Cretan Vista Site News Archive July 2012

Cretanvista Site News & Reviews - July 2012 Issue 115

No links to sites with adult content accepted.

JULY WEATHER..... Became an absolute scorcher on Crete with heat-waves which sometimes reached 40⁰C. There were also days on which it was extremely windy, bringing with them the not uncommon risk of bush fires - some of which have affected the island....

Current Chania Webcam Current Cretan Weather Link

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Constitution Bridge - Venice - Italy.

But the Constitution Bridge can be a little disorientating - although that goes for many other bridges in the world... Click Picture for report

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Astratigos Village Life.... Travelers Tales.. XVIV

.... This is, (Locanda Herion), I promise, one of the best and reasonably priced hotels we have ever stayed In... To find it in Venice is absolutely amazing. And no, Cretanvista does not pay anyone for our opinion. It is given freely - and this time with our heartfelt thanks...

'Lonely Planet' III....
And onwards to Crete.... The weather was still scorchingly hot and the humidity something to remember to avoid on subsequent visits as we said our goodbyes at the Hotel Locanda Herion in Venice and set off for the car-park, the docks, and our ride home down the Adriatic to Patras.

The short walk to the hotel started the next test! Towing out two small cases through the streets, and over a couple of small canal bridges left us very warm before we reaches the monolithic but very modern Constitution Bridge. Ultra-modern. 94 metres long. Constructed of glass steel and stone (mainly glass). It cost around £4 million. It opened on September 11, 2008. Personally I do not like the appearance - at all -

but it provides a direct link between areas on the railway side of the Grande Canal with Piazzale Roma, a car, bus and ferry terminal on the opposite side of the Grand Canal. Using it is very handy if you want that side of the canal, but it is known as cause pedestrian accidents - and has a suitcase weight limit of around 20Kg....

But no, it wont fall down if you exceed that limit - but you well might and end up in hospital. Not recommended if you have a ferry to catch. Take a water bus if you have heavy bags, suffer vertigo or just don't like glass floors or walls. Or all....

Having said that, back to the car park. Very hot; very humid; full of people cramming into very large lifts. For us, very high - ten stories. If you don't like lifts; suffer from claustrophobia; vertigo; fear of other people (!); spinning top syndrome (!!) don't do this! You have to Maypole dance your car back down and might not like it! Especially as the exit lane is a very narrow spiral, has glass windows and people can stick their own car noses out on every full circuit as each has an exit... If you are already very hot and very bothered because of your initial trek to the car park, well, you should be doing something else.

But, perhaps you can get a taxi up, cutting out lifts and people, but you will still have to get your car back down. The reality is that hundreds of visitors do this every day. I haven't heard of any bent or dead ones. Go for it - your floating palace awaits!!

Well, almost. We were about 40 minutes early and ANEK Lines Kriti II was still on the way in, and describing Kriti II as a floating palace is taking a very long liberty. The fact that we came up on it on the way out to the UK made the idea of re-boarding a little less 'demanding' - at least the thought of it was - but the reality was that it is a very old boat, loading is always going to be far more exciting than the Stena Lines Ro-Ro, drive on easily (with your money), drive off equally easily (without a ton of it!) - but where's the excitement in that? No, give me the excitement any day. Kriti II - don't move a muscle, we'll take a run at it. The upper-deck garage that is..

Done this before. Here we go. Enough gas to lift our fully loaded Honda CRV up the 30/40^opainted steel ramp and plant it on the level at the top. Oh' the best laid plans. About 4 feet from the top the car which had gone up in front reappeared, sideways-on and halted - directly in my path! There was nowhere to go. We stopped! The loader was shouting and gesticulating madly at the offending vehicle. He couldn't make the turn into the space they wanted him in. We were both leaning forward into the opposing force of gravity, unable to see the flat floor which I had to believe was in front, when miraculously the blocking car moved out of the way, and a second loader directed me onto the garage in the opposite direction to the car in front. Round in a loop and we were in. Getting out was a completely different story!

No sweat, we were in! The Grande Canal exit and cruise down the Adriatic was in. We could relax. We were, in effect and for all practical purposes, home and dry - or at least we would be when we reached Patras. Whatever happened now we could reach Crete easily. A nice feeling after a long trip. We acquired our (sea-side) cabin, cleaned up a little and headed for a beer...

For an old boat, Kriti II is surprisingly smooth and quiet with space for 1600 passengers and 1200 vehicles - and long - 191 meters long - and you can walk almost from stem to stern inside - quite a long walk. But why walk - sit still and watch Venice in the comfort of one of the lounges with a beer as the facade of the Grande Canal slips by in the early evening sunshine. Wave at the tourists in a multitude of smaller vessels - they mostly wave back, for this is Venice and you are quite obviously leaving on a voyage - albeit aboard a rather large an somewhat aged car ferry. It looks like a ship - wave, wave... Corfu, Igumenitsa and Patras lie ahead.

In the event we saw only Igoumenitsa - through the cabin port-hole. Having made the trip regularly over past years the routine of docking/unloading/loading vehicles in the early hours has lost a little of it's magic - especially when the boat docks in Patras very early and sleep competes! I like to be wide awake when disembarking - the thought of all those disembarking, possibly sleepy drivers make me nervous!

Off at Patras, a quick coffee (when the cafe opens), top up the tank and off along the coast road until Corinth, where we rejoin the National road for the excitement of the early evening dash into Piraeus and our ferry home on the ANEK 'El Venizelos' - a first for us. We had been on the whole ferry fleet, but never the El Venizelos.

The drive into the port becomes, as usual, progressively more exciting as the evening traffic builds up into a hot, fast moving, varying 3/4 lane road on the outskirts of the harbour. Which is OK - I know the way - including the side-street shortcuts...

I avoid gate 3 (because it is always closed) and cajole and sometimes bully my way to gate 8 - which has always worked for me. The port police officer glances at out ticket and says, in fluent Greek, 'you want Gate 3 - you can't enter here - go back out and around the harbour'. I paled as I looked at the grid-locked but moving Piraeus traffic that I will have to cross and join to get back to gate 3!... (continued in August)..

In the News Reviews...
Lady Gaga may come to Crete...
New York born and bred Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta - better known to fans as 'lady Gaga' is reportedly panning to build a 12 million euro home on Crete. The singer/songwriter's Monster Ball Tour became one of the highest grossing concert tours of all time. She is also one of the best selling music artists of all time, with sales of 23 million albums and 64 million singles world-wide...
                                                   Link to Story.

And - the Aegean Rally...
The annual race for yachts, not cars, commenced on Saturday 14th July at Faliro (Athens) and will travel to Chania (Crete), Milos island, and back to Cape Sounio at Athens....
                                                   Link to Story.

Plus - 'British interest in package holidays to'...
Greece is reported to be soaring - including those to Cretan destinations, which is very good news and well worth noting by anyone wanting a real holiday...
                                                   Link to Story.

Including Knossos...
Where it is said that a million visitors arrive every year to see the ancient Minoan palace complex - and remain in ignorance of the fact that there is much more to see than just the palace - but hopefully all that will change with the opening up of much more of the site...
                                                    Link to Story.

On Crete tourist arrivals at Chania...
Chania among other airports - including Corfu and Cephalonia - saw an increase in tourist arrivals - which has been mostly attributed to increased activity by low-cost carriers, such as the British 'easyjet' and Irish carrier Ryanair. High charges at Athens International Airport may well be encouraging low cost airlines to use the cheaper Greek destinations.
                                                   Link to Story.

Plus further good news for Crete...
As 'Economic cooperation between Crete and US develops'. The US Ambassador, on a visit to Chania has stressed that he will consider various proposals put to him, including those aimed at boosting tourism and the promotion of Cretan products in the US...
                                                    Link to Story.

But some are still uncertain...
About visiting Greece in the current economic climate. Germans in particular are cited in an Athens News report as believing that there are severe shortages, including of food and medicines in Greece - which are cited as being 'absurd'. Greece's German tourism figures have fallen by 135,000 in 2012 according to market researchers GFK...
                                                    Link to Story.

And all that glitters...
May or may not be gold - it all depends upon which side of the tax evasion line people stand! Athens News reports that there are record rate of tax evasion on Greek Islands - including Chania (87%) Iraklion (78%) and Rethymno. Other islands cited in the report are Santorini, Naxos, Corfu and Mykonos...
                                                    Link to Story.

May not be gold - but...
A second report from Ekathimerini said that checks carried out around the Greece by SDOE (Financial Crimes Squad) 'around the country's holiday resorts highlights that the problem (of tax evasion) had spiraled out of control'...
                                                    Link to Story.

And bogus sick leave ...
Also helps drain the Greek economy to the tune of thousands of euros...
                                                    Link to Story.

Crime of a different sort...
Child pornography, also continues. Fourteen people are reported to have been arrested on the island of Crete, 'including an army officer and a British tourist', after police from the electronic crimes squad arrived on the island to investigate information about a child pornography ring...
                                                    Link to Story.

And Cretan police were also faced...
With yet another wild-west situation as they raided a cannabis plantation on the outskirts of Rethymnon. A 24-year-old Albanian man was take to hospital with a gunshot wound to the thigh after an exchange of gunfire with police...
                                                    Link to Story.

Which wasn't the end of the story...
As just a few days later a shooting incident at the village of Tymbaki left three people with leg injuries as a 44 year old man opened fire...
                                                    Link to Story.

As livestock breeder shoots two...
When they refused to stop video-filming a fire raging in the area of Viannos, Crete. The livestock breeder reportedly asked the two men to stop filming the fire. He shot both when they refused. One six times, the second once. Both were being treated at the University Hospital of Heraklion..
                                                    Link to Story.

And if that wasn't enough...
Three members of the Italian crew of an Italian flagged fishing boat had to be rescued by coast guard officers - after their boat was hijacked by three other crew members, an Egyptian and two Tunisians, off the Cretan island of Gavdos...
                                                    Link to Story.

But there was more excitement...
As tourists on a Rethymnon beach had a nasty surprise when a sewage pipe broke...
                                                    Link to Story.

Plus the many recent fires on Crete...
Are suspected to be the result of arson 'in the wider area of southern Rethymno', a fire brigade chief is reported as saying...
                                                    Link to Story.
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	Amazon.co.uk & Selected Cretan bookstores Living in Crete by Carol Palioudakis OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK! Price £9.50 GBP
Amazon.co.uk & Selected Cretan bookstores

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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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FREE...
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.

Accommodation in Astratigos - For rent/Sale again....
The first house on the left as you enter Astratigos from Afrata - a large cream and green affair sporting two apartments two balconies and a small pool at the front . Live in Astratigos maybe?

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HOLIDAY VILLAS...
Another local owner has carried out some superb traditional renovations in Astratigos and has renovated what was once his own accommodation - maybe for your holidays! Book and check availability at:-
Crete-escapes.com

In Kolimbari - right on the beach near the tavernas, is:-

The Grand Bay Beach Hotel

Visit Interdynamic's website.

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http://www.provencebeyond.com/ Well worth a visit if you are interested in France, especially the southern parts.

FERRY SERVICES.
SOUDA BAY - PIRAEUS (Chania-Athens).

ANEK LINES operate daily return sailings.
Souda     -    Piraeus
21.00Hrs         05.30Hrs
Piraeus     -    Souda
21.00Hrs         05.30Hrs

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK TIMETABLES WITH THE COMPANIES OR THEIR AGENTS.

WEBSITE LINKS

Moving to Crete? Get Sound Practical Advice for free..

'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.

Earthquake activity:
Most recent earthquakes in Greece - LINK

There were 43 local earthquakes in July - Link - Only 4 of any significance: (ML4.0 & above).

04 Jul: 4.7 ML, 02.46:32am: Crete. Epicentre 55 km SE Palaíkastron (pop 1,094).
                                                                                                    Link to Story.

18 Jul: 4.8 ML, 22.37:21pm: Crete. Epicentre 87 km S Pírgos (pop 1,134).
                                                                                                    Link to Story.

22 Jul: 4.0 ML, 09:17:48am: Crete. Epicentre 10 km SW Koutsourás (pop 869).
                                                                                                    Link to Story.

24 Jul: 4.5 ML, 23:19:45pm: Crete. Epicentre 36 km SW Yialós (pop 873 ).
                                                                                                    Link to Story.

Although earthquakes most certainly are a common feature of life in Greece. It is however, unusual for deaths, injuries and or damage to buildings to occur, which could lead to a false sense of security. The author of a ten year study at the National Technical University of Athens says that Greece is sitting waiting for the next major earthquake without doing anything to mitigate it's effects. (Our italics). There are certain existing buildings considered to be at risk from major earthquakes. These buildings, which include a number of schools, are being investigated with the objective of safety. Engineers have also called upon the government to institute checks on old bridges in Greece.
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A Little Extra (Current) News - '...Isn't it?!!'....

Well 'er.. no, it isn't. Not yet. Perhaps not at all, ever. And then again maybe it will be, sometime, maybe. Maybe not. In Greek politics anything can happen - 'Avrio' (tomorrow); 'Methavrio' (the day after); 'esos' (maybe!)...

Adonis Samaras and his coalition government - itself perhaps best described as 'uncertain', perhaps built on shifting sands, perhaps not, has continued the theme since the fall of Papandreou's parliament of seeking (and gaining) successive financial 'rescue' packages from it's international lenders. At the cost of having to meet onerous public spending cuts demanded by their representatives - the 'Troika' (European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund). Wage cuts, pension cuts, redundancies, sackings all have to take place to save money at each stage before the 'Troika' will issue a report supporting an advance. At every stage 'Troika' seems to increase their demands before final agreement. Until now, when even the president of Greece has publicly announced that Greece cannot take further cuts and Samaras coalition government is seeking the release of the latest tranche of funding, and has had to seek an extension of the repayment period, we are all waiting for the 'Troika' to approve the latest package. Or not...

It feels as if someone has taken hold of Pandora's box - and is violently shaking whatever is in there, mixing the contents - before finally opening the lid!

The Greek government is desperately attempting to meet the apparently ever-increasing demands of the 'Troika' whilst facing an increasingly hostile public response to further cuts whilst at the same time pay off it's own internal debts, for example to doctors, pharmacists and hospitals (to name but a few groups). Whilst the financial crimes squad continue to uncover vast debts - for example in unpaid taxes from both large business and individuals. Musical chairs - ala possibly catch 22 when the music stops. If it ever does...

Meanwhile strikes against the austerity measures continue - and between them everyone goes back to work - most people to attempt to earn their living and pay their taxes, whilst attempting to absorb pay cuts, pension cuts and increased tax demands. A difficult situation for some. An impossible situation for many more...

At the same time ordinary citizens are being asked in many instances to pay full price for needed drugs and medical treatment when payment to suppliers is delayed by government. The cost of living remains high - suppliers citing high costs associated with production - fuel supplies and the like preventing lower costs to consumers. None of which can be of much help to the buying public, already being heavily squeezed, when they need supplies they have little money to buy.

Farmers are the latest group to come under the microscope of the taxation system. They will shortly be compelled to keep records of their produce, although whether this will mean counting the carrots or merely weighing them appears uncertain. It could presumably result in increased costs as they attempt to offset the costs of waste, for example because of thick orange peel, against the cost of the actual orange (or whatever) fruit! Perhaps we might all be drawn back into the once-upon-a-time debate about straight bananas with the EEC...

But however lightly one may seek to take the current economic situation facing Greece there is one piece of stark reality which cannot be avoided. The cost to the Greek population in general, in economic terms, is vast. Can they possibly pay off the amount their creditors are demanding from them? The current population is less than 11 million; 14.2% of them are below the age of 15 years (non-earning); perhaps 64% are between 15 and 64 years old (able to earn); whilst around 20% are aged 65 or older (current Greek retirement age). Life expectancy is currently around 81 years.

In short 34 -35% of the Greek population are dependant upon those who can produce wealth - 20% of those for their pensions and 14.2% in totality. Given the amount of Greek indebtedness which is difficult to assess but stood between 142 and 165% of GDP (Gross domestic product -put very simply - assets minus liabilities). Well even taken lightly - at the present time that comes to more than 50 euros!! Rather a lot for the earning population to find. And that's just to stop the roof leaking. However, there is a little light on the horizon - the latest projected Greek budget statistics say that by 2013 (maybe a little later) the country will have a small surplus. But at what cost? The austerity measures have been almost cripplingly severe - and they continue...

Last month my personal opinion was that "Whatever happens next, if Europe fails Greece, we may all be asking Alexis Tsipras for the way forward" - I stand by that right now....

Kalos Ithate Stin Kriti.

WB. Cretanvista. Bringing the sunshine, keeping the rain off!
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Site Content:- Last Change - additions to Wildflower galleries.

Notices.

We are still undertaking our upgrade of the site. Changes here have left some pages outdated - new houses; hotels; supermarkets; roads and all. But it all takes time; please bear with us.

**Our 2012 Cretanvista Calendars all issued - Apologies! But you can always see them on our website :-
Link or browse the entire on-line wildflower galleries here.

Contacting Cretanvista..
We have now discontinued all direct email links. Our is here - Contact Link

Photo Galleries...
Calendar Photo Galleries:
A new one every year for the past decade! The 2012 Calendar gallery is complete and online now.. The 2009 calendar topic was 'Wild Flowers of Crete' (after our wild flower galleries) and the result was superb! Which is why we followed up the theme in 2010. And again in 2011! Because of our success we have already produced our 2012 wild flower calendar format - and our other themes continue. Cretanvista probably has the widest range of calendar galleries available in Crete. But we can reprint any issue with the any year's dates - whatever year that happens to be! Have a look at the 2012 wild flowers calendar Link.

Wild Flower Gallery - Now at 360 different wild flower photographs online - plus dozens in preparation - Galleries 13 - 15 are open. 360 flowers online. Gallery 16 is developing - which will mean 384 online.. Plus we are adding more reference information on redesigned pages - with more photos of each specimen to follow later. You may find an occasional duplicate, which we are keeping for the moment as the actual photographs will be different and will be used in a later planned re-organization of the galleries.

We are now well en-route to putting the first 50% of our target 1020 individual flowers on-line. But it all takes time. First find the flower (hopefully in full bloom); then get the photographs (sounds easy); put the photographs on-line (simply work); with basic information on each, making certain that it is accurate...

If you know the location of a rare flower please don't hesitate to help us photograph - we wont reveal your information to anyone else.

Please note also that All flower galleries have now been successfully re-coded to eliminate a bug which affected some Firefox browser versions. All the information will remain online at Cretanvista. With the advent of ipods, ipads, Blackberry's and other gizmos it will be much easier to take Cretanvista galleries on your field trips - and all the information that goes with them. **Your Amazon Kindle will display cretanvista perfectly - albeit in monochrome.

Wildlife Gallery - the first two pages - 48 unique photographs, including some rare specimens of the Cretan fauna. Some is quite beautiful, some a bit scary/creepy, but all now add to our wildlife page and the ornithology gallery pages. Remember that it is always worth checking where you walk or sit before you do! Start here.

Chania Photo Gallery.
Our Chania photograph galleries commenced with a presentation from Klaus Dieter Thill, whose photographs of some old buildings in the area of the Venetian Harbour show a little of what we all sometimes miss. Have a look - it's worth it. Start here.

Miniature Chapels of Crete Gallery.
Klaus-Dieter Thill - author of Minaturkapellen auf Krista, a printed photo album detailing some of those enigmatic roadside shrines of Crete, has now contributed the first page of his Chania on-line gallery.

Cretan Art and crafts - Weaving pages...
Weaving is in full swing and natural dyes are being made up and the photographs taken to add to this section. We will be adding our pages on our new looms, equipment and new projects started as soon as we can. The weaving tends to take the time right now..

Our very first nature gallery...
Contributed by Anastasios Sakoulis, whose book on Cretan wildlife Moments of Cretan Nature is also on our site as a book review. Anastasios contributed 18 pictures of birds for addition to a gallery some time ago now. We will attach these to our bird-watching pages as soon as possible.

GENERAL: There are now 37 galleries featuring aspects of Cretan life, including sunrise and sunset pictures; Souda Bay War Cemetery; the gallery of magnificent wild-life pictures by Anastasios Sakoulis; our own wildlife gallery; the wild flowers; Chania; Mhlia (Milia) traditional village; etc.. etc...

Our improvements continue. We sincerely hope that you notice little - apart from increased enjoyment and ease of use. Keep visiting - your presence is what make all worthwhile.

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	Hotel - Taverna Lefka Kolimbari
	Offers - Unsere Preise - Οι προσφορές

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