Česky
The medical staff, i.e. doctors, nurses or paramedics, stayed in Greece for a total of ten days. These were long-standing or most popular health professionals who, during the Christmas parties last year, received certificates of thanks from the owner of the hospitals , Ing. Sotrios Zavalianis for their work, along with a voucher for an all inclusive stay for two people in Crete. The stay on Greece's largest island was divided into 3 dates, from 27 May to 28 June 2017, in the resort of Gouves, less than 20 km from the capital Heraklion, at the Gouves Bay hotel complex.
Most of the staff also took advantage of the offer of optional tours around Crete, from east to west and from north to south, to all the places of historical interest. They learned about the history of Crete from the time of the Minoan civilisation to the present day. During the bus rides to see the historical sites, they listened to captivating myths from Greek mythology relating to the island of Crete, as legends tell that it was here that Zeus, the ruler of the gods, was born and grew up.
And what were their impressions of their stay in Crete? "I was surprised how smoothly and without complications everything went. I met only friendly Cretans who were always happy and patient to help us "tourists", who knew so little of the Greek language. My husband and I traveled extensively, exploring the most backwater villages in the mountains, but also the beautiful resorts, beaches and native culture of this island. I would like to thank the hospital management and the owner personally for making this vacation possible and contributing to a wonderful experience." Jitka Bartová from the NH administration sums up her feelings about the holiday.
Most of our holidaymakers visited the capital Heraklion with its ancient streets and markets and the famous archaeological museum. Then there are the palaces preserved from the Minoan period in Knossos, near Heraklion, and the palace of Phaistos. Some went to visit the Arkadi Monastery or the island of Spinalonga, which has a rich history and from 1903 to 1957 lepers were interned there.
They had the opportunity to bathe in the Aegean Sea, but also in the Libyan Sea at the legendary beach of Matale, which is lined by a cliff with holes that served as graves in Roman times. They visited other historically interesting sites and places where they were able to taste excellent local wines. All the hospital staff unanimously praised the virtues of Greek cuisine. They all returned home safely and brought back for their loved ones to taste, for example, the famous Cretan honey and olives. In this way, they joined dozens of other employees of the hospitals in Hořovice, Beroun or the Multiscan Oncology Centre in Pardubice, who in the past have been able to visit other Greek destinations such as Kos, Rhodes or Crete.
