Maria's house in Fourni is very beautiful in the traditional cretan style. The house and the courtyard is a very quiet and refreshing place to relax and the vally in which Fourni is situated is very beautiful with olive trees and local people sitting on the streets and watching life go by. Plaka beach is a 20 min drive away. It's rather touristic but it's not too hectic and the water is clean. Best time to swim is in the morning and late in the afternoon. Fourni is also very centrally situated to explore the east of Crete (Kritsa, Lasithi Plateau, etc.). There is a very nice Kafenion "Palaimylos" in Fourni, where you can enjoy traditional cretan Meze, where you can experience the traditional local spirit. In Castelli, 1 km from Fourni, is a very charming taverna called "Prodromos". The next supermarket is in Neapoli (8 km from Fourni), but you find also two in Plaka. We didn't meet Maria, the owner of the house, but Erini, who's mother is the chef at the Kafenion "Palaimylos", wellcomed us very friendly and introduced us to her family and the village life. We stayed for two weeks at Maria's house in Fourni and had a wonderful time. This place is truly a gem. Thank you very much Eirini for your authentic greek hospitality!