Site News January 2003

Cretanvista Site & Local News - January 2003
No links to sites with adult content accepted	BEST WISHES Firstly, a very happy and prosperous New Year to all visitors to cretanvista - whether it be to the mother site - cretanvista.gr or associated mirrors at .com/.co.uk/etc. Opposite is our site Christmas 2002 and New Year 2003 Greeting - if you received one and thought that it wasn't for you I can tell you right now that it was! I BCC'd the mail for security but unfortunately left on the leader name which made it look as if you had all received a card from Uncle Tom Cobbley and all.. Sorry! GUEST BOOK Entries to the guest book at cretanvista.gr is separate to our other mirrors and so can only be seen at present at that site. This means that there are two separate guest books. If you want to see or use both you will have to log on to both .gr and one of the other mirrors - e.g. .com or .co.uk etc. We are working on it...... All of the entries to the books are read and noted. Some have been fantastic and given us great pleasure to read - thank you. Some also highlighted areas on which visitors would like more information - for example buying or building a house here on Crete - or simply living here. This year will see more about both latter topics. A couple of problems with using the Guest Books emerged - A commercial firm in Hong Kong apparently decided that putting their spiel in our book was a quick way to free advertising. My being away from base meant that they displayed their information for free for several days. Maybe they would like to make a donation to a suitable children's charity. C'mon Sparkle - lets see you sparkle!! The second problem is that after typing and submitting your comments you will not see them added to the book until you click the 'refresh' button on your browser or return to the site later. A Microsoft design..	Our Christmas & New Year card 2002-2003
NEW HOTELS FOR KOLIMBARI Two new hotels are being built at Kolimbari. One is said to be of 1000 beds - built on two plots - the site of the old Kolimbari COOP supermarket and some land opposite - somewhere between Lefka's Taverna and the new fishing museum. The hotel is rumored to be built by Finobetton, who have recently completed a new hotel in Platanias. The second hotel is right on the beach - on the same road and close to Irini Beach Apartments. It is well on the way to being finished and when complete will have we believe, around 400 beds. Pictures below...
NEW WALK An absolutely superb new walk has been created on the northern side of the northern hillside overlooking the sea beyond Lower Afrata. It is already usable and has outstanding views from the coastline just beyond Kolimbari around as far as Chania and Stavros on Akrotiri. It will be added to our 'Walking in the Area' page shortly.		LOTS OF FUN & SERIOUS PLEASURE......... To our visitors who have taken the time to tell us that they have found our site enjoyable/ informative/ helpful/ or otherwise complimented the site - very many thanks. We are trying very hard it's really good to know that you like it. Besides, my wife notes that many of you are ladies! Please don't stop!! COMING SOON... Some of the outstanding areas of the site - Breakfast in Chania; Museums; Parks & Gardens; Leather Market & Harbour Area photo tours are well on in their development. There are also a couple of new projects almost complete after some seriously hard work and photography - one on Olive Oil and I am desperately trying to get back to my favourite - Food & Drink!

Well, that's about it for now.....
And doesn't cover very much ground this time, but I hope that the news I have included is useful and interesting.

For anyone following Paul Smith on his Bird Watching page I can tell you that his sight is improving now and hopefully will continue to do so. His page is popular! The December edition is late - but that is largely because of the Christmas festivities and my absence from the keyboard. I only play the computer type....

Perhaps I shouldn't forget a request from Mike - I don't have a second name, who asked what Christmas in Crete is like and how it differs from that in the UK. I can't really answer in the space I have left this time Mike - except to say that this year we spent Christmas in the UK, via a visit to Christmas Athens. Ermou Street and the Christmas Tree and multiple Santas (St Vasili's) in Syntagma Square are really something. At night both areas are absolutely crowded with children of all ages out playing - smiles everywhere and the Illuminations making eyes twinkle as the crowds mingle with the organ grinders, live 'statues' , street vendors of all varieties - especially roasted chestnuts and of mulled wine. And street musicians play!

We always try for at least one night in Athens at Christmas every year. And always have a meal at a very old Taverna in Plaka which has it's own musicians - magic. Maybe we can add a short story.....

On Crete - at least in Chania - Christmas tends not to be too commercialized yet. The church services from the Metropolis Cathedral are serious highlights here and of course local church services.

St Vasilis does not, of course, arrive until New Years Eve...... And, something that we don't seem too aware of in the UK - Greece celebrates Epiphany Day - January 6th by the Sanctification of the Waters (including the sea) by Greek Orthodox Priests, who during the service throw a crucifix into the the (January) waters for retrieval by young men who dive in - vying with each other for the honour of being the one to retrieve the cross.

Epiphany day was also the day that David MacNeil Doren, author of The Winds of Crete arrived on Crete at the start of his story in 1960. Haven't read it? See our review in our site 'Books and good reading'.

Until next month, best wishes from here on Crete. WB