Souvenir and gift Hunting...
One of the mainstays of the Cretan economy is tourism and of course  your hosts have a variety of wares on offer for you to take home as a memento of your visit.  These range from Jewelry; pottery; leather goods; wooden items; pictures; books; clothing; weavings and foodstuffs such as olives and cheeses which are manufactured here on Crete, or at least in Greece, to items which may have been manufactured a little further away...  As in all Greek tourist areas casual holiday wear; sunglasses; beach towels and tea shirts abound... 		Chania tourist shop, tea-shirts to beach towels, football shirts, hats, summer clothes.
To be quite honest...
Some of the cheap goods are quite good.  My son-in-law, a football fan, went well out of his way here to buy a soccer team shirt.  It cost 25% of what it would have cost in the UK and he says he can't tell any difference between them.  And the tea shirts declaring that you have 'done' the Samaria Gorge say the same thing whether or not it's true!  The cheap key rings are good value and the small pots of scent in very pretty glazed jars are excellent value even if you only want the jars.  My daughter has a large collection...
Tourist books about Crete, English, German, French languages are common. Books...
Books in Crete are expensive.  But then again you probably won't find a great many of the books prepared largely for the tourist trade here in WH Smiths in the UK.  Greek cookery books are good value, almost always well illustrated and give a wide selection of traditional recipes.  Maybe the genuine ingredients are a little thin on the ground in the UK, but I have heard that, for example, supermarkets like Sainsburys sell Kolimbari oil, and that you can certainly obtain it in some London Delicatessens.  Specialist books related to Crete are plentiful, and no bookstore worth it's drachmae would be without a collection of books on WWII.  The official 50th anniversary Battle of Crete is superb and mostly illustrated.  The good reading page on this site will eventually have a wider selection of quality reading included.  There many excellent books about Crete available.
Pottery...
Of all descriptions is available in almost every popular tourist souvenir shop.  A lot of the smaller stuff will certainly please the kids and is relatively inexpensive.  A gold and black set of six coffee cups and saucers will set you back about 12 GB Pounds - not bad value but remember replacements are going to be a long way away.  Ornaments and Greek figurines are the same in almost every shop so check the prices and don't be afraid to ask for a discount.  You are in Greece!

If you are keen to acquire something a bit more sophisticated or individual seek out a pottery where you can watch the potter at work.  Some even have their own pottery schools where you can learn or polish your skills in the craft.  Even if you came for the sun there is plenty of time in the afternoon, since most work mornings.  Have a look at our section on art and crafts. 		Greek pottery in gift shops is often mass produced, nice pieces can be found.
Olive-wood gift pieces are popular, some unusual like this bottle rack. Olive Wood...
There are many tourist shops which sell items in olive wood.  The superb grain makes ornamental items such as ships; fruit; musical instruments; bowls; birds; animals; lamps and so on look superb, especially when oiled.  You can also find shops which deal only in this wood and from where you can obtain household furniture items as well.  Olive wood is not cheap.  It is also heavy, something to think about when that dressing table takes your fancy.  DHL would be delighted to move it for you, but your charter airline might well decline.  If you really want a piece (and some of our visitors actually steal from our wood pile) buy something small.
The picture above isn't really a good illustration of this simple olive wood bottle stand.  It really does stand unaided - quite a novelty - purchased from a small shop in the harbour at Chania.  You just need to remember to remove the bottles from the top first!  Single and doubles also available.
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