Cretan Vista News Archive April 2005

Cretanvista Site & Local News - April 30th 2005 Issue 27
No links to sites with adult content accepted	APRIL WEATHER ... A real mixed bag, with a chilly snap at the start of the month and temperatures below 10C, to a peak two weeks later - courtesy of a warm breeze and dust cloud from Africa - of 27C. Very little rain, except for a sharp downpour mid-month. _____________________________ Village life A bed of roses ... or is it asphalt? *Where did* I put that mop?** We've lived in Crete for a whole year now and when Ann's sister decided to visit for the first time in April, we flew into a panic of painting, weeding, cleaning and sewing prior to her arrival. Now she's not really the sort to run her finger along the top of the mantelpiece and sniff disapprovingly (dust we have plenty of - this is Crete), but you know what it's like. Horrors! Two weeks before she was due to arrive, a JCB began excavating foundations for a new house, not twenty yards from our front door. Just when we had dusted off the ironing mountain and organized the fluff bunnies into neat heaps! But no - panic over. A boundary dispute meant no further work on the site for the foreseeable future - but also resulted in a temporary fence across our driveway. Luckily we had an 'in' and an 'out'. So now we have to in and out of the 'out' for the time being, if you follow. Four days to arrival of sister and the house was looking bright and shiny. The local council had obviously heard about the impending 'royal visit' as they now took it upon themselves to upgrade the road to our village. JCBs came and took away the existing road and tipped it into the olive grove below. For twenty four tense hours the only way in and out of the village was by a three kilometer detour on an agricultural track. Two days to Arrival Day .. and the asphalting team appeared. All day the steaming lorries ground up the hill from town; all day the team of five brawny men shoveled and spread the asphalt. This was the most action our quiet village has seen in a long time and several of the older inhabitants brought their chairs out and sat by the side of the road to watch. The tar was fresh and glistening when the local shepherd brought his flock out for their daily foraging. Did he detour them through the olive grove? He did not. Perhaps he thought tar boots on his sheep would help to prevent foot-rot? Give credit where credit's due, the new road looks fantastic. Only now, some weeks later, are plants beginning to grow up through it... We love it when people come to stay with us for the first time, because we can show them some of our beautiful island. (Mind you, we love it when they go home as well, but that's another story). Because Ann's sister is another wildflower fanatic, we had some wonderful trips out and about. The highspot for flower-watching was a drive over the mountains to Paleohora on the south coast, past sheets of sapphire-blue lupins, with pink and white cistus and yellow rock roses studding the rocks as we passed. We stayed just long enough in Paleohora to have an absolutely delicious meal at a vegetarian restaurant, then leaped back into the car to take a different route home. Poor old Richard, acting as driver/photographer, did all the hard work on those twisty roads! Whilst on the subject of flowers, please do spend some time looking at Wilf's fantastic flower photographs - see right. We can vouch for the time and care he spends in getting each shot perfect - he's the gent lying for ages in the road with his head in the verge ... Of course, here in Crete, April has been part of the Greek Orthodox Church's Lent, culminating on Easter Day on May 1st. As this was our first Easter here, we were keen to learn and respect all the local traditions. 'Clean Monday' was the first day of Lent, when the mums give the house a good spring-clean and the dads take the kids off kite-flying. Down by the seashore there were scores of brightly coloured kites being flown (by the dads), while the kids looked on enviously. Many of the older people have been on a meat-free diet for the whole of Lent and for the final week (Megalo Evthomada - Big Week) they also abstained from cheese, other dairy products, oil and anything with a backbone. Consequently, by the time they all meet in church on Good Friday, many of them are looking decidedly washed-out. On Good Friday, April 29th, the women from our village raided their gardens and took thousands of flowers up to the church to decorate the 'epitaphion' - something between a funeral bier and a sedan chair. It was a real triumph - a riot of colour topped with a cross of white and red carnations and all hung about with fragrant lemon blossom. This lay in the church until the evening when there was a (lengthy) service, during which the epitaphion was processed around the outside of the church, followed by the congregation carrying lighted candles. The younger members of the congregation were allowed to crawl/limbo under the epitaphion, but a combination of middle age and embarrassment prevented us from joining in!	Site News Spot the difference ...... If you notice a slight change in style this month, please don't blame Wilf - he has temporarily swapped the 'hot seat' for a comfortable chair and is having a well-earned break. He's loaned the reins to book-reviewing Ann (who will be doing the easy stuff) and her partner Richard (who will be doing the twiddly bits), so please address all criticism to them and not Wilf! Making it all the easier for you ...... You probably already know that we offer several different spellings of our site name. So people mis-typing or who have mislaid their reading glasses can still find us. We also use different ISP's and domain endings to ensure continuous access. Try it: www.cretanvistas.co.uk really is no different to www.cretanvista.gr - except that you receive them from different parts of the world. Cretan Vista Calendars The 2005 calendar picture gallery went on line on 18th February. Being the creator Wilf hesitates to claim accolades, saying the real kudos belong to the people who created the reality - builders to barrel-makers. Books & Good Reading Still growing rapidly and is, we hope, much easier to navigate now that the new introductory pages are open. Hopefully our new style of presentation will make selection of books and navigation in this area of the site much, much easier. The latest addition should please wild flower enthusiasts - 'Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean' by David Burnie. Essential reading for anyone who intending to seek wild flowers on Crete:- Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean. The People... The profiles... Every book review has an introductory paragraph about the author/s. We have decided to go a little further and where possible, include profiles of not only these talented authors but also, where we can, of people behind them. Good examples are 'Patouchas' - Ioannis Kondylakis (Read the review) and 'Who Pays The Ferryman' - Michael J. Bird - (Read the review) there is a whole tribute website to Michael Bird. These profiles will be attached to relevant book reviews. Photo Galleries. (Homepage links). The 2005 Calendar gallery is of course already on-line, (Cretan Vista calendars - link above). Wild Flowers: A further two pages of the flower galleries (Gallery pages 7 & 8), making 96 different flowers. The next two pages are en-route. We have more than 3,500 flower photographs in our databases. The initial flower galleries will become an on-line book - right here on site, very printer friendly - for personal use only. The galleries of Wilf and Pam's Athens visit at Christmas and New Year will follow in a couple of months.. We now have 13 galleries featuring several aspects of Cretan life. Including a very nice gallery of sunrise and sunset pictures; the Souda Bay War Cemetery; and a gallery of magnificent wild-life pictures by Anastasios Sakoulis, author of "Stigmotipa Tis Kritikis Freesis" - (Links below - bottom right column); our infant gallery about house renovation; and of course our annual calendar galleries containing 60 or so pictures of north western Crete. Some of them are good! A total of around 200 gallery quality photographs of Crete, mostly backed with relevant information. Have a look. All our site photographs (more than 800 online in all) are the result of much hard work and we hope are of interest to our visitors. We know that some of the general pictures can be replaced with better ones - watch this space.... There are of course many other developments going on all the time - including new ones in the pipeline.... Are we listening, do we hear? We are and we do. The continuously increasing numbers of visitors and complimentary e-mails seem to show that our visitors - 21,000 plus individual visits in our best month last year - appreciate our efforts. __________________ MORE FUN & SERIOUS PLEASURE PLEASE! 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 and it's really good to know that you like it". Besides, Wilf's wife notes that many of you are ladies! So please don't stop!! GUEST BOOK LINK NB. Please don't use the Guest Book to place website links - any URLs - or contact style messages, are automatically disabled/removed in the interests of minors. Questions can be sent to us privately at: cretanvista.gr
House FOR SALE... Cretanvista is a free site. We accept neither cash nor gratuities and sell nothing. We don't carry paid for advertising. But we do try to give you information which you might want to know about. If you are looking for a house in Crete here is a private sale in SPILIA by an English couple - a house and an attached apartment suitable for holiday letting. No Agents involved. We know this couple - have a look around the house and area on the following link.. www.crete-house-sale.com Accommodation in Astratigos - For rent again.... The first house on the left as you enter Astratigos from Afrata - a magnificent cream and green affair sporting two apartments two balconies and a small pool at the front and containing two holiday apartments - is now for sale. Live in Astratigos maybe? You can also see inside at: www.villa-astratigos.co.uk TWO HOLIDAY VILLAS... .. Another local owner has carried out some superb traditional renovation on a ruined house - and has renovated what was his own accommodation - maybe for your holidays! Book and check availability at:- Holiday-rentals.com In Kolimbari - right on the beach near the tavernas:- The Grand Bay Beach Hotel Visit Interdynamic's website. ______________ www.provencebeyond.com Well worth a visit if you are interested in France, especially the southern parts.
FERRY SERVICES Blue Star Ferries no longer service the ferry route between Souda Bay and Piraeus. The original resident ferry line, ANEK LINES schedules are unaffected by this change. Anek currently leaves Chania at 8.30pm Hellas Fling Dolphins will commence two sailings per day from June 17th 2005. LINK. WEBSITE LINKS
Moving to Crete - Practical Advice.. 'Notes on Greece' is a British Embassy publication which gives information on matters relating to Greece. Obtaining a copy first hand from the British Consulate in Iraklion (Heraklion) will ensure that you have the most recent edition - and professional contacts with up-to-date and wide ranging knowledge on matters relating to Crete. Contact the consulate via:- : crete@british-consulate.gr An e-mail copy is available as a Microsoft word file - a very fast email of very useful information. COPYRIGHT All material on the site is strictly copyright. Any use in mass distribution - in print or on websites for example, needs our consent. Please respect! ©13062001

Earthquakes. Wobbling Still.....but only a bit!

Earthquake activity in Greece continues as usual. Three reports for April:-

5 April: Three week quakes at 3.6, 3.9 and 3.8 on the Richter Scale between Stagira and Arnea in Northern Greece. The epicenters were 66 kilometers east of Thessaloniki at the 'Varvara fault'. No damage or injuries reported.
                                                           Link to story.

20 April: A quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter Scale was reported in Kilkis, in Northern Greece. No damage or injuries were reported.
28 April: A further quake, measuring 3.4 on the Richter
Scale, was reported in Kilkis. No damage or injuries reported.

Earthquakes are a common feature of life in Greece and rarely cause any damage. The problem is that the ones that do are unpredictable. However, at least one professor believes that there will be at least 4 major quakes in the future.

There has of course been much debate about the possibility of tsunamis occurring in earthquake prone Greece. The general consensus is.... Not before 2050!
Story Link.
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             COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
All of the material produced by Cretanvista is copyright and belongs to someone who has spent time, effort and money to produce it. We are often willing to allow the use of our material for personal (non-commercial) purposes. For example our calendar photographs can be used to reproduce the pictures for your own individual calendars, or to hang on granny's bedroom wall.

We will however, take action against anyone we discover using our materials in any mass distribution exercise, especially for financial gain, unless specifically authorized by us and we are acknowledged as the source in the reproduction.
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A Little Extra news...

April is the month when Crete generally gives itself a shake and gets ready for summer. The winter rugs and mats get a thrashing and an airing before being put away, the wood-burning stoves and their flues are dismantled, and everywhere in the villages can be heard the ‘slip-slop’ of whitewash. Walls and steps get a thorough coating – sometimes the road gets a liberal application too. Quite often an ordinary sweeping brush and a wheelbarrow are used, so not a lot of finesse is possible.

Most noticeable of all, of course, is the change in the tourist areas. The coast road between Kolimbari and Chania undergoes a complete transformation in a very short period. Building sites turn overnight into new hotels and apartments as the final paint is applied and the furniture arrives on the back of a lorry. Palm trees are craned into position and held upright by temporary stays, new signs go up and swimming pools are filled. The summer supermarkets and tourist shops which have had their windows papered over since the end of October are furiously restocking with lilos, suncream, local pottery and crates of beer. The tavernas repaint their tables and chairs with this season’s colour – yet another shade of blue – and the all-nations picture menus go up outside, offering hundreds of versions of luridly-coloured moussaka or stuffed tomatoes (with or without chips).

So much activity – surely it will never all be ready in time? But this is Greece. Remember the fuss over whether or not last year’s venues for the Olympics would be completed on schedule? They may have been on the last minute, but they got it finished – and so it is here. After all, it ‘s been done many times before. By the time the first of the charter flights arrive in Chania at the beginning of May, calm will be restored.

If those early holidaymakers only knew the work that has gone in on their behalf…….

In the News...

Oil scam..
Someone has allegedly been trying to pass off Tunisian seed oil as Greek olive oil...                  Link to Story.

Migrants detained..
About 80 Egyptian illegal immigrants were picked up in southwestern Crete ...                          Link to story.

And you thought Eurovision was a joke..
A joke it may be to some, but here on Crete - and in Greece as a whole - the Eurovision Song Contest has become a passion almost like football. Large sums of money are involved...                          Link to story.

Raising a stink..
The EU is cracking down about an illegal rubbish dump at Kouroupitos, near Chania...                   Link to story.

More rain for some, but not for us..
Much of Greece had a wetter winter than usual - but not Crete and other islands in the Aegean...    Link to story.

Yes, they've said it again - you really can live longer.. Yet another survey has said that the 'Mediterranean diet' is linked to longer life. Hmmm. But what about all these cake shops and hamburger joints springing up everywhere?                                            Link to story.

What's up, doc?...
The Greek government has said that there will be a doctor on board every ship conducting routes to and from Greek islands this summer...           Link to story.

Hero wins UK tribute to 'bravest women'...
Sixty years on, a Yorkshire veteran has won UK Government recognition for a group of brave Cretan women                                                    Link to story.

Missing Greek ship found...
The cargoship Filippos K which went missing for a few days was finally located in Crete... Link to story.

Scheduled flights from London... Direct scheduled flights from London to Heraklion are due to start on May 3... Link to story.

More news from the area .. Link story.
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The oldest olive tree?

Have you read The Angel Tree by Alex Dingwall-Main? No? Why not? We reviewed it a couple of months ago on this page (see link below). In the book, A-D-M spends a lot of time - and his client's money - trying to find the oldest olive tree in existence. He doesn't, of course, because we all know where it is, don't we?

I thought it might be fun if we all tried to find it for him ... and here's my contender: Click picture to enlarge.

How about sending in a picture on any other really old-looking olive trees that you know about? One that will make the one above look like a twig-in-arms?

We look forward to seeing them - and, who knows, Alex Dingwall-Main might have to write a sequel to 'The Angel Tree'.

E-Mail Requests..
I receive some brilliant e-mails - really - and they are very welcome. But sometimes there is no acknowledgement that our answer has been received. We don't mind, but worry occasionally that someone may not have received an answer from us and think the worse of us! We will ALWAYS reply to e-mail so please, if you have mailed us and not received an answer - resend your mail - we didn't get it or have somehow overlooked it. Our response time is usually within 48 hours.

Personal Information..
We have been asked in the past to help locate people. We would love to be able to assist but regret that are unable to do this. There is fuller comment in previous issues of CV News.

Questions and Answers..
Quite a lot of questions are received here at Cretanvista and, as with e-mails and other forms of communication, we do our best to supply valid answers. We never respond "Off the Top of our Heads" but always research the answer - even if we already have one (things change) before passing the information on. We provide links to appropriate alternative sources where we have them. The answers are given with the proviso that recipients are responsible for any action taken by them.

Guest Book. E-mail links are accepted. Website URL, Bulletin board and chat-room style links are not. Website links are removed automatically to prevent inclusion of sites without agreement.

Book Reviews.
Because each book review is original - we steal nothing from the book covers or the reviews of others - it takes a little longer to deal with each. No point our reviewing the reviews when what readers really want to know about is the content!

The Cretan Vista Calendar Photos - Birds.
We trying to build a specialist calendar of birds - whilst we are building our own library photographs - contributions are always welcome. They will always be acknowledged and copyright will remain your own. (Please email us before sending pictures).

Bird Watchers.
Paul Smith's bird watching diary page remains very popular and hopefully Paul is well into his May 2005 diary by now. We are sincerely indebted to visitors who have supplied photographs. We will be displaying these in CVNews - please don't lose heart. Hopefully we will receive enough to start a gallery of Cretan sightings.

mailto:Webmaster@cretanvista.gr

Book Review News. Best Books..

Our book section has been polished! There are now very easy to use 'Book Shelves' containing all our book reviews and details of the books we have reviewed. Just point the mouse and left click in the boxes below..

BookShelf1

BookShelf2

We will be updating the appearance of this page too fairly soon - particularly the Icons leading directly to the bookshelves (maybe prettier than the ones above!) and perhaps the current new book review.

Meanwhile, so as not to break the pattern too suddenly, you can still use the links below for the books previously displayed here. (Our previous archives - link below) still contain the original material and links.

Latest Book Review...

Latest Review - Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean - Burnie.

Only the books previously displayed on this page are below - the bookshelf links contain all current books.

Greece On My Wheels - Edward Enfield.

Angel Tree - Alex Dingwall- Main.

'Who Pays The Ferryman'- Michael J. Bird

'Eleni' by Nicolas Gage.

'Patouchas' - Ioannis Kondylakis.

Making a Garden on a Greek Hillside - Jaqueline Tyrwhitt.

Land of Crete - George Meis.

'Moments of Cretan Nature' by Anastasios Sakoulis, (ISBN: 960-91979-0-6) Still the Best Nature - "Stigmotipa Tis Kritikis Freesis" in Greek - is a super book with some magnificent photographs. Our review is accompanied by a small photo gallery - our first review to do so. Our site pictures (from the book - with permission) are, we think, nice! The printed pictures in the book are in almost all cases very much bigger, and nicer!
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Well, that’s about it for April. Next month we hope to be able to bring you a bit more on Greek Easter (May 1^st), a story about a war veteran’s nostalgic return to Crete, and a report on the annual Battle of Crete commemorations – plus other local stories.

All the best until then.

Ann and Richard