The first couple of days in a new location are all about orientation. The best way is to walk, although there are horse and carriage rides and bus tours in Chania, but no ‘Noddy Train’ which is a surprise.

We’ve opted for early sun then out to explore and find late morning coffee. Since I gave up most dairy products I’m always on a hunt for non-dairy milk- either in a cafe or for use in our hotel- which provides no dairy alternatives. I like oat milk best but soya will do. Our nearest mini-market only stocks almond milk and even then the carton looks a little dated.

We stroll down the road to the front- Venetian Harbour. The wide sweep of the harbour is home to swathes of cafes and bars and, judging by the hoards of tourists, all must do well. I am to discover, though, that few offer non-dairy milk. Once I’ve managed to get some oat milk, I decant some into a water bottle and carry it with me.

The vibrant blue of the sea and the sky, together with the curving bay and the lighthouse make for a gorgeous view anywhere here by the harbourside. There is a terrace of old warehouses and a few other old buildings beside the wide promenade. I’m taken with a gift-shop boat moored up, offering keepsakes and trinkets besides shells and sponges.

Cats are everywhere, as always in Greece, semi-feral, opportunistic as they weave their way through the tables of diners hoping for titbits. They are, however, well cared for by the locals, cat food containers and small heaps of dried food commonplace in the streets. When I first began visiting Greece and the islands, the wild cats were in poor shape, skinny, mangy and often with diseases like eye problems etc. Nowadays they are sleek, glossy and smug as they prowl the restaurants. Sometimes they are friendly and welcome a stroke but mostly they retreat from any attempt at physical contact. On our first night, I donated my sardine heads and tails to a hopeful black and white one, who left me as soon as the meal was finished.

On the busy harbour front there are hoards of tourists of many nationalities, the restaurants touting for business all the way round, most often trying German on us. It’s not the first time we’ve been taken for Germans. There are a surprising number of Americans, presumably doing their ‘Europe tour’, as well as French, Spanish, Italian- and possibly Russians, although I’m unable to identify Eastern European, Russian etc.

After walking and coffee, we return to the hotel for some later afternoon sun. The small pool is surrounded by high, concrete walls which make for a sheltered crater of heat without a breeze. The sunbeds are limited to the smallish space and the sunshades, with their concrete bases, can’t be moved, so it’s a case of careful selection and changing when necessary.

Later on we’ll return to the harbour to choose a place to eat- and we’ll be spoilt for choice!

Novels by Jane Deans [Grace]: The Year of Familiar Strangers and The Conways at Earthsend. Visit my website: janedeans.com