Cretanvista Site News & Reviews - July 2013  Issue 127

No links to sites with adult content accepted. 

JULY WEATHER..... Became an absolute scorcher on Crete with heat-waves which averaging around 34-35⁰C.  High humidity. There were also times when it was extremely windy, bringing with them the not uncommon risk of bush fires - fortunately few affected the island....

  Current Chain Webcam             Current Cretan Weather Link

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Astratigos Village Life.... Travelers Tales.. XVIV
(Continued from June - Previous click here).
 

Onward! Into the breach! II... XVIV
And here, or there, we were. We had simply been diverted around the south side of Patras so that we were entering the port from the west instead of our usual route through the centre of the City from the east! Easy if you say it quickly. Being a creature of habit I still prefer the route I know best, but having thought about it later I can see the beauty of one way in, one way out. It certainly cuts down on the congestion. And, once all the minor road

work's are complete, should make everything much easier all round. 'Dammed clever these Chinese' a perhaps apparently disrespectful saying - which really sums up my belief that it was the taking over of the Patras container port by Chinese interests that have led to the what are really beneficial changes...

And so to 'Hellenic Spirit' our next ANEK lines vessel which was to take us from Patras in Greece, to Ancona, in Italy. We had an hour or so to wait before our ferry docked, enough time to check-in at the ANEK port office and have a coffee under a brolley in the very hot sunshine until our boat docked. The arrival of Hellenic Spirit was a great relief - we would soon be on-board in a modern air-conditioned ship with a cold beer! Since I would not be driving next day I had no worries about being brethalysed! And we had another modern 'hotel' with every modern convenience to enjoy for nearly 48 hours. Well done that man!

It did mean though that our timings would lead to our arrival at the Air Hotel Forli being in the early evening. But then I knew the way (even though we used Sat-Nav) - I had once lost my car keys there in the 12 yards between the garage and the reception. They have never been discovered. However, we were looking forward very much to revisiting a local Chinese restaurant which we had fallen for on a previous visit - stunning food, superb service, nice price! But we had to enjoy 'Hellenic Spirit' which we knew well, first. Enjoy it we certainly did!

Just before we disembarked, we were stood by another English couple who apparently lived in Turkey. They disliked it. But they had a red-hot tip for this getting on to be elderly (read elderly) English couple about to leave their ark and attempt to drive into the Italian void... 'When you get to the main road from the boat, get into the inside (right hand) lane and stay there until you reach the traffic lights. Then turn left'... Which was their own intent. This went right against my own experience of staying in the (correct) left hand lane until the traffic lights, and then turning left when the lights shouted 'Green'. At that point it is virtually impossible to cross the into left (correct) lane if one is in the right hand (incorrect) lane. But who am I to argue - so we didn't! Pam (navigator) called left lane; Edie (Sat-Nav) indicated left lane; Fred (Honda Engine room) called left lane; and we took the left turn and arrived in Forli bang on time! The traffic in the right hand lane had flowed straight on - it had nowhere else to go. 'urks!

So much for hot tips! But there was a possible problem looming. The night porter, with whom we had had a serious brush on our last visit, (best summarized as "No"), was on duty. 'Oh' dear' I thought, but being adventurous I ventured -'Can we put the car in the garage'? He unlocked the door and I drove in. 'I need a few minutes to get things out'.. 'OK' he grunted but didn't move. I began to get my cases. 'Is the Chinese restaurant open' I asked. 'There isn't one' he replied...

We got our bags to our room, had a quick spruce up and went back to the porter at his desk. I swear that he almost smiled, I thought in anticipation of our next joust, and asked 'Where can we get something to eat'? He advised immediately - there was a fine Italian restaurant just next door and yes, they would be open late. Encouraged, I pushed my luck - 'and can I get a beer when we return - it will be late - and my wife likes drinking chocolate'... It would not be a problem, he would be here all night, just ask!

The restaurant 'Canario' was in full swing - full of Italians and there didn't seem a lot of room, but the young lady who greeted us with a warm smile (and who had no English!) found us a table for two and indicated that she would try her best with us and try to find a menu in English. The bonhomie of the place was infectious! We started with a big very fresh vegetable salad, followed by a fish and pasta and a seafood risotto main meals. And of course a full bodied red-wine from the barrel - the 'house wine'... All superb! The young waitress was absolute magic, looking after us with a mixture of Italian on her part and English on ours, sprinkled where it seemed useful with the odd words of English and Greek on ours! There were more than a few laughs but Lorinda -  'Lorrie' (the waitress) left us happy and well sated  - all for 48 Euros!

And oh' but that seafood was stunning! superbly prepared and presented, white fish, prawns (a couple enormous), clams and mussels (both in and out of shells) crayfish, baby squid, a superb rice and that exquisite taste of sun-dried tomato plus a few sliced olives! We declined to eat the left-over shells!!

Back at the hotel the night porter was as good as all his words. He didn't say 'No' - not even once. I still wonder if that Chinese restaurant was really closed down, it looked remarkably solid on the last trip. But whatever,  A1 all round....

After breakfast next day we once again took to the road (not losing my car keys this time) around 10.30 a.m. for the drive to Forni in Switzerland, taking a rest-stop just before the Swiss border on the Chiasso/Como-Lugarno route. Having piloted myself into the diesel only lane of the fuel station (!!), we had a couple of sandwiches and a cool orange drink before crossing back to the petrol lanes. We fuelled up, bought a Swiss motorway carnet along with the petrol and were on our way, yet again into the mountains of Switzerland. Next stop Hotel Forni at Airolo on the St Gotthard pass road. Go for it!...
                                        (Continued next month)....

In the News Reviews...
35 Meter-Sailboat Rescue...
July 9th saw the Greek Coastguard and Navy vessels  conducting a rescue operation involving 130 people, possible illegal migrants, taking on water about 30 nautical miles from the island of Koufonissi,  of south-western Crete...
                                                   Link to Story.
Heavy Metal...
Thieves reportedly broke through four doors in order to reach the office of the director of a Chania retirement home - and steal a 200 kilo (440Ib) metal safe, which they apparently dragged into the street and loaded into a getaway vehicle making good their escape. The safe contained around 8000 euro's in cash belonging to the residents - and relics of a saint....
                                                    Link to Story.

Natural Causes...
Very, very sad - a 23-year-old woman, reported to be Russian, was found dead in her hotel room in the resort of Agia Pelagia, Iraklio, on Tuesday 2nd July. She was believed to have died from natural causes.  
                                                   Link to Story.

Cruise ships in...Home ports still out...
The excellent rise in the number of cruise ships using Greek ports is good news for the Greek economy, as the visitors bring in much needed income. But the use of major cruise lines using a  Greek port as the home port has risen by only a very small number - one! But at least this latest plus for Greece is one for Iraklion, Crete...
                                                    Link to Story.

But Olympic Air is cutting routes...
From Athens to Thessaloniki and Athens to Iraklion from October 13th. Olympic had already discontinued its Athens to Rhodes service on September 30th.

Many will be able to recall the not too distant past when Olympic flew to what seemed to be from everywhere to everywhere...
                                                    Link to Story.
 
Malia fatal stabbing...
An eye witness to a 'melee' - better know perhaps as a violent brawl, outside a nightclub in the resort of Malia which left one 20-year-old Briton dead and 18 other Britons under arrest on Tuesday July 23.
Paramedics called to the scene were unable to save the 20-year-old, whom had a stab wound which punctured his heart.

 *Malia has been the scene of violence and alcohol-fuelled brawling by young Britons on holiday - leading to police action and arrests in previous years.

No were released at the time.... 
                                                   Link to Story.

Two suspects and a confession...
Just one day after the fatal stabbing of a 20-year Briton, named as Tyrell Matthews Burton, two suspects were among the nineteen youths arrested. One has reportedly told prosecutors that he had handled the weapon believed to have been used and  'that he may have accidentally stabbed Matthews-Burton'.

It was reported that Mathews-Burton 'was clearly pinned down and killed execution style - there being no defense wounds'.....
                                                   Link to Story.
                                                     
British Ambassador to Greece, Visits Malia...
British ambassador John Kittmer visited Malia on Thursday 25th July. He met the family of Tyrell Matthews-Burton, who was stabbed to death on his birthday, July 23rd. The Ambassador emphasized that Greece was 'friendly, hospitable and safe country'... where the message is 'We are saying to young tourists, you can have a good time and enjoy yourselves, while keeping safe and acting responsibly'.....

Meanwhile an Iraklio prosecutor has charged 19-year-old Briton Myles Litchmore-Dunbar with the murder of Tyrell Matthews-Burton, whilst another 18 British youths face charges in connection with the incident...
                                                    Link to Story.

Malia stabbing remand...
On Monday July 29th Myles Litchmore-Dunbar, the Briton accused of stabbing Tyrell Matthews-Burton to death had been remanded in custody. Two others (unnamed in the report), one who had admitted carrying a Knife and another who admitted punching a friend of the victim, were granted bail of 10,000 and 2,000 euros respectively.

Sixteen other suspects were released, facing only misdemeanor charges.
                                                    Link to Story.

On a much lighter note...
But perhaps not so good for villagers and others used to harvesting free supplies of local herbs, much vaunted in Cretan (Mediterranean) diet, the forestry officials on Crete have banned the collection of a variety of wild herbs which have been picked and 'snipped to near extinction.

Sage; marjoram; oregano; and sideritis (Cretan Mountain Tea) may no longer be collected in protected areas. Commercial collection requires special permission and 500 grams may be taken for personal use. *Cretan dittany, like ivory from elephants) may not be collected at all....
                                                   Link to Story.
                                                     
A Green Story...
"When 18-year-old Eftichios Vlahakis boarded a ship headed for the United States in 1953, he had no idea that he was about to embark on a professional journey that decades later would become the subject of a feature-length film. So, when the curtains fell on the premier of the film “A Green Story,” a narrative of the life of Van Vlahakis – as he was named in the US – he could not help but wonder how it all happened".
                                                    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


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...

...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:
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 - 'Here we are again, Happy as can be, all good pals and'.... 
'Here we are yet again, happy as can be, all good pals and jolly good company'!....WWI song sung by British soldiers in first world war - the earliest known recording is by Gracie Fields. Gracie Fields? Who in our lifetime is Gracie Fields?! Well, for most people too young to know, Gracie Fields was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, U.K. 09/01/1898 - by the time I was born she was already 55 years old - she died in Capri, Italy on 27/09/1979. But before she did, she was one of the two girls who stole my heart in my early formative years! Well, Gracie and Jennifer Logan - but that's another story!

Gracie stole the hearts of a whole English generation in the 1940s and 50s - well before the time of entertainers such as the Beatles; Cliff Richard (Harry Web); The Who; The Animals; Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones; Elvis Presley and yea, even Sandi Shaw and Cilla Black and the whole plethora of 'Rockers and Rollers' brought in the new wave music of the 1960's. Thinking back perhaps Cilla Black is the nearest one can get to an all round performer such as Gracie fields.

Her recording of 'Sally' - Sally, Sally, pride of our alley...  Just reading the lyrics is like drinking rich wine instead of water. But there is no substitute for seeing and hearing - just watch the watch the video - and just listen to this.... (when the song finishes close your You-Tube or browser-tab and you will be right back here)...

"After lots of misunderstandings and underhand dealings, Sally's sweetheart returns after being injured in the Great War. This song came to be Gracie's signature tune, as she said "I've been singing a man's song all my life!" They got round this by making the song the one that her man most liked to hear her sing. The film was made in 1931"..... (©Smooja. YouTube)

And for a few years of my adult life I lived only a couple of miles up the road from Gracie Fields' birthplace and the mill where she worked for a short while before stardom found her. Over 100 songs and several films later...

But there was another girl in the hearts and minds of England between the late 1940s and end of the '50s. Vera Lynn...  Dame Vera Lynn! Vera was the undisputed English female forces favourite of WWII.... The Americans had (quite rightly) Glenn Miller and Ann Shelton, and although no one would decry their superb performances, for the British Vera Lynn was total gold.  Being born in the very early 1940's I grew up first to the scratchy 'wireless' - yes, that's what we called Radio sets in the 40's and early 50's, before television became a birthright (!), and then to the more modern valve 'Hi Fi' radios and record players, which produced superb sounds compared with what we had before stereo became derigeur.  I was lucky, my brother bought us a 'Hi Fi' record player. Valves, three speed drive belt (33/45/78rpm) and superb (comparatively) sound... We could (and did) obtain as many Vera Lynn records (78 rpm vinyl discs) as possible and played the same whilst cosseted in our bedroom to ward off complaints about the incessant repetition of Vera's songs....

Vera Lynn was born Vera Margaret Welch on 20 March 1917, in East Ham, then in Essex, now part of Greater London. Her father was a plumber and Vera Welch grew up with her parents' Cockney accent, which she has never abandoned. Altogether Vera Lynn recorded 84 albums - 477 songs, as well as her innumerable tours and appearances both during and after the war. Her greatest songs were undoubtedly WWII - and perhaps the best known was perhaps her biggest hit - 'We'll Meet Again', but included 'Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye', and 'The White Cliffs of Dover' (There'll Be Bluebirds Over), 'Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart', 'When I Grow Too Old to Dream', 'Harbour Lights' and of course the other 471 songs.... Magic!

Gracie Field and Vera Lynn had much in common. Born only 20 years apart from humble backgrounds - the same abilities to sing, write and act, and of course to enrapture - or should that be 'capture' the hearts of millions the world over. Both sang to their forces Gracie Fields in WW1/WWII - Vera Lynn in WWII - and both had at least one war-time song in common 'Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye'...

And people who grew up during their era's and who can remember one or both wars may well remember both - they played their starring roles in both world Wars, both played the London Palladium, and both became Dame Commanders of the Order of the British Empire... Well desevered, undeniably.... But lets just watch again - first Dame Vera Lynn with 'We'll Meet Again' .... and  'White Cliffs of Dover' ...Both especially poignant because in the case of the latter the younger generation has shown that it has not only not forgotten the lessons of the past, but is still passing them on. Seeing, and hearing can only be believed in this 'White Cliffs of Dover' rendition by 10-year-old Chloe Hickinbottom on the TV show 'Britain's Got Talent' in April 2010...

Dave Moffatt, commenting on Chloe's performance on the 'YouTube' channel said - 'Hope. The kids of today & all that.. I'm feeling positive for once that we aren't completely spiraling downward in ever decreasing circles. If only more ten year olds listened to Dame Vera Lynn'.

Perhaps Chloe will next sing 'Sally' and demonstrate that there is yet hope for us all..... The last word is Gracie's - Sally.

(*NB: when any song finishes close You-Tube or browser-tab and you will be right back here - but be warned - you may have tears in your eyes. Enjoy!!)...

Kalos Ithate Stin Kriti.
WB. Cretanvista. Bringing the sunshine, keeping the rain off!
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Site Content Changes -  News page only this month...

Photo Galleries...
Calendar Photo Galleries:
A new one every year for the past decade! The 2013 Calendar gallery is complete and online now.. Once again the 2013 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 2009. And every year since! Because of our success we have already produced our 2014 wild flower calendar format (not yet printed) 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 2013 wild flowers calendar Link.

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 makes it all worthwhile.

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The Cretan Vista Calendar Photos - Birds

We are building a specialist calendar of birds - whilst we are building our own library of Bird photographs, contributions are always welcome. They will always be acknowledged and copyright will remain your own and a free calendar is yours as soon as printed....
(Please contact us before sending pictures).
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Bird Watchers' Please Note:

The webmaster is at: Contact Form.