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DECEMBER
WEATHER
..... Was
unseasonably warm and sunny in this part of Crete - apart that is for a
couple of severe rain storms which probably tested the weather-tightness
of more than one roof, doors and windows...
Chania
Webcam Current Cretan Weather
Link
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The changed plan
- front house down - on the square!
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Then it was just a pile of rubble in the village square...
Where do we go from here - to the funny farm perhaps?
But it wasn't over yet. There was another bomb drop
to come - and only one way after that - up!!
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Astratigos Village Life.... Getting some.. VII
(Continued from December 2009 - Previous click here).
At the end the last episode...
....Do it. Tell him to demolish and start work on the new house front without
delay.... We complained, of course..... but the objective was to get the job
done, and done within the timescale and money agreed. Better to get
on with the job rather than waste time trying to apportion blame,
which would change nothing........ (Then) There was a
pile of building rubble siding the village square that bore no resemblance
to what had been our intended front house.
It was all systems go. And then the bomb dropped........ |
If you think that the end
of the world would be bad - imagine reaching it and being told that it
wasn't that bad. That it was about to become much, much, worse than
that! Which is exactly what happened.
Just when we had the old house lying all over one edge of the village square
instead of standing, newly refurbished, on the edge of what was to become
Pam's new garden, the next bomb dropped. Another (now dreaded), communication from our from our agent
arrived. His 'workforce', at that time two British freelance builders had
decided that they were going to the UK for Christmas - and not
returning...
If we had been devastated when front the house had to come down, it was by an
immeasurable amount worse to learn that our agent had no-one to put it back
up...
Not two minutes, or so it seemed, after being told that the entire job of
demolishing and replacing the foundationless front house would take but a
month and cost but a smallish £10,673 - (even though that would take the
total costs to around £65,000 to £66,000 as against the agents original guestimate
for the whole project of around £40,000), the project had once again become our personal
dream-cum horrendous nightmare in the sun. How could it ever be completed in time for
Pam's retirement now. Something had to change. With only 18 weeks or so to
go to the last anticipated completion date something needed to be done - and
quickly. Very quickly.
We got started. It felt just a little like
attempting to lick up the split milk before it soaked into the carpet, but
there being no choice, that's exactly what we set out to do. Failure just
was not an option. Because we had noticed that almost every well laid plan
seemed to have gone awry. It also occurred to us that it was known that Pam
would receive a lump sum as part of her retirement package, and that perhaps
it might be felt that there was more money for the project than was the
case. We therefore decided communicate only what was essential to anyone
concerned with our project. The fewer people in our nightmare the better!
Curiously it felt better to make our own decisions without consultation
although it did mean a few white lies en-route. At least one of which would
come back to haunt a little later. A small price...
First off was the problem of no builders. The original retirees that we had been
led to expect, and who would need pay (we had been told) no IKA (National
Insurance), had been transformed by some mysterious means into two
freelance Englishmen who had to pay IKA. Assisted by our agent (whose
practical input had never been mentioned but which had to be paid for). They had
been transformed at a stroke by their departure to none! No builders no
building.
Since one of our best friends was a professional builder who had also done
work for us in the UK - and he also felt that he owed us a favour (!). We
decided to ask for his help. Having explained our nightmare to him, he
decided that although the person we really needed was a good psychiatrist,
he would give us three months of his time. We cleared his legal status and
obligations with a British Consul and that deal was done. We decided that
there was no need to mention in our communications with our agent that our
builder was in fact taking charge of all building work directly for
ourselves. That became the subject of some hilarity when we finally arrived
to start work.
Our expeditionary force would comprise two newly retired nightmare-ridden
nurse teachers and a builder who originated in Lisdoonvarna, Southern
Ireland. We were going to finish our project within three months and knock
that nightmare firmly and squarely on the head. Our agent was apparently,
(due to our communication oversights) expecting just one retiree
(Pam) one temporarily visiting husband (me) and a builder who would be
working for him.
Since there was no way we could leave before Pam retired we set the
departure date for the week following that event. Meanwhile, having
completed sufficient years in the NHS to entitle me to full pension on early
retirement, and knowing that my employers were seeking to lose staff, I
managed to negotiate early retirement. I would retire at the same time as
Pam. We would go to Crete together full time...
Our agent was enthusiastic. He couldn't find builders he said, so PJ, ours,
would be a godsend. Pam could rent a house in the next village whilst he
finished the front house, as she clearly couldn't live in half finished
ours.
Pam didn't see it that way at all. She had a half finished house - £50,000
worth - she was not going to pay to live in someone else's. Ours or
nothing!
Ours, hands down... But little did any of us guess that although the
nightmare was ending, our battle for our dream in the sun was only just
beginning...
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Astratigos Village Life.... Getting some..
Is condensed from the book 'Pamela's House' - in current
preparation... Continued next month... |
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In the News
Reviews...
International fracas in Chania bar...
Ended with a German woman, a Moroccan man, and a Palestinian being taken
to hospital after being punched and struck with objects by three other
people...
(item
5) Link to Story.
And another bar incident leaves two
dead...
After a 49 year old Cretan man shot
his 31 year-old Russian girlfriend and the 39 year old barman,
owner of the venue, who was critically injured. The Cretan man later
shot himself and died later in Hospital .
The weapon was a single barreled shotgun...
Link to Story.
Meanwhile, in Kolimbari...
Two children and their parents escaped a house fire which destroyed
their home during the night. One of the children raised the alarm and no
one was injured...
(item
4) Link to Story.
Plus - the return of the robbers...
Tie up the company guard. Use a bulldozer to rip out the ATM (cash
machine).
Load it onto a pick-up. Drive away. Empty the machine of cash. Dump the
empty in the municipality of Arkadi. Seems so regular in Crete that it
is almost 'automated'...
(item
5)
Link to Story.
Fire damages in Iraklion Court...
The Cretan First Instance Court was
slightly damaged when two assailants deliberately set fire to two gas
canisters on the third floor...
(item 6)
Link to Story.
Olive press explodes...
Leaving a 40-year old man dead -
despite Intensive-care unit treatment in Iraklion and transfer to Athens
KAT hospital. Giorgos Hasourakis had suffered third degree burns over
90% of his body....
(item 4)
Link to Story.
Whilst poisonous mushrooms...
Once again claim more victims as two Romanian nationals working on Crete
end up in Hospital in Chania - one in intensive care - after eating the
fungi...
(item 5)
Link to Story.
Plus another international incident...
As a 24-year-old Moroccan man is scheduled to face a prosecutor in
Chania, Crete - he is suspected of raping a 17-year-old Bulgarian girl
who has learning disabilities...
(item 6)
Link to Story.
And a racist attack...
Carried out by 'masked vandals' early on December 16th caused fire
damaged furnishings, and both inside and outside walls, daubed with
Swastikas at a building housing a centre for immigrants in Chania....
(item 3)
Link to Story.
And an international rights group...
'Fair Trials International' has taken up the cudgels on behalf of Andrew
Symiou, a 21 year old Briton of Greek Cypriot origin, who was extradited
to Greece in July. Andrew is charged with the Manslaughter of Jonathan
Hiles in a Zakynthos nightclub in May 2007. Andrew is being held in
Korydallos prison, Greece. He claims that the evidence against him was
fabricated....
Link to Story.
(item 2)
Previous Story.
Tourist spending in Greece down by 20%...
Which is very bad news for an economy which depends on a very similar
figure as a part of it's annual national income...
Link to Story.
But there is apparently, hope...
In an un-tapped healthcare market. A report by the National Bank of
Greece points to the potential for income from healthcare tourism.
Patients worldwide are expected to spend around $100 billion - and
Greece does have excellent doctors and reasonable costs...
Link to Story.
Perhaps the new Australian air-link...
With Jetstar (Qantas' low cost subsidiary) planning to offer return
flights for as little as 700 euros between Melbourne and Athens. A
package deal perhaps?...
Link to Story.
But first the cabbies...
Who have been shown to be at serious risk
following the murder of a Thessaloniki taxi driver. Proposals being
examine include partitioning cabs; adding CCTV cameras; and reserving an
emergency CB frequency for cabbies...
Link
to Story.
Athens Parthenon restoration continues...
With the completion of the project to restore the Propylaea -
gateway to the monument being completed in December. Progress
continues...
Link to Story.
Which may be bad news at British Museum..
As Eygypt proposes to host an international conference for countries
demanding the return of ancient relics from foreign museums. Greece
would be invited...
(item
4)
Link to Story.
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