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SEPTEMBER WEATHER
.....Variably variable.
Some cold/windy/wet days must have made tourist's wonder about the brochures,
but there were far more days when the sun shone and temperatures were high -
ideal for enjoying Crete.
Chania Webcam
Current Cretan Weather Link
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A CRETAN WEDDING
Here
comes the bride...For Real!
see 'A
Little Extra News' below
Astratigos
Village Life....
The doorbell rang - several times in
quick succession - which could have meant anything from urgent, shaky
fingers, someone who hadn't heard the bell ring inside, someone who thought
that we hadn't heard it, or even someone who had and simply liked the tones!
One thing was certain - unless water was in the bell-push, it could not be
ringing itself - and if water was in the bell push the user would most
certainly by now be dead from electrocution... Maybe that was what was
causing the shaky finger.
'Petros is at the door' said my wife 'he says that someone has broken into
David's house. David was a friend from the next village, Afrata, who had a
holiday home there. 'Tell him to get David's agent' I replied sleepily. Being
disturbed during village siesta time was not funny... I was grumpy...
'Not around right now' said my wife. I arose! My irritation
dissolved rapidly as full consciousness intervened - it was important. Where
else in the world would you find a neighbour who, unable to contact the
correct person, would seek out your friends in another village to make sure
you would be informed? And Petros is irrepressible, a real Cretan. Alive
with life, a beaming smile and enough bounce to shame a tennis ball.. Or any
other ball that bounces for that matter.
Our exchange was brief, Petros had a taverna to run. The door of David's
house had been found open, the police had been called, David's agent
was not around - would we come and look- tell David? Well, put like
that of course we would. Petros raced off at his usual rapid pace. We
followed a little later.....
We arrived at Petro's taverna. 'Kathiste' (sit down) Ti tha Pote?
Biera? Krasi? Tsikouthia? Ti? (what will you drink? Beer? Wine? Rakis?
What?). Cretan hospitality rules - Ok!
'Thanks, but we must look at the house' we replied. 'Ochi tora, meta
ta astinomia' replied Petros, whose wife appeared with two small glasses of
what I often irreverently referred to as 'Kriti Nero! (Cretan water!). Tsikouthia.
Rakis. Cretan firewater! A couple of those and David's open house
would be something for tomorrow, or the day after...
A bell rang in my mind. 'Ochi tora, meta
ta astinomia' - Not now, after the police! That's what
Petros had said. The police had
not yet arrived.. Petros had a captive audience. Us...
'When will they come'
we asked - knowing that if it was not an emergency we could wait for a
number of days. We had once talked with the caretaker of Agios Ioannis'
church on the Rodopos peninsula - (site of the annual August pilgrimage here on
Crete) - he had told us of attending a party at Yiorgo's taverna in Rodopos
Village - he had been there for three days... There was a similarity here -
Petros also had a party in swing! We were invited to join. Remembering
the story of the caretaker at Ag Ioannis church we stalled our way out, had
a coffee and rose to leave...
Ochi, Ochi, don't go, the police are coming! offered Petros. 'When' I
asked - 'Today'? Petros beamed a knowing smile and telephoned the police
station. 'Tora' he said. (they are coming now). A few minutes later
one sole policeman arrived in his car. If David's house was full of armed
illegals we had a problem! We trooped around the dark lane to David's house
and through the open front door - after I had gone in first to put
the lights on! In retrospect It occurred to me that I should have got
my wife to do that - safer...
The search revealed nil, all was intact. No armed (or unarmed) illegals; no
disturbance; no dossers! Nothing apart from the open front door. The general
consensus was that someone with a key must have been in and left without
locking the door. That the wind would have done the rest. The policeman
thought that intruders may have been there and intended to return later..
Petros said that the agent worked with the police at the airport and would
return later to lock the door. The policeman doubted that - not indicating
which 'that' he referred to.... Village life revolves around beliefs!
We telephone David and gave him the news, the bad and the good, in that
order. He said that he would get a flight over the next day, although we
stressed that there was probably no need at all. (David had previously had
to cancel a planned visit because of an important appointment in the UK).
David duly arrived. Checked his house. Thanked Petros for his concern. Did a bit of shopping and arrived
here in Astratigos for his usual (on arrival) beer. We took advantage of
another golden opportunity and cajoled him into accepting a dinner
invitation before he left again next day.... I mean, we had been sorely
disappointed that he had been forced to cancel the holiday here that we had
grown used to happening every year - we certainly were not going to let him
leave without reclaiming some of that lost opportunity, especially the usual
dinner. Always the best
company, he arrived on the dot that evening, and another very pleasant
candlelit evening ensued... Lit by candles always brought by David!
When he called to say goodbye next morning, we all agreed that, if there
was ever another missed holiday preventing our dinner, we would be unable
to use the same excuse again to get him here!.....
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In the News
...
Randomly firing shotguns into the air...
Does not
have the support of Chania police unit director Artemis Koutsaftakis.
Kalashnikov's too are frowned upon.....
Link to
Story.
Pension money stolen by
robbers...
Which the cynical might think a change for the
better - the robbers being unable to net all the cash. Take four robbers, two
trucks, one vanload of cash; a shot in the air....
Link to Story.
Road
accidents take 5 lives....
Crete is not an easy place to drive safely
- five dead (one on Crete) and two seriously injured on Greek roads in one
day...
Link to Story.
Sea rescue off Crete...
If you have ever wondered what those official
helicopters and launches do all day, at least four people can tell you...
(Item 5)
Link to
Story.
Dead and missing Cretan sheep...
May raise questions about a waste
processing plant in Akrotiri - but no connection may exist....
(Item 6)
Link to Story.
Chania vandals attack...
An OTE van and insurance company
office window...
(last item)
Link to
Story.
But the good news is...
Aegean Airlines, now the largest private airline in Greece and a first
rate supporter of the Avro RJ100 - the last British built airliner - is
expanding again. Athens/ Düsseldorf; Paris/Athens: increased Athens/London;
and now Thessaloniki/Moscow! Red Square at midnight starts here...
Link to
Story.
CV News editor note:
If you live in Crete, Aegean already offer very competitive flights to the
UK from both Chania and Iraklion - and no, we don't receive any perks for
saying so! Try them. Service and smiles!...
Aegean Airlines.
Remembering, of course...
That what goes up, must come down - but only, in the case of aircraft,
if the ATC for your destination has not over-slept. In which case you will be
a little late!...
Link to Story.
Athens International Airport really is...
One of the most secure in the world. DO NOT carry/courier illegal drugs if
you don't want to end up in jail...
(Item 5)
Link to Story.
And probably one of the safest...
It may not be able to stop
lightening, but it often offers safe haven to aircraft in emergencies....
(Item 6)
Link to Story.
Plus, a 'still in the air' Olympic story....
Or one of Olympic proportions anyway - timewise. For several years now
Greece has been carrying out an alternately on/off sale of the national flag
carrier, Olympic Airways. Complicated delays, EEC disputes/fines and
occasional strikes by staff and many flight cancellations have created a complex situation. Whatever the
outcome the new airline will still carry the Olympic logo - Bravo!
Link to
Story.
Cremation
not for the Orthodox....
Greece is to allow cremation of the dead - but only for the non-orthodox. The Council of State finally ratified the 1976 law and
crematoria will be built. It seems that the situation of reportedly
overfull Greek cemeteries will remain however as the majority of the
population are Greek Orthodox.
Link to
Story.
Acropolis to Thessaloniki - 'me ta podia'....
600 Km (375 Miles) 'me ta podia' - on foot! Cleopatra Markopoulou,
a 62 year old Geek lady, is due to commence walking on September 21 in
attempt to reach Thessaloniki in 28 days. No sweat? Well, on Greek roads in
the Greek climate it could be a problem at the age of 62 years... But
hear this well, this lady is not only on foot - but with new knees!!
A star... Proving only that she can beat illness...
Link to
Story.
And Finally - The Parthenon Marbles.....
Several times in the past we urged Britain -(via airing our opinion
on a published note to an incumbent Prime Minister - (Tony Blair during
the period in question)) to improve British Greek relations dramatically
by returning the Elgin Marbles. Nothing, to our minds, but
nothing, would add a boost to the stature of our present PM, Gordon
Brown, than taking the current opportunity to return those Marbles
(today displayed at the British Museum). Com'on Gordon, boost your
status here immeasurably, follow this example and send back those
marbles - show Tony how it should have been done!!
Link to
Story.
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