel and Pam. They treat their guests as though they are their own family. Indeed I was given three tours -- one through Heraklion, another to the mountaintop cave of Avdou, and a third of the cliffs and seaside -- and, also, given very clear instructions on how to travel by bus to Knossos and later to Matala. The closest beach lay along what became my running route. I wrote all day, then by night we played music together, talked and shared stories. They had already answered my questions and proven extremely accessible by email; but I didn't know that in these two loving hosts I would discover great friends. You can't lose - this is your wished-for Cretan experience. If you are looking to make a connection with open, entertaining, fun loving, thoughtful people, and in an environment that all the same offers lots of privacy and accessibility to the sights of Crete, you will be happy you chose this sacred space.