No links to sites with adult content accepted.
|
|
APRIL WEATHER ..... Windy. Variable. A couple of short
storms and English type rainy days but for the most part sunny with several days
to make believe it was summer. Easter Sunday BBQ's - rain stopped many until the
Monday...
Current
Cretan Weather Link.
_____________________________
A
Cretan Easter Tradition
ARKEaster08 ©Burgess@ Cretanvista
Barbequed Lamb... Richard & Ann demonstrate! Master-chef was never like
this! But another tradition follows on May Day - Bouquets outside every front
door..
Place Cursor on Picture.
Astratigos Village Life....
'Happenings'...
Since we first arrived here in
Astratigos, which seems like a lifetime ago, but in fact is only 14 years, our
lives have been full of 'happenings'. Most have been hilariously funny (you just
need a sense of humour), a few a little serious in nature, and a thankfully
very small number have been times of incredible sadness. People don't usually
associate living in the sunshine with the darker side of life, but like all the
other times we have, it does take it's turn.
One of the first 'happenings' was the arrival of a couple of middle aged
holiday-makers from Nottingham, UK,
staying in the house next door to our Venetian ruin renovation project.
They were superbly helpful - freezing drinking water overnight and delivering it
to our cool box each day before they left for their excursions. The heat
that year was gruesome - over 40C every day. We had no real kitchen and nowhere
to store fresh food. The ice was a real boon. Each day 'Charles and Diana' would
check on us when they returned....
'Don't look' whispered PJ suddenly, eyes clearly pointing to where he wanted me
to! I turned slowly. At our gateless gateway stood our saviours, back from their
day in the sun. Asking after our needs before they prepped for the evening...
It was so funny - but laughter would have been rude. Diana was
sporting a magnificently large pair of designer sunglasses. With the one lens
missing!! One lens absolutely black in the bright sunlight, one bight blue
eye peering earnestly at our disheveled selves!
As I attempted to get my mind around that - I mean, what would the world look
like via a one lensed pair of sunglasses? It must look different! You
would notice!! My imagination ran riot - was she seeing me on her right, in full
unblemished colour and PJ on her left in the dark? Were we both just a
lighter shade of brown than normal, or was she just aiming at the sound?!! like
a bat! Surely she knew...
Apparently not! 'Diana' I said, holding back my mirth to a slight
smile, 'I think that you've lost a lens'.... The response had to be seen.
Diana stood for a moment looking perplexed. She had enquired of our any needs
and had been accused, maybe, of losing her lens! 'From your sunglasses' I
added hurriedly, 'there's a lens missing'... Enlightenment obviously
arrived an instant later, followed by Diana quickly removing the offending
glasses, looking at them in total surprise, and then saying 'Oh, OH..! Charles,
I've lost my lens'... She seemed in total shock!!
Charles smiled bleakly, knowing, I think, that he would get the blame for
allowing Diana to sport one lensed designer sunglasses, whilst not suffering
from any physical disorder to account for it, bless her. We all know the
feelings - Diana felt very embarrassed and Charles felt that it wasn't his
fault. Luckily our by now uncontrollable laughter proved infectious, and
everyone ended up almost literally rolling.....
Another 'Happening' was David and his family - wife and son - the latter who
simply was not worried at all by our insect life. During their short stays in
the next house the son would often appear holding his latest acquisition. One I
recall vividly was a live stag beetle, pincers awhirl (or so it seemed) - which
didn't bother him at all.. When I asked if was worried about woodlice
(which I hate) he said, 'no, no problem, I collect those and keep them in match
boxes in my bedroom at home!'....
David's wife Sophia - Geordie born and bred, was seeking her Greek ancestors.
Originally from North Western Crete she thought. She was searching for her
roots. Something that almost everyone can empathize with. The remote wildness
of the mountain villages and the (at that time) original sparseness of life in
the area had obvious appeal to her. She was not alone, our reasons for being
here were the very similar. We were digging roots out of the ground whilst
Sophia clearly wanted to find hers in a remote mountain village. She was a
lovely person, but apparently lost her enthusiasm when she found that her roots
were probably not in the North Western wilderness, but in the rather more
cosmopolitan City of Iraklion. Cars not donkey's. Sympathy seemed more in order
than empathy!
David himself was another story, which for a while we did not hear. He was
great, very sociable and enjoyed an odd Amstel beer or two with us here on
(building) site. Good company. Like the others who stopped briefly in the next
house he kept us supplied with ice, for which we are still grateful. But he had
a secret... He too, unbeknown to us, was involved in a search for his roots! But
he was clearly a 'Geordie', not a Greek.... He was much younger than me
anyway...
It was the day I found PJ doubled with laughter that I panicked. 'What's
funny' I asked... 'You' he gasped,...'David'.... tears were trickling down his
cheeks as he blurted out the rest - 'He thinks that you might be his father -
been looking for him for years'.....
'But his surname's Smith', I replied, grinning myself now. 'Yes'
spluttered PJ, dissolving again into serious laughter. Then he took a big breath
and gasped, 'but apparently he was adopted' .... 'his real name was B'....
'same'.. 'as'... 'yours' ...!! Like all other panicked (innocent) people, I
started counting dates... |
` |
In the News and News Reviews..
Minoans were Anatolians after all...
New study indicates that the Minoans - the early civilisation which led
Europe from the dark ages, may originate not from Africa, but from Anatolia -
that is, Iran, Iraq and Syria...
Link
to Story.
But Samaria Gorge opens regardless...
On May 2nd, for the rest of the summer
season... Please don't break a leg....
Link
to Story.
And bank raids continue....
This time a branch of the Piraeus bank in Chania - the armed robbers attacked
passers by outside the bank, shot and wounded a pursuing bank employee and fired
shots at a police patrol car...
(Item
2) Link
to Story.
Plus, Chania police keep busy ...
We just didn't know why at the time as they didn't say why 28 people were
arrested...
(Item 4)
Link
to Story.
While crime of passion takes Iraklion lives...
Three dead... including the gunman, plus with minor injuries
escaping as Romanian attacks car containing ex-girlfriend..
Link
to Story.
Xania visitor fined...Perhaps..
Not published news, but this April 18th Cretan forum board entry certainly
highlights the one of the perils of driving on Crete...
Link
to story.
But then finds that ...
All is not the 'Scam' at first feared. But the traffic lights really are
where they should be - it's just that visiting drivers need to be extra
vigilant.... Watch for the (American) 'Lites'...
Link
to story.
But, another visitor speaks the language...
Fluently. And seems to have enjoyed her visit immensely. Almost, she feels,
Deja-vu..
But then this welcome visitor has been here before, and will no doubt
return..
Link
to story.
And whilst Greek police seek fireworks...
Such as those seized at Serres on the Greek mainland -
thought to be destined for illegal Easter celebrations....
(item 7)
Link
to story.
..Another Cretan loses a hand....
Not the first, but for that a tragedy to be overcome, this 25 year old lost
his hand in a firework explosion whilst taking part in the Easter Sunday
celebrations...
Link
to story.
Meanwhile, the Cavo Sidero project...
In eastern Crete is rapidly becoming widely debated and publicised. The
Guardian.co.uk carried an excellent feature which deserves more widespread
consideration...
Link
to story.
Continues to attract debate & Petitions...
As this page from the 'Official wire website most certainly shows. Rightly
or wrongly, this project should be fully debated and the correct course of
action agreed by all... A bit heavy on the adverts but contains a petition to
stop link..
Link
to story.
And a lack of official protection...
Is perhaps one source of public dissent. The WWF points to a lack of
appointments by Greece...
(item 6)
Link
to story.
But Greece also has other problems...
With the annual growth in tourist arrivals from it's main sources down by
around 6%. Probably the result of the world economic slowdown.
The same phenomenon is creating financial pressures, which may lead to
people in Greece losing their homes because loans cannot be repaid.
Link
to Story.
A bit like the domino theory - or Monopoly!
If there's any money left - buy Acropolis. (marbles not included).
Link
to Story.
And Finally....
'My sister can't say she's a lesbian' - said Dimitri Lambrou -
speaking of the usurping of his homeland island's name 'by certain ladies who
have no connection whatever with Lesvos'. one result is a court action three
islanders who want to ban certain Greek lesbian/homosexual groups using the word
"Lesbian" in their titles...
This is probably the result of the action of the (ancient) Greek poet Sappho
praising love between women...
Lambrou says that Sappho was not 'gay'. Which raises the question of how
(Even if she was) 250,000 people of Lesbian descent can be considered
homosexual.. Got that? Answers on a postcard from Lesvos please!!
Link
to story.
________________________
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.
________________________
The Cretanvista Review of
Carol Palioudaki's
'Cool Guide to
Living in Crete'
(A gold mine of information)
is, like the book, available now.
Out Now - Get it
at www.livingincrete.net
________________________
|
