Cretan Vista Site News Archive December 2010

Cretanvista Site News & Reviews - December 2010 Issue 95

No links to sites with adult content accepted.

DECEMBER WEATHER..... Oddly warm and sunny. Temperatures at times reaching the low 30's centigrade in full sun on good days. But also some severely adverse weather occurred...

  Current Chania Webcam             Current Cretan Weather Link
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                  But, before PJ left - the 'A' Team arrived...

What more could he do before departure? Well, ...there was a final task - he would join the 'A' Team - Lindy, Pam, Diana, June (PJ centre rear) and hold a party for themselves and the villagers...
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Astratigos Village Life.... Getting some.. XI
(Continued from September - Previous click here).

At the end the last episode...
.... We duly dispatched PJ on Anek Lines ferry Lissos... to London Victoria Coach Station.... When he arrived and held out his arms for the expected big hug, (from his wife) she apparently backed away in horror, saying 'Get away, get away, you smell horribly'!

Well, he had been on a bus, toilet stops only, for four consecutive days... Now that's magic!...........

But then, it turned out that Judith, his wife, relented and drove him home for a hot bath!

But before that, we couldn't let PJ depart Crete however without a party! So before he left on the ferry to catch his Magic (Bus) carpet we organized one.

Well, I when say that we organized one that isn't even nearly the truth. The truth being that they organized one. 'They' being, almost unbelievably, the three secretarial staff with whom Pam and I had worked most closely immediately before our retirement from the English NHS! They had come to Crete for a holiday, and specifically to visit us for a couple of days and to see our Cretan paradise - cement, bricks, stone and dust... What they thought when they arrived we never did learn - Diana, who was the most senior, was not too far off retirement and was the secretary to senior staff at our old college. June - was middle aged and absolutely staid - the middle ranked with superbly knowing smile; and Lindy - then the junior - was in her early twenties and was undoubtedly the most flamboyant - bubbly would not be an inaccurate description. Bubbly and blonde - Champagne! You wouldn't get a better balanced (or more dangerous team - even from the SAS...

Our secretarial service had returned! Almost. Joining us in our 'almost' paradise to see for themselves how we were really progressing. Both Pam and I were at once over the moon, and at the same time terrified that we would be found severely lacking in facilities and mental status! I mean, we had made excellent progress, but where was the front-house roof? At the builders yard actually, but being used to paying attention to detail they would soon notice, without a shadow of doubt, that the builders yard was 5km away in Kolimbari. We needed a plan to make them feel at home...

The start had to be with putting the three of them in our best accommodation - our own bedroom! It was large enough for three - but we didn't have three beds. Well, we did, but they were assorted, grades A to C, including one camp bed, as issued for desert warfare - the latter from Argos in the UK! No problem - they would expect us to employ our problem solving skills - and no doubt understand from past experience that sometimes these were not very brilliant!

PJ was to sleep under the stars on the balcony he had so recently finished. His previous bed (a Greek 'Kanopes' - convertible settee) would join the single bed in our bedroom. Two down one to go! Louise was leader of a Brownie Pack at home. She would be used to camping - the desert warfare camp bed made three! Bingo! But who would really get which bed?....

We needn't have worried - our ex-secretaries were as usual in command of our mismanagement. It was obvious to them. Diana was the boss - she would get the best bed. June was second in command - she would take the Kanopes. Lindy being the junior (and most experienced camper), would take the desert warfare collapsible camping bed. Now why didn't we think of that?!..

Then they organized us! The bar went up in the bottom corner of our (roofless) front room, a scaffolding set was perfect - the boards set at waist height became a bar full of (at that time) the cheapest bottles of spirit, beers and soft drinks and snacks in the world... Pam's kitchen - at that time a PJ construction of planks and 2x2 supports, bottled gas cooker and gas lamp lighting, complete with all crockery sat in the corner of the corridor in the rear house - complemented by an open side door, leading to the garden and complementary barbeque. What hotel had such facilities?...

We had a guest list - and some guests! We already had three Diana, June, Lindy - and of course Pam and PJ - this would really be his leaving party! Where better to hold it than in the main room that he had just completed. Minus the roof of course... But then, I suppose that we were all staff/hosts - we needed real guests. Which is where the villagers came in!...

To cut a long story very short, everything went superbly. Our Cretan neighbours attended our gas and candle lit party, ate food from our gas and candle lit kitchen-barbeque, and we all got generally very, very merry! But all good things must pass and at the end of the evening we all retired to sleep. To be woken almost immediately by a torch-lit commotion from the ladies' barracks! A rustling sound had been heard (in the dark) by Diana and a noisy panic stricken commotion ensued. We searched the ladies' room thoroughly but found absolutely nothing - which was explained by the impish Lindy as being because there was nothing....

'Diana just wanted you to see her in her nightdress'!!, she grinned.... Insubordination supreme!...

Astratigos Village Life.... Getting some.. Is condensed from the book 'Pamela's House' - in current preparation... Continued in November...

In the News Reviews...
Ninety-Seven years ago...
On 1st December 1913 Crete officially became a part of Greece when King Constantine of Greece, and his Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, himself a Cretan, attended the raising of the Greek flag At the port of Chania...                                                  Link to Story.

Cavo Sidero...
After months of wrangling between opponents of the project proposed by the UK based Minoan group to build a 2500 hectare holiday complex and golf courses in Eastern Crete, The Greek Council of State ruled the project illegal on 3rd December...                  (item 1) Link to Story.

However, it may not be over yet...
Christopher Egelton, the Minoan group Chairman issue a statement at the London Stock Exchange on December 3rd saying that :-

"Whilst clearly the rejection of the Government's approval of our application in its original form is a disappointment, we are now clear as to the specific modifications required to satisfy the Court, all of which we are happy to comply with. This knowledge coupled with the parameters of the new Fast Track law means that I now believe we are on the brink of bringing our project to fruition. It will create hundreds of jobs in an area of Crete which desperately needs and deserves them."

Mr. Egleton concluded by saying:

"First submissions under the Fast Track process are expected to be accepted by Invest in Greece, the official body appointed to review submissions, in mid January 2011. The process of acceptance into the Fast Track process is prescribed by law to be no more than 45 working days from the date of submission".

February 2011 may well bring further developments.
                                                 Link to Story.

Meanwhile...
Back in the island of Crete things seem to be running normally in the department of lawless behaviour - or at least it would appear from the behaviour of gunmen in Perama, Rethymnou...                (item 5) Link to Story.

And this wasn't a case of Somali Pirates...
When the captain of a ship was reported missing after docking at Kaloi Limenes and going ashore to withdraw money with which to pay his crew...
                                    (item 2) Link to Story.

Convicted protesters cleared...
Three people who had previously been convicted of disturbing the peace during a violent demonstration outside the Marathi Naval base in April 2003 were cleared on appeal by a Chania court...
                                    (item 5) Link to Story.

And sadly, on Christmas Day...
A 26-year-old man died in a fire which had broken out in his Chania apartment...
                                    (item 6) Link to Story.

Gambling pays out - to the police...
As 15 people were detained on charges of illegal gambling. The police netted more than 8400 Euros which were believed to be the proceeds from illegal gambling in local bars...
                                    (item 7) Link to Story.

And the changeable December weather...
Caused unexpected drama on the Nidas Plateau in Rethymnou in the middle of the month, with Air Force Super Puma helicopters having to be used to rescue seven stranded in their vehicles...                                  Link to Story.

So it wasn't surprising that...
The remoteness of some areas and changeable weather conditions on Crete, led the island to be chosen as the base for a European exercise to test preparedness in case of major earthquakes and subsequent tsunami...          Link to Story.

Nor was it at all surprising...
To learn that the discovery of ancient archeological artifacts, in this case stone tools found on two Cretan sites in 2010, are between 130,000 and 700,000 years old. That they are listed as among the top 10 discoveries by Archeology magazine - published by the Archeological Institute of America.

The finds were made at Plakias, Rethymnou prefecture on Crete, site of the oldest know civilization in the world...                                     Link to Story.

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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

Blue Star Lines operate daily sailings between Souda and Piraeus.
Souda     -    Piraeus
23.00Hrs         06.15Hrs
Piraeus     -    Souda
14.45Hrs         22.00Hrs

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.

Very rarely one of our sites
becomes temporarily unavailable.
If you do find one missing
please be aware...
Make a note...

WWW.CRETANVISTA.CO.UK
WWW.CRETANVISTA.COM
WWW.CRETANVISTA.INFO
WWW.CRETANVISTA.EU
ALSO AT
www.cretanvistas.com

...One of our mirror sites is always available
24 hours a day 7 days a week!
Bringing the sunshine,
Keeping the rain off!

Earthquake activity:
Although the main reports here refer to Greece, following the devastating Haiti earthquake in January, February brought a second devastation, this time to Chile (Read wikipedia Summary). March brought a third 'quake, this time with a magnitude of 6.0 Richter to the Basyurt area of eastern Turkey, killing 42 villagers and injuring at least 60 on March 8th - USGS report.

In Greece in December there were three earthquakes of note affecting Crete.

24 Dec: 2.3 ML, 02.07am. Undersea epicentre off the south-eastern coast of the island.
                                                                                                         Link to Story.

30 Dec: 2.9 ML, 10.16pm. Undersea epicentre off the eastern coast of the island.
                                                                                                         Link to Story.

26 Dec: 2.1 ML, 22.53am. Undersea epicentre 5km NE Chanía.
                                                                                                         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).                                                   Link to Report.

There are certain existing buildings considered to be at risk from major earthquakes. Link to story. These buildings, which include a number of schools, are being investigated with the objective of safety. Link to story. Engineers have also called upon the government to institute checks on old bridges in Greece. Link (Item6.)
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A Little Extra (Low-down) News....
Getting the 'low-down' on any situation is a natural human condition. Once our curiosity is aroused our one ambition is to find out exactly what the position is (as we see it) so that we know exactly where we stand, or sit, in relation to any given situation. Getting the low-down, I believed, had been researched to death. One scientist - philosopher, psychologist, sociologist - I don't remember which, actually defined getting the low-down
and our subsequent actions as "Grasping the essentials in any given situation and responding appropriately to them". I wouldn't (couldn't) argue with that....

Which was the point at which I for some reason remembered an article in one of the now defunct Cretan English language newspapers. It was about new (at that time) EEC regulations regarding the design of Greek toilets! It covered several aspects of toilet design - materials, shape, size, height, weight, colour, and male female differences - plus sex (of toilets that is). Being, like many other people, a regular user of toilets - I mean - apart from the one I own I sometimes have had to use toilets on buses, on aeroplanes, on boats and even, on one occasion, in a caravan! So I regarded myself as having a legitimate expert interest in new regulations appertaining to their design.

Quite apart from that I am a voter.

The article pointed out, quite rightly, that all publicly available toilets were guilty of sex discrimination - an offence under the Human Rights Acts - supported by the EEC - which was therefore proposing that all such toilets would in future have to be unisex. No problem with that - in Chania (where female visitors sometimes take the wrong exit and walk out past males (visitors and otherwise) weeing (not the Wi Fi version) into their wall mounted urinals next door; at airports - where female cleaners do not stop cleaning for anyone or anything; and France - where gentlemen passing their thoughts in public toilets can nod or smile at passers by - the toilet privacy wall between users and pavements being at but chest height. None of these things happen in my own toilet - a fully enclosed unisex affair - which I had gone to some extremes during construction to ensure would meet all future legislative changes - even down to the fitting of emergency lighting!

The latter had been fitted after an unannounced spot check by my electrical engineer brother-in law, visiting (us, not the toilet!) who had found the mains 'off' switch on the outside electricity meter and operated it whist I was ensconced in the privy with my copy of the Sunday Times. Not knowing how to switch the electricity back on, he left me in the position (seated) of being unable to complete the crossword in the dark or see anything in the pitch-black which would allow safe movement!

Hence the emergency lighting - it was either that or a French pavement privy. I chose the lighting because the latter would simply not have looked right inside the house.

Back to the newspaper article. It went on to say that because male urinals often caused splash-back - and were discriminatory in that ladies could not use them - they would be banned under the proposed legislation. Likewise, the danger to person caused by slamming toilet seats or drunks falling asleep whilst sitting, the sitting version would also be banned, leading, if the situation were not corrected, to empty cubicles which desperate persons might misuse...

By EEC directive, therefore, along with the public smoking ban, all new toilets must consist of a single hole in the floor, at a set distance from ceiling, walls and door, with foot steps on either side. Users will place themselves (when necessary) into a low-down crouching position, one foot on either side of the hole, whilst performing their selected function for the predetermined amount of time. Full instructions will be placed on pre-printed pads at a set height behind each door.

Just out of reach!..............

Kalos Ithate Stin Kriti.
WB. Cretanvista. Bringing the sunshine, keeping the rain off!

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Messages.
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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.

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.
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Site Content:- No change this month.

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.

Contacting Cretanvista..
We have now discontinued all direct email links. You can still reach us directly using our new Contact form, and will still receive direct replies, but if you see an email address please ignore it.

Photo Galleries...
Calendar Photo Galleries:
A new one every year for the past decade! The 2010 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), but of course that is not available until later in the year. But we can reprint any issue with the next year's dates - whatever year that happens to be! Have a look at the 2010 wild flowers calendar Link.

Wild Flower Gallery - Now at 240 different wild flower photographs online - plus dozens in preparation - Galleries 13 - 14 are impending - just a few days more. Gallery 15 is developing - which will mean 380 online.. Plus we have added 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.

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 20 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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	Living in Crete by Carol Palioudakis OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK! Price £9.50 GBP
	Amazon.co.uk & Selected Cretan bookstores

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UK Nursing History - Schools of Nursing
Readers who have any interest in the history of the UK nursing profession might well be interested in looking at:-

www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk

There is a main site detailing every pre-university school of nursing, the hospitals used for training and badge awarded.
A forum covering all aspects of nursing history
A 'National' nursing badge collection containing more than 2000 photographs.
Badges, nurses, hospitals et al
Web space for your own nursing related photographs.
*Membership is Free
*Membership is necessary to use the forum and photograph Gallery areas.

Related Sites - also free.
'nursingbadges
historyofhospitals

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