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FEBRUARY
WEATHER ...
Predictably unpredictable. But in the main very cold. Snow in many
higher levels and making some roads difficult and some subject to landslides.
Lots of water and good quality storms but a few nice days to enjoy the
first flowers. Latest
Crete Weather Site
Link. _____________________________
New face at Cretanvista - Colin Turvey
Photograph: Cretanvista has
recently accepted a kind offer by Colin to supply us with bird-watching
photographs. We are already working on his first gallery which contains
some very nice shots. Have a preview - PREVIEW
SAMPLE - CLICK
HERE
Village Life... "Don't wander away now"...
'Well, there we go Judith. The only thing we could possibly do now
is to put you inside the suitcase and try to get you sent somewhere nice -
like Afghanistan..!' The reply was indecipherable and not to my
advantage. Since we were about to deliver Judith to her UK bound charter
flight at Daskala Yiannis Airport, (Chania), I was making the most of our
seriously long term banter. It didn't matter a lot at the time - I was on my
way to the airport and a seriously cool beer on a sweltering August day - I
could almost taste the cool, cool beer... Nectar....
Judith, I should explain, is a very old friend of ours. Strangely, she
and I seem to have been at war forever - years in fact! Perhaps because
I know that one day I will become the winner, I should concede just a little
and point out that when I say that Judith is a very old friend, I mean
that we have been friends for a long time, not that she is very old. For
her age!
Anyway, advantage - me! All I need to do now is to get her on a flight
to Afghanistan or somewhere equally exotic - or perhaps have her still sat in
the airport taverna at Chania as her flight departs for the UK (!)and it will
be game, set and match. Lets go...
It was easy. Beautiful day. Sunny Kolimbari sped by (on the way to my
beer) as did Gerani, Platanias, Agia Marina and all points east to the
airport. Maybe Judith will buy the beer (another point to me
maybe).. We arrive before the tourist coaches bearing her compatriot
end-of-holiday-makers and are first at the check in. No problems.
A couple of hours to go - we can saunter across to the taverna (just outside
the airport gates) and I can try for a free beer on Judith....
'Don't wander away now' - a half smiling female 'rep' - from some airline or
other, appears to be guarding the doors as we attempt to leave the departure
hall. She doesn't seem to understand that I am not 'wandering away now'
- I am going, as is my habit at the airport on a hot day, to the taverna for a cool,
cool beer.
'Excuse me?' I politely enquire into her apparent confusion... 'DON'T
WANDER AWAY NOW - HE MAY GO WITHOUT YOU'... Tone more serious now, smile
very, very faint.. I am perplexed. 'Who' I ask in all innocence,
'who may go without me?' Her response was immediate and short. 'THE
PILOT' says she 'THE PILOT MAY GO WITHOUT YOU!' Well, that really
would be a disaster, I thought uncharitably, 'HE MIGHT GO WITHOUT ME'....
I was becoming, like the temperature outside, somewhat warmer. I
persisted - I wanted to know more about this erstwhile super-flyer who would
apparently leave me behind (where I wanted to be) at the drop of a cold beer -
which this lady was preventing me getting. 'Where is he now' I
asked. There were no aircraft on the apron. 'Where is he - right
now?' This lady looked directly into my eyes - somewhat square jaw
starting to jut. 'Going to throw me off the flight I'm not on for not drinking' I
thought. All Judith's fault... Just then my just slightly aggressive,
tank like rep was called away... Left without completing the implied
threat... This was no answer.. There,
just a couple of yards away - female, same uniform... 'Leave it' my wife
had seen my intention, but too late! This young lady had a big smile...
'where is he I demanded - right now?' She looked a little
panic-stricken. 'Who?' she enquired. 'The pilot' I said 'where is he -
right now?' Not flustered, this young lady. 'Which flight?'..
'Manchester' I said, almost exasperated. 'There are three due for
Manchester, do you know the number?' If you have that I can tell you where it
probably is right now'.
At last! Someone with a bit of common sense! A bit of savvy! Manna from
heaven! May the sun always shine on you! 'Judi'.... I stopped, Judith
was missing, and she had the flight number - her flight; her ticket; her
number. And I didn't have it. 'where's Judith' I asked my
wife.. 'Coming back from the taverna' she replied - they just announced
her flight!! |
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In the News...
Here's dust in your eyes! Again...
Our annual dose of the Sahara has arrived on Crete, maybe a little
early. But at least we shared it with the rest of Greece. Story
link.
But we can see what has gone missing...
The English Lord Elgin may have started it in earnest, but even the Getty
Museum has managed to get involved... Link
to Story
And where it's gone from...
Easy to steal from a church - but Greece will eventually find it... What,
who and where it is now...
Second
story.
Be careful where you leave your canon...
They could just come back as motor cars. These were found just in
time to defend Chania again....
Link to Story.
Second
Link.
The Greek tax man cometh..
Paragraph 7 of this story tells it all - pensioners in Greece really do
earn more than restaurateurs and bar owners.. Or perhaps they have more
time to count! Link
to Story.
Though living costs are rising in Greece..
16% rise in one year for a family of four... See 'Expensive
living'.. Link
to story.
A periptero or two might help...
There are now some large modern supermarket chains in Greece, but if you
really want to make a living here forget houses, pubs and clubs - get yourself
a periptero!
Link
to story.
And get here faster - new Cretan airport ..
To be built at Kastelli - north eastern, east of Iraklion - not north
western Crete. 5000 holiday-makers at a go, we may need a metro - its a
25minute drive... Link
to story.
But not everyone wants more tourists..
The mayor of Inachori (locality includes Elafonissos beach) says that
thousands of annual tourists are contributing to endangering a rare area of
natural beauty. They are. But don't blame them...
Link
to story.
Genetics may save olives from pests...
Scientists at the University of Crete have come up with the probable
answer to Daucus flies - sterile
men!
Link
to Story.
But that olive cash stays slippery! ...
Better olive crops, better cash - but the oil money still slips into the
hands of thieves...
Link
to Story.
But on a more serious note..
The Venetian fort in Iraklion has a few
problems.
Link
to Story.
Whilst air pollution and concrete...
Don't really add to Iraklios' tourist attraction. Don't add to the city at
all right now.
Link
to Story.
And a Greek man remanded for murder ...
27 year old remanded at Wakefield, Yorkshire, after extradition to the UK
from Thessaloniki, Greece, on charges connected to the death of a 20 year old
English woman in
2003.
Link
to Story.
But finally, all emotions are clear...
Well, depending upon one's point of view that is - maybe that enigmatic
Mona Lisa smile isn't really such a mystery - maybe she was just a little
mixed up.... 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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The Cretanvista Review of
Carol Palioudaki's
'Cool Guide to
Living in Crete'
(A gold mine of information)
is, like the book, available now.
Out Now - Get it
at www.livingincrete.net
Or visit www.coolpublications.co.uk
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