Cretan Vista Site News Archive May 2005

Cretanvista Site & Local News - May 31st 2005 Issue 28
No links to sites with adult content accepted	MAY WEATHER ... In a word - HOT! Also very dry, with the exception of a torrential storm on the 28th of the month - see news story link below. Lowest daytime temperature was 17 degrees centigrade on May 1st and the highest was 31 degrees centigrade on the 12th. _____________________________ Village life Tradition not dyeing out: Another of the nice traditions about Easter in Greece (May 1st) is the dyeing of hardboiled eggs. These are usually bright red (signifying the blood of Christ), but can be decorated any way you like. I thought I'd be really clever and do a marbled effect with onion skins and flower petals. I raided the garden for small flowers, stripped all our onions of their skins, and laboriously tied flowers and skins onto some nice white eggs we had been given. To make sure the marbling was nice and dark, I added coffee powder to the water and duly boiled the lot for about fifteen minutes. With a degree of anticipation I looked into the pan - to discover the thread, flowers and onion skins had all slipped off in the boiling water. The result? Nice brown eggs - but no marbling. Another partial success! Village 'At home': Because Easter is THE big event in the Greek Orthodox calendar, it is the time for visiting, gift-giving and general feasting - much like Christmas in the UK. So the week after Easter Sunday we had a stream of visitors bringing Easter biscuits, flowers, wine and - yes - marbled eggs! Flower power: May 1st is also the day when wildflowers fear for their lives - traditionally, they are picked and made into a wreath to hang above the door. This was our first attempt! Door wreath Under pressure: With the warm weather has come the familiar drop in water pressure as the farmers start to water their olive trees. Because we have a storage tank on our roof we do at least manage to keep a trickle going, providing we don't waste it. So if you are thinking of coming to Crete and plan on having a swimming pool, washing machine and dishwasher, you might want to think again.... Veteran's return: We were lucky enough to get the chance to meet up with Mr Ronnie Milne, (84),from Royton, near Oldham, who was with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Second World War. He told us the story of how he had been on a ship on its way to Alexandria in Egypt in 1941 - it was bombed and the ship pulled into Crete. He and his fellow medics were attached to the hospital at Souda and slept at night in nearby caves. After the German invasion, they were captured in the caves, and taken by ship to the mainland, then on to prison camps in Germany. He told us sadly how he had been separated from his great pal, Jimmie Stewart, from Renfrewshire - and had never managed to make contact with him again. Mr Milne - see picture below - has the African Star medal, the 1939-45 campaign medal, the Victory medal and the Veterans' badge. Mr Milne and his son were visiting Crete through the 'Heroes' return' scheme operated by the Royal British Legion. Also making a pilgrimage of remembrance this month were many war veterans and dignitaries who attended the annual wreath-laying service at Souda Bay War Cemetery (see pictures below)	Site News Here we are again.... Ann and Richard are babysitting Cretanvista again this month but Wilf will be at the helm for the June edition - we hope it won't take him too long to put right our blunders! Thanks for dropping in; we hope you have enjoyed our stay as much as we have. Just to remind you ...... Don't forget you can access this website via several different spellings of our site name. So if your typing skills are a bit 'iffy' you 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. Books & Good Reading Excuses, excuses: I know it's a feeble excuse, but Ann has had other things on her plate this month (eggs, perhaps?) and hasn't got round to any more book reviewing. However, in the pipeline are The Cretan Runner by George Psychoundrakis (a true account of a Cretan partisan's involvement in espionage for the British during the occupation of Crete by Germany during the Second World War - riveting stuff), and a 'book/cd" by Carol Palioudaki called The Cool Guide to Living in Crete. Carol runs a really useful website called - unsurprisingly - Living in Crete - and this book is a collection of all that vital information that would take you months to research. Watch this space! The latest actual review on the site is great for 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 behind the books: 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) These profiles will be attached to relevant book reviews. Photo Galleries Wild Flowers: Gallery pages 7 & 8 are now on-line, making 96 different flowers. There are now more than 3,500 flower photographs in our databases. There are now 13 galleries featuring aspects of Cretan life, including sunrise and sunset pictures; 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. 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. 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 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
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.

Earthquakes. Wow, what a wobbly month!

Looking at this lot, you would think we were living in a state of continuous tremor. In truth, we were unaware of any of them.

3 May: A quake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale affected the region south east of Heraklio. No damage or injuries reported. Link to story.

4 May: An undersea quake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale occurred off Heraklio. Link to story.

10 May: Minor tremor on Crete of 3.5 on the Richter Scale. No damage or injuries reported. Link to story.

12 May: Further minor tremors on Crete of 3.4 and 3.6 on the Richter Scale. No damage or injuries reported. Link to story and Link to story.

23 May: Another tiddler on Crete, measuring 3.5 on the Richter Scale. No damage or injuries reported. Link to story

30 May: A slightly larger quake measuring 4.6 on the Richter Scale was felt in some parts of Crete. No damage or injuries reported. Link to story.

Earthquakes are a common feature of life in Greece and rarely cause any damage. The problem is that the ones that do are unpredictable. See link to news story opposite.
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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... There's a rumour that Stelios Hadjionannou, the founder of Easijet, is planning to fly to Crete. Mr Hadjionannou is quoted as saying Athens airport is too costly and asked for bids from other Greek airports. Apparently Crete airports proved more cost effective and flights may start soon.

When you get here, don't forget to pick up a new tourist map available in Chania. Get it from Olympic and Aegean airlines, ANEK lines or the citizens' cultural centre. It is in Greek and English and contains information about cultural events during the summer.

In the News...

Number One - na, na, na, na, na... Oh boy, have we been celebrating the Eurovision win over here in Crete! International relations with Turkey improved overnight when they gave Greece 12 points. Can't wait for next year when Greece hosts it - imagine the build-up!   Link to Story.

Easter injuries... Celebrations went a little too far in some places, with the usual firework and firecracker-related injuries... Link to story.

Mass exodus leads to usual traffic casualties... Over half a million vehicles were on the move around Athens over Easter. Sounds like a place to avoid ... Link to story.

Milking it.. The Greek Government is to look into why a number of shopping basket items, including milk, are comparatively expensive...    Link to story.

Shrine exhibition.... You know those sad little shrines at the side of the road, commemorating fatal traffic accidents? Someone thinks they are suitable material for a photographic exhibition. It takes all sorts.... Link to story.

Older buildings at risk.... It is estimated that approximately 80 per cent of all Greece's buildings need to be reinforced to meet earthquake regulations that have been in place since 1985 .... Link to story.

Running out of puff.... A shocking 50,000 young Greeks are taking up smoking every year.. Link to story.

Sparkling clean seas... 99.9 per cent of all coastal bathing areas in Greece have just met the mandatory EU cleanliness requirements... Link to story.

Bad news for those Marbles... A UK High Court ruling on looted Nazi artwork seems to have plugged a loophole which might have helped Greece get back the Elgin Marbles .... Link to story.

And good news for tourists ... As from the beginning of June, museums and main archeological sites will stay open until 7.30 pm. .... Link to story.

I drove all night ... A routine police check picked up that a coach driver had been at the wheel for 17 hours without a break ... Link to story.

Drowning tragedy ... A popular teacher died in a flash flood near Knossos after her car was swept away ... Link to story.

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 June 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

Best Books..

Check out our easy to use 'Book Shelves' containing all our book reviews. 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!